Oregon: Photos, Posters, and Prints

Every region within Oregon contains numerous attractions for outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy. The northwestern quadrant of the state contains the Mt. Hood National Forest and the southern bank of the Columbia River Gorge. The Pacific Crest Trail enters the state within this forest and leads south along the Cascade Mountain Range. Southwestern Oregon's most popular attraction is Crater Lake National Park. This site preserves a lake formed in a dormant volcano's caldera. The Rogue River is well known by outdoor and water-activity enthusiasts throughout the world.The Willamette Valley lies in central western Oregon and attracts many visitors each year. This area includes the Cascade Mountains to the east and the coastal region to the west. Central Oregon is well known for its rocky landscape and dry climate. Eastern Oregon boasts desert canyons and gorges as well as excellent whitewater opportunities on the Snake and Owyhee Rivers.

Recreation opportunities are as vast as the natural terrain in this state. Highlights include a number of whitewater opportunities throughout the state including kayaking, rafting and angling. The western portion of the state is comprised of 400 miles of coastline, which provides unending opportunities for water sports, scenic driving and photography. Hiking and backpacking are enjoyed by most visitors to Oregon's vast National Forest system.

Thousands of visitors each year are drawn to the scenic beauty of Oregon. In the northeast, deep gorges vie for attention with the craggy beauty of the towering Wallowa Mountains. Outdoor types will also be drawn to the southeast’s huge and desolate Steens Mountain Wilderness Area, as well as the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area along the coast. Salem is the capital of Oregon and the State’s third-largest city; it boasts many fine museums, gardens and parks, including the Mission Mill Museum, Old Aurora Colony Museum, Bush House Museum and Oregon Garden, which recently opened the new Frank Lloyd Wright House. The more urbane should consider Portland, the ‘City of Roses’, which boasts gardens, restaurants, shops, concerts, jazz festivals, theatres and first-class hotels. It is possible to see the best of the city’s vibrant dramatic and visual arts scene on the first Thursday of each month when the small galleries in the Southwest and Northwest districts remain open until 2100. The Portland Art Museum houses painting and sculpture from the 1350s to the 1950s. The city also boasts the American Advertising Museum, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Pittock Mansion, Oregon Zoo and the recently renovated PGE Park. An hour from Portland is the stunning Columbia River Gorge. Here, the Columbia furrows its way through a canyon, plunging between hills and sheer cliff faces. The Columbia River Maritime Museum can be found in Astoria. The Vista House, completed as a memorial to Oregon’s pioneers, acts as the visitors centre in Crown Point State Park. East of Crown Point, a string of waterfalls, including the mighty Multnomah Falls, attracts 2 million visitors per year. The towns of Hood River and The Dalles offer visitor services in the gorge; whilst the Columbia River itself, with its 50kph (30mph) winds, is a windsurfing paradise. On the Idaho border lies North America’s deepest gorge – Hells Canyon. In some places, the walls drop 1650m (7900ft) to the Snake River below. A quick flit through on a jet boat or a leisurely drift by raft are two ways of viewing this mighty wonder. Oregon breaks another record by boasting the nation’s deepest lake, located in southern Oregon. It forms the centrepiece of Crater Lake National Park, plunging from an 1800m- (6000ft-) elevation to a depth of nearly 600m (1932ft). Skiing is offered in the Willamette Pass and Hoodoo Ski Areas, which have recently undergone improvements to their existing facilities. For those heading coastwards, the renowned US Highway 101 hugs the Pacific shore with a stretch lying between the coastal towns, where hundreds of miles of State parks offer direct connections with the beach. Some of Oregon’s most famous cheeses are nurtured on the shore of Tillamook Bay and those who hunger for a hunk should visit the Tillamook Cheese Visitor’s Center. Newport offers the sights and smells of a classic seaport, including an Aquarium, whilst connoisseurs of ale can sample local favourites across the bay bridge at the Rogue Ale Brewery. Both the Oregon Coast Aquarium and Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science Visitor Center are located here, providing unique and educational views of coastal wildlife and the environment. Other attractions in the State include Bend, home to the High Desert Museum; Eugene, with the newly renovated Hult Center for the Performing Arts; and Baker City, offering the National Historic Trail Interpretive Center.