Itinerary:

Day 1
Fly MSP-PDX (Portland, Oregon)
Drive Portland – Silverton
See: Town of Silverton
Hotel: Oregon Garden Resort

Day 2
Drive Silverton – Sisters
See: Silver Falls State Park & Proxy Falls
Hotel: Best Western Ponderosa

Day 3
Drive Sisters – Government Camp
See: Skylight Cave, Little Crater Lake, Trillium Lake
Hotel: Best Western Mt. Hood Inn

Day 4
Drive Government Camp – Hood River
See: Umbrella Falls, Sahalie Falls, Multnomah Falls
Hotel: Holiday Inn Express, Hood River

Day 5
Drive the Columbia River Gorge – Portland Airport
See: Columbia River Gorge, Wahkeena Falls, Fairy Falls & many more along the way, Bonneville Fish Hatchery
Fly PDX-MSP

Great Little Fly/Drive Getaway

This short getaway could be an add-on to a roadtrip or a fly/drive! Either way, I hope you will be inspired to get out and explore Oregon, it’s a BEAUTIFUL place!

Day 1 – Portland -Silverton

Our plane landed in Portland in the evening so we grabbed our rental car and hit the road for a one hour drive south to the small town of Silverton. When I booked this trip, we were in the peak of the pandemic so I figured that it’d be wise to stick to vacations that were away from big cities so this itinerary doesn’t factor in any time in Portland.

Silverton was an adorable town but by the time we stopped for dinner along the way and checked into the hotel, the sun was going down and the town was closing up shop for the day. If time allows, be sure to check out the town. It’s small but quaint and I wish we would’ve had more time to explore it! Day one was early to bed because we had a big day of hiking ahead.

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Where to Stay

We stayed at the Oregon Garden Resort and it was great for a night’s stay. Unfortunately the pool was closed due to COVID and the regular breakfast service was halted, but it was clean, the gardens were gorgeous and it was quiet. Plus, it’s in a great location if you want an early start at the nearby state park.

Day 2- Silverton – Silver Falls State Park – Proxy Falls -Sisters

Silver Falls State Park

Our visit to Silver Falls State Park was incredible! It’s only about a 20 minute drive from the city of Silverton. This state park is home to the nationally recognized “Trail of Ten Falls” which is a 7-10 mile trail loop with ten waterfalls along the way. We didn’t want to kill the boys’ legs on our first real day of vacation so we opted for the 5.6 mile Winter Falls loop that brought us to seven falls instead. I’d read on a few online forums that the Trail of Ten Falls actually ends up being about 10+ miles if you walk all the way up to each waterfall and that felt like way too much for our first hike.

One thing we loved about starting at Winter Falls was that it was so quiet there. We were one of two cars parked in the small lot and we didn’t see anyone on the trail for quite awhile. Once we got further into the hike we realized that everyone else had done the clockwise loop. If you don’t want people coming up behind you the whole hike, go counter clockwise. Overall, we saw some amazing falls and left feeling completely satisfied with how much of the park we saw!

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Proxy Falls

I had done a bit of research before we left and decided that Proxy Falls was the one waterfall I wanted to see most of all! Oh and let me tell you, it was STUNNING! Yes, it’s a little bit out of the way but that makes it all the more magical.

This was almost a 2.5 hour drive from Silver Falls State Park. The drive was full of fantastic scenery though so it went by quickly. When you get to the trailhead, there is a small bit of parking along the road and a vault toilet. It’s a 1.6 mile fairly easy loop trail but in order to get the close up, amazing waterfall views, you have to climb down the hill and maneuver yourself over the creek on logs and rocks. It was so much fun climbing our way to the waterfall! We got wet and dirty but that was to be expected! (P.S. wear grippy shoes).

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Where to Stay

We stayed in the nearby town of Sisters for our second night. Sisters is about a one hour drive away from Proxy Falls. The drive to Sisters from the falls is not a fast nor an easy drive. You’ll be weaving and winding all over, going up and down through a mountainous area! I kept pushing on my imaginary brakes on the passenger side (I’m an awful backseat driver). The Best Western Ponderosa Lodge was a great pick and you won’t be disappointed. The outdoor pool and hot tub felt fantastic on our weary bodies after a big day of hiking.

