If you’re looking for an affordable family getaway, Oregon is the perfect destination. With pristine forests, lakes, mountains and beaches, there are plenty of things to do for outdoor-loving families, but with fewer crowds – and more bang for your buck – than in neighboring California.

I have planned out an Oregon summer family road trip for a week, hitting some of the best spots in Oregon. If this seems like too much driving for your family, skip Crater Lake and split your time equally between Bend and Portland, or spend a couple of nights at a seaside resort instead.

Fly into Portland PDX: Two nights in Portland

Portland has a reputation for hipsters with its cafes, microbreweries and independent shops, but it is also home to many unique family-friendly experiences.

Portland’s 400-acre Washington Park alone has a Children’s Museum, a zoo, the World Forestry Center, an amazing playground, a steam train and a Japanese Garden. In the summer, concerts are held at the zoo, starting at 7pm.

Parents will also be pleased to hear that Portland’s famous breweries are welcoming to children, so no need to miss out on the northwest pacific beer scene. Portland is also known for its food carts, which are a family-friendly and affordable way to enjoy the best of the region’s food.

If your kids love public transport, Portland has a great little self-guided city tour called the 4T, a 4.5-mile urban loop that includes trails, a trolley, an aerial tram and a train!

For more information on Portland, check out the very informative Travel Portland website.

Where to stay

Budget Portland International Guesthouse

Mid-range Silver Cloud Inn

Luxury Kimpton Riverplace Hotel

How to get there

Portland International Airport (PDX) is well-served by several airlines, including: Air Canada, Alaska, American Airlines, Boutique Air, Condor, Delta, Frontier, Hawiian Airlines, IcelandAir, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, Suncountry, United, Volaris and Westjet. Downtown Portland is a 30-45 minute drive from the airport. 

Oregon’s coast: Day trip from Portland, 90-minute drive

Using one of your day’s at Portland, drive to the coast and explore Oregon’s beaches. Cannon Beach is Hollywood’s go-to filming location for wild and windswept beach scenes. The Goonies is probably the most famous but Cannon Beach also featured in Twilight and Point Break, doubling for Washington’s coastline and Bell’s Beach respectively. 

Oregon has many miles of accessible, beautiful and peaceful beaches to choose from. Although the cold, often rough Pacific Ocean is better left to the surfers, there are tide pools to explore, drift wood and shells to collect, and sand castles to build here.

Other family favorite beaches include:

Devil’s Punchbowl, which features a hollow rock formation where the ocean waters spectacularly churn.

Rockaway Beach, where you can enjoy long stretches of soft sand, as well as take a trip on a steam train in nearby Tillamook.

Seaside, in addition to having a lovely beach, has an amusement park, aquarium, bowling alley and skate park. It’s also home to Fort Clatsop, where Lewis and Clark camped out over winter.

Where to stay

Budget Ecola Creek Lodge

Mid-range Inn at Cannon Beach

Luxury Stephanie Inn

How to get there

Rockaway, Seaside and Cannon Beach are all around an hour and a half’s drive west of Portland, while Devil’s Punchbowl is around a two-and-a-half-hour’s drive from downtown.

Bend, Oregon: Two nights, three-hour drive

Just over a three-hour drive south from Portland, Bend is a small town with a big reputation. Bend is an ideal base for an Oregon family vacation for two reasons: beer and nature.

Some of Oregon’s best natural attractions are right on Bend’s doorstep, including Sahalie and Koosah Falls, Mount Bachelor and Deschutes National Forest. There are also free natural hot springs you can take a dip in, all within an hour’s drive.

Bend is also home to the High Desert Museum, an interactive museum with live animal (and people) exhibits, giving visitors an insight into the area’s unique ecology and history.

Once you have enjoyed a long day of hiking, swimming and exploring, it’s time to discover Bend’s microbreweries and top-notch restaurants. 

Nature plus beer: it really is the best combination.

Where to stay

Budget Riverside Inn and Suites

Mid-range McMenamins Old St Francis School

Luxury Oxford Hotel Bend

How to get there

Bend is a three-hour drive south from Portland. If you want to visit Bend without going to Portland first, Redmond Municipal Airport is just 25 minutes to the north of Bend and daily direct flights are available from Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Seattle. You can even go by train to Central Oregon, as Amtrak has a station in nearby Eugene.

Crater Lake: Two nights, two-hour drive

Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the US, formed by a volcanic eruption 7,700 years ago. I took my family here based on pictures of the stunning blue lake but this National Park has a lot more to offer than a great family selfie. My favorite hike was the Castle Crest Wildflower Trail, which was a short, flat, kid-friendly walk through a fairytale forest filled with colorful flowers.

Getting down to the lake itself is not easy, especially if you are carrying kids, but you can get in the water for a swim at the end so it’s worth the hike.

Another epic hike in Crater Lake Park is at Wizard Island, the whimsically-named island in the middle of the lake. You need to hike down the Cleetwood trail and take a boat out to the island, then there is a trail to the summit. Taking a boat tour is the best way to appreciate the unique beauty of the lake and is a great activity with kids (although children must be two and over to participate).

The camping experience at Crater Lake is excellent. We went at a very busy time, yet the large sites and forest location meant we had plenty of privacy. Although the high-fire risk meant we couldn’t have an open camp fire, our kids had a wonderful time running around our spacious site, collecting pine cones and getting thoroughly filthy.

If camping is not your thing, there are comfortable lodges and cabins available to stay in the Park.

Where to stay

Budget Mazama Campground

Mid-range The Cabins at Mazama Village

Luxury Crater Lake Lodge

How to get there

Crater Lake is approximately a five-hour drive south from Portland, or a six-and-a-half hour trip from San Francisco. Medford Airport is a 90-minute drive away and is served by Horizon Air/Alaska Airlines,  United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Allegiant. Daily direct flights from San Francisco, Portland,  Seattle, Los Angeles,  Denver, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City are available. If you want to catch the train, shuttles are available from Eugene Station.

Portland: One night, four-and-a-half-hour drive

Stay one more night in Portland, flying out of Portland International Airport the following day.

To make your vacation go as smoothly as possible, check out our Best Travel Gear For Toddlers and Best Travel Gear For Babies posts, which includes a packing list.

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