Portland Day Trip Ideas: 9 Places to Visit

You’ll love the Columbia River Maritime Museum if you’re someone who enjoys appreciating the past. Besides featuring a vast collection of maritime artifacts, it also showcases the events that passed.

One of the things you’ll see here is a map of the “Graveyard of the Pacific.” Shipwrecks in the Columbia River since 1792 amounts to a total of 2000, and the map there marks the spots where the ships have fallen.

Alternatively, you can stroll around and marvel at the U.S.S. shark cannons or wander the Brix Maritime Hall. All of the exhibits here showcase Oregon’s rich maritime history, so you’ll have plenty of things to keep you busy.

The Columbia River Maritime Museum is an almost two-hour drive from Portland, but it’s worth taking the trip if you’re in love with historic things. It’s open everyday from 9:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. except on Christmas and Thanksgiving. The current admission fee for children 6 years old and above is $5, while adults are charged $14, and seniors need to pay $12.

Columbia River Highway State Trail

If you’re already in Columbia River, visit the historic highway state trail. It’s a long road without any cars; just bikes, skateboards, or joggers and walkers.

Columbia River Trail offers everyone a chance to have a peaceful, scenic day. Here, you can just go on and on as you take in the marvelous sights before you.

Astoria and the Surrounding Area

Just northwest of the Columbia River lies Astoria. It’s a two-hour drive from Portland, Oregon as well, but it’s worth the drive if you’re aiming to experience and witness more historical things.

Astoria is among the oldest American settlements in the U.S., and it features quite a number of well-preserved Craftsmand and Victorian homes. Likewise, forested views, numerous parks, hiking trails, and art galleries surround the area. Hence, you can do pretty much most of anything in Astoria depending on your mood.

Sea Lion Caves

You haven’t fully enjoyed Oregon until you’ve been to the Sea Lion Caves. It’s a three-hour drive from Portland, but your efforts will prove to be fruitful once you see the sea lions.

The sea lions here are free and wild, and they consider this cave as one of their safe shelters. The best time to visit the Sea Lion Caves is during winter, where hundreds of sea lions are present. Then, from spring to summer, you’ll find the sea lions by the rocky areas in front of the cave.

Brigham Fish Market

Now, if you’re in Oregon in search for fresh seafood, Brigham Fish Market is hands-down the best place you can pick. It’s a 45-minute drive from Portland, and it’s worth the trip.

You’ll know you made the right choice as soon as you spot the stout, cozy building that houses this restaurant. It’s run by a local family of fishermen, so they stand by the quality of the food they serve.

Bringham Fish Market’s main highlights are fresh fish cooked for you, market fish, and world-class service. Its best sellers are smoked fish, chowders, quesadillas, and fish and chips. However, they also sell fresh vegetables.

Willamette Valley

There’s no other well-known wine place in Oregon besides Willamette Valley. If you’re aiming to spend a relaxing day with your partner, try travelling around this valley to taste its wine offerings.

Willamette Valley is riddled with wineries, so anywhere you go will prove to be fruitful. Likewise, the roads to the valley itself are quite a sight to behold. Besides spoiling your tongue with excellent wine, you’ll spoil your eyes with great views, too.

Mount Hood

If you’re up for an adventure, you can opt to hike Mount Hood. Alternatively, you can come there just to see the scenic views it offers from various angles.

You can go for a relaxed walk by Mount Hood’s foot, hike its foothills and forests, meditate by its rivers, or hop around the restaurants surrounding it. Likewise, you can ski its snow-capped peaks during winter.

From here, you can also head to the Mount Hood National Forest, Timberline Lodge, Multnomah Falls, Hood River, Bagby Hot Springs, and Trillium Lake.

Bagby Hot Springs

If you’re already in Mount Hood, check out Bagby Hot Springs. It’s inside Mount Hood National Forest, and you need to pay $5 to enter.

Bagby Hot Springs was discovered in 1880, but it wasn’t open to the public until 1920. Here, you can choose to hang out in the public deck, upper deck, or private deck.

However, the main highlight of Bagby Hot Springs is the trail that leads to the hot spring and then the hot spring itself. The trail is brimming with life and great sceneries, so it’s quite worth the travel efforts even if you choose not to soak in the water.

Trillium Lake

Lastly, among our Portland day trip ideas is a picnic on Trillium Lake. The lake is on the bottom of Mount Hood, so it’s on quite a perfect location if you don’t feel like hiking.

Here, you can set up a camp or meditate, stroll around, and even swim or kayak. However, if you’re planning on swimming or kayaking, bring your own equipment since this isn’t a commercial place.

Portland Day Trips and Fishing Charters

Of course, the list wouldn’t be complete if fishing as a Portland day trip idea hadn’t been suggested. If you don’t want to go far from Portland, you always have the option to go for a fishing trip instead.

To make things smoother, book a fishing charter for your fishing adventure. 

On the other hand, if you’re trying to stay out of water for a while, use our Portland day trip ideas as a guide for places to visit and a few things to do.