Cheese is one of the ultimate comfort foods. Luckily, there’s no lack of incredible farm-fresh cheese in Oregon, thanks to dairy-friendly weather and the experts who turn milk into cheese. You’ll find no less than a whopping 250 varieties of sheep, cow and goat cheeses made in Oregon, and you can seek them out all over the state on the Oregon Cheese Trail.
Want to try many of the state’s cheeses all in one go? Sample to your heart’s content at two festivals: the award-winning Oregon Cheese Festival, held every April in Central Point near Medford; and the Oregon Cheese Guild’s annual The Wedge festival in Portland, which brings together more than 75 local artisan producers of cheese as well as specialty foods, beer, wine and cider.
Here are some of the top places to taste Oregon cheese.
Visit These Inventive Cheesemakers
One common thread among all Oregon cheesemakers is a spirit of innovation. You can see this in the sustainable farming practices and environmental stewardship, and you can taste it with their focus on craft and inspired ingredients. For example, on a sixth-generation Century Farm, Helvetia Creamery in Helvetia partners with a local cidery to make a bold and nutty Bergkäse, a traditional Swiss Alpine-style cheese that has a rind washed with hard cider.
In the charming 120-square-foot tasting room at Briar Rose Creamery in Dundee, cheesemaker Sarah Marcus offers a series of seasonal limited-edition cheeses. Insider tip: Don’t miss her chocolate truffles made with a creamy fromage blanc that’s coated in rich cocoa powder.
At her dairy farm near the town of Siletz — northeast of Newport — Patricia Morford, founder and cheesemaker at Rivers Edge Chèvre, has been raising goats since 1970 and now runs the small creamery she established in 2005 with her daughter. Her popular Up in Smoke begins with smoking fresh chèvre over alder and maple wood, then wrapping each round of goat cheese in smoked maple leaves that have been lightly misted with bourbon.
In Southern Oregon there’s Rogue Creamery. This heritage cheesemaker produces the legendary Rogue River Blue, a limited-production cheese made annually beginning on the autumnal equinox, when milk is richer and higher in butterfat. After this cheese is made and has ripened, each wheel is hand-wrapped in organic, biodynamic syrah leaves that have been soaked in pear brandy, then cave aged for 9 to 12 months. You can pick up a wedge at the creamery’s tasting room in Central Point’s Artisan Corridor, as well as sample the complete line of blue cheeses and watch cheddar being made. At the Rogue Valley Grower’s Market nearby in Medford and Ashland (check seasonal hours) you can find deliciously sustainable cheeses made by The Salty Goat and farmstead goat cheeses made by Mama Terra Micro Creamery.
Enjoy These Cheese Experiences Around the State
For a deeper dive into the terroir of Oregon cheese, hit the road. In Salem Don Froylan Creamery turns out traditional Mexican cheeses including queso fresco, Oaxaca and cotija. Owner Francisco Ochoa named the 9,000-square-foot facility in honor of his father, who first began selling his cheese by going door to door. The family-run creamery’s hand-pulled Liliana’s string cheese was deemed best string cheese by the American Cheese Society in 2023 and 2024. Ochoa says the secret is meticulously stretching the cheese into long ribbons by hand — which you can see on weekdays at the creamery.
If you are a cheddar enthusiast, visit the Coast. In Tillamook the history of dairy farming dates back to the 1800s. Swing by the state-of-the-art Tillamook Creamery, where you can get a bird’s-eye view of cheesemaking, plus tour interactive exhibits that cover life on a dairy farm. Fuel up in the dining hall on creative cheese plates like tempura-battered cheese curds, Detroit-style cheesy pizzas, and bacon-studded mac and cheese made with beer. Stop by the gift shop to pick up a wedge of Tillamook’s Maker’s Reserve 2014 Extra Sharp White Cheddar, which was named the world’s best cheddar cheese at the World Cheese Awards in 2024. Also on the North Coast, Nestucca Bay Creamery makes delightful cheeses with local place names like Tierra del Mar Camembert and Ghost Forrest Feta; the shop sells its fresh cheeses as well as other ready-made picnic items and fruit-filled milkshakes.
Maybe you’ve been lucky enough to taste the truffle-flecked cheddar from Face Rock Creamery, another spot that continuously wins top awards from the American Cheese Society. You can visit the creamery in the South Coast town of Bandon (or its other retail location in Coos Bay) and watch the hands-on cheddar process behind a glass wall. After snacking on samples of cheese curds or garlicky Vampire Slayer cheddar, or enjoying a cheese-stuffed panini, hit the nearby beach for a windswept stroll.
Cruise along the 35-mile Applegate Valley Wine Trail in Southern Oregon and you’ll find CrushPad Creamery at Wooldridge Creek Winery in Grants Pass, the state’s first joint creamery and winery. Here cheesemaker Aiyah Geier focuses on small-batch cheeses to pair with the estate wines. Order a chef’s plate to sample bloomy-rind cheeses alongside house-made charcuterie.
Meet the Herd at these Farmsteads
If you want to source your cheese all the way to the cow, pack your boots and steer toward TMK Creamery in Canby, about 45 minutes from downtown Portland. This small family farm began over 30 years ago, when owner Todd Koch bought his first cow as part of a 4-H project. Now he has a herd of 20 cows that he and his brother raise for milk, while his sister runs the micro-creamery. “One of the highlights for visitors is meeting our cow-lebrities,” says Tessa Koch. “We call them that because they are the ultimate hero of the story.” After an engaging tour — which includes milking demos and sampling cheese — you can grab snacks like deep-fried cheddar curds and grilled cheese sandwiches at the farm’s food truck. You can also check out the on-site distillery, where they make Cowcohol, a vodka made from upcycled whey left over from the farm’s cheesemaking.
At Fraga Farmstead Creamery in Gales Creek — an evergreen oasis about 30 minutes west of Portland — you can hike with friendly goats from the resident herd and then picnic by a pretty pond. The farm is certified Animal Welfare Approved, and as part of that program, older goats remain with the pack as pasture pets and happy grazers. At the on-site farm stand, you can buy everything from seasonal goat cheese and goat gelato to goat-milk soaps. You’re not far from the herd in the bountiful Willamette Valley at Oregon State University, where students in the College of Agricultural Sciences run the Beaver Classic Creamery, open to the public six days of the week. Find a large selection of gouda, cheddar, provolone and swiss made by students on site.
Just northwest of Pendleton in Eastern Oregon is the idyllic city of Milton-Freewater, known for its boutique wineries and farm-based experiences. At Umapine Creamery you can purchase everything from cheese curds to lemon, dill, caraway and onion gouda — all made on site, right next to the family’s Brevon Farm. For 40-plus years Yvonne and Brent Carroll have raised cows and calves as naturally as possible, and welcome visitors who want to say hello. Just down the road, Walla Walla Cheese Company sells fun flavors like coffee cheddar and dill havarti from their shop, as well as grilled cheese sandwiches, soups, ice cream and soft drinks. Jeff and Andrea Adams and their children live on site with their small farm of horses, heifers, chickens, cats and their official greeter dog, Nixie.
If you’re taking I-5 through Southern Oregon, you’ll likely already be visiting the renowned Rogue Creamery, but did you know they also do free tours at the creamery’s nearby organic dairy farm? Located along the banks of the Rogue River in Grants Pass, it’s about 30 scenic miles from the creamery. Visit to learn more about sustainable farming practices and herd health and happiness, and stay for a grilled cheese or a buy wedge to take home. You’ll see a set of robotic milkers that allow the herd of 120 brown Swiss and Holstein cows to milk themselves on their own schedules.