Side note: Stop at the Sisters bakery for a baked treat before you leave the town. Oh, and the candy store was also a huge hit! We obviously like sugar 😉

Day 3 – Sisters – Skylight Cave – Little Crater Lake – Trillium Lake – Government Camp

Skylight Cave

Visiting Skylight cave was something we will never forget! We were lucky enough to see all three sunbeams shining down magically through holes in the roof of the lava tube cave! When I planned our Oregon trip I had no idea that the week we were there was the best week of the year for the light beam viewing, around the time of the Summer Solstice.

Getting to the Cave

Directions can get a bit sketchy. We followed Google maps and it brought us to the cave from the town of Sisters but I was told that it’s not always reliable, depending which direction you’re coming from. The roads leading to the cave were all forest roads so they are unpaved and slightly wild. Check out more info on the cave, including directions HERE.

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At the Cave

There is a small dirt parking lot not far from the cave. Park there and walk down the road ahead and you’ll see a forestry service sign with a sign in sheet. Fill out your info, read the rules and get ready to enter the cave! There’s a secure ladder in place, which makes climbing down a piece of cake. When you’re facing the ladder, the sunbeams will be to your right. If you go to your left, you’ll get a chance to do a little caving although the ceiling shrinks down on you fast, be warned! You’ll NEED flashlights! Your phone’s flashlight will NOT do, bring an actual flashlight. The lava rock floor, ceiling and sides of the cave would be impossible to navigate through (without injury) without good light. Even with flashlights, we left there a little banged up and bloody. The rocks are unforgiving!

All About the Timing

You’ve got to be at the cave at the right time on a sunny day to see the light beams. Between about 9-10am is the prime time for viewing. The day we were there we saw all three beams shining through at about 9:50am but they were gone shortly after. It’s best to get there as close to 9am as you can and then you’ll get to watch each one of the beams appear before your eyes.

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Little Crater Lake

We didn’t have time to get to the popular Crater Lake so when I saw the Little Crater Lake pop up on the map I decided we should make a small detour and check it out. It was just a little out of the way on the drive from Sisters to Government Camp. The lake is free to visit and it’s a quick stop. It’s tiny, clear and BLUE as can be. Unfortunately there’s no swimming in this blue beauty. Would I recommend making an out of the way stop here? Nope, but if it’s in the direction you’re going, it’s cool to see.

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Trillium Lake

My kids were bummed when they realized that the Government Camp hotel we booked didn’t have a pool. I think somewhere along the way I had told them it did, oops. Nearby Trillium Lake was WAY better than any old pool though! It was a $10 daily use fee, which was SO worth it! The views here are breathtaking! Mt. Hood provides the ultimate backdrop. We swam, relaxed and searched for swimming salamanders until sunset. Plan on spending some time here, it’s a great spot to sit and soak it all in.

Side note: they rent out kayaks and stand up paddle boards at the beach area.

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Where to Stay

The Government Camp/Rhododendron area has very limited accommodation options. We knew we were only going to use the hotel to sleep at so we opted for the budget friendly Best Western Mt. Hood. If you were planning on spending more time at the hotel, I’d probably suggest the Timberline Lodge, it looked like a better option.

Day 4- Government Camp- Umbrella Falls Hike – Hood River- Multnomah Falls

Umbrella Falls Loop Trail

While browsing for a waterfall near Mount Hood and on the way towards Hood River, I came across the Umbrella Falls loop trail. This trail was 4.1 miles with a fairly steady incline. It is on the ski slopes below the Mt. Hood Meadows ski area and takes you to two waterfalls, Umbrella Falls and Sahale Falls. We started at the Elk Meadows trailhead and followed the trail directions that were listed HERE. This was a really fun trail and it definitely kept the boys’ interest with all the rocks, fallen trees, bridges and snow.

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Side note about this trail: Three groups of other hikers that we met were confused and thought this was an out/back trail but it can definitely be done as a loop. Some of the trail was a bit tougher to see since it was still under snow.

