Points of Interest in/near Portland, Oregon

I'll be travelling to the Portland Oregon area for business over the next 3 months and am looking for interesting things to shoot in the area. I'll have a car and be staying over some weekends. I'm looking for suggestions of interesting things to shoot both in the area and within a 2 - 3 hour drive. I'm primarily a landscape shooter, but looking for anything interesting whether it be beautiful areas, places of interest, famous landmarks, must sees, etc.

Check out Columbia River Gorge. On Interstate 84 east exit 22 for Corbett and go up the winding hill. At the top intersection turn left for historic US 30 (signs point left for Multnomah Falls). You can see Latourell Falls and Bridal Veil Falls from this way. Wahkeena Falls is just 0.5 miles from Multnomah Falls (you can hike the trail next to the road). Be sure you have enough gas as there aren't any stations except maybe in Corbett (I didn't check when I passed through).

Can you drive to the coast? There's so much to photograph there. Check out Three Arch Rocks in Oceanside. You can park for free next to the beach. A lot of Oregon day use state parks have free parking.

If you can make it to the coast check the tide tables and get there for low tide. There are a ton of photo opportunities.

Thanks David!

goldboughtrue wrote in post #14493664
Check out Columbia River Gorge. On Interstate 84 east exit 22 for Corbett and go up the winding hill. At the top intersection turn left for historic US 30 (signs point left for Multnomah Falls). You can see Latourell Falls and Bridal Veil Falls from this way. Wahkeena Falls is just 0.5 miles from Multnomah Falls (you can hike the trail next to the road). Be sure you have enough gas as there aren't any stations except maybe in Corbett (I didn't check when I passed through).

Can you drive to the coast? There's so much to photograph there. Check out Three Arch Rocks in Oceanside. You can park for free next to the beach. A lot of Oregon day use state parks have free parking.

If you can make it to the coast check the tide tables and get there for low tide. There are a ton of photo opportunities.

I would seconde that. If you have time you could also drive to the Olympic nat forest in Washington and mt St Helen

Columbia Gorge and all the waterfalls will keep you busy for a few days..

There are also a few very scenic lighthouses along the Oregon coastline.

Mt. Saint Helen volcano is only an hour and a half away..

Awesome guys! Great stuff so far, keep them coming. I'll have many weekends for excursions as well as evenings around town.

Check out Silver Falls State Park, if you do not mind a day hike, you get 8 waterfalls, and it’s a beautiful hike. It’s about 1.5 hours south of Portland just east of Salem. Multnomah Falls is nice but not as photogenic in my opinion. The Oregon coast is killer for pictures.

A side trip up to Seattle is only 2 hours too. You also have Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood great photos winter or summer (summer time you can still take the palmer chair lift up and walk back down along the glacier where skiing happens year round). You can also head over Mt. Hood to Bend for some high desert photography. Portland has a Chinese garden that has been on my list, along with the rose gardens. There are lots of tulip farms in a short drive too.

Mt Hood photographed over Trillium lake at dawn

Awesome suggestions all, thanks so much!

Here's the first shot taken in OR:

Bridal Veil Falls

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …kephotography/7​363952330/

Jon, you've gotten good tips. I'll add the area around Bend/Sisters. Lakes, mountains, rivers, volcanoes, waterfalls...what else could you want? Don't forget Crater Lake, a long drive from Portland, but worth it...an all-time favorite of mine.

Thanks Stan. I was told about Crater Lake from a guy at work. I'm really looking forward to these excursions. What fantastic state!

One hour east (and an especially picturesque beautiful drive going route 14 on the Washington side of the Columbia) is Rowena Flats. This is just past Hood River (a great little town to stop in for food/coffee). Rowena Flats has terrific view of rolling hills, gorge rock and the water that is available from a number of great perspectives. Since you are going to be here a while, you might really enjoy the short trip east. Put "Rowena Flats Oregon" in Google images and you'll see.

Correction: Rowena Plateau

: )

Chuck Nakell wrote in post #14573029
Correction: Rowena Plateau

: )

I just googled it, another place added to my google maps shoot list Its amazing when you get into photography how you learn about all these places that are so close to home.

Multnomah Falls

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/dereknickell/8​360751588/