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Umbrella Falls was a beauty! It made it even better that we were the only ones there (one of the biggest perks of the waterfalls you have to hike further into). Sahale Falls was barely visible from the path and it involved a pretty steep scramble down to see it so we bypassed that option because it was a billion degrees out that day and we were getting low on water.

Multnomah Falls

We drove into Hood River in the late afternoon and after dropping our stuff in the hotel room and cooling down with a quick dip in the pool, we set off to see the infamous Multnomah Falls. This one is right off the highway. I love that Oregon designed a spot that is accessible by all but that also means that you can expect big crowds! Multnomah really is impressive because it’s SO freaking tall but honestly, we all agreed that we prefer the smaller, quiet waterfalls. The highway noise and hoards of people kind of tainted the experience for me but, it’s still worth seeing this almighty giant of a waterfall!

Where to Stay

Hood River has lots of hotel options but we chose the Holiday Inn Express Hood River and were really happy with our stay! It has an indoor pool and we just so happened to be there on the third hottest day in Oregon history so the indoor pool felt LOVELY! There are a lot of dining options nearby this hotel too! Oh and most importantly, if you’re an ice cream lover, hit up Mike’s Ice Cream in downtown Hood River!

Day 5 – Hood River – Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Columbia River Gorge, Wahkeena & Fairy Falls hike- Fly home

The weather forecast on our final day was HOT, HOT, HOT! Portland was going for a record breaking day of 110 degrees so we planned on winding back through the gorge area and visit at least a few waterfalls so we could stay cool.

Bonneville Fish Hatchery

What started as a stop for a souvenir shop, ended up as some unexpected fishy fun. The souvenir shop we stopped happened to be next to the fish hatchery. There was hardly anyone around so we started to wander the grounds and whoa, the fish were fantastic! We met Herman the Sturgeon and I had no idea that sturgeon can grow to 18 feet long, that’s terrifying! There are little fish food machines placed by some of the areas where you can buy a handful of fish food for a quarter. The boys loved feeding the trout, they were jumping out of the water like crazy to get at the food.

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I wouldn’t go totally out of the way to come by here but if you’ve got some time to kill and you’re looking for a little break from your waterfall trekking, stop by! Plus, the souvenir shop was adorable and had some really cute stuff (not the average touristy junk).

Wahkeena & Fairy Falls Hike

We only had a few hours before we had to catch our flight in Portland so we opted for one good length waterfall hike instead of visiting lots of waterfalls that were right off the roadside. This hike was deceiving because it’s listed at only 2.0 miles but you gain quite a bit of elevation and on a HOT day, this was a doozy of a hike!

Wahkeena Falls comes first after only 0.4 miles of an uphill trail. The mist coming from the falls was heavenly!

Most people turn back here because it’s not well sign posted that there is another waterfall further ahead on the trail. We continued going uphill, following a LOT of sunny switchbacks to Lemmons Viewpoint (which has a great view of the Columbia River) and then further on to Fairy Falls. We were hot, sweaty and kind of giving up hope. We’ve never quit a hike before but I must admit, with the heat, we almost didn’t finish this one! If it wasn’t for stopping and dousing ourselves in creek water multiple times, we’d have been toast!

Fairy Falls

After a lot of sweat and almost some tears, we made it to the small but lovely Fairy Falls. It was exactly what we were hoping for, small, gorgeous and icy cold!

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Other Columbia River Gorge Waterfalls

There are over 90 waterfalls on the Oregon side alone of the Columbia River so there are more than enough to keep you busy for one trip! We’d love to get back to this area again soon and check out more of them!

Please comment below if you have a fave Columbia River Gorge waterfall that you’d like to share!

Portland – Home

After an amazing five days, it was time to head back to Minnesota. We definitely have a new love for Oregon though and would jump at the chance to visit again! We all agreed we’d move there in a heartbeat if a job opportunity popped up! It truly is an outdoor adventurer’s paradise with rivers, lakes, mountains and waterfalls galore!

I hope this itinerary gave you some inspiration to plan an adventure to Oregon! Please comment below if you have any questions about any of it! I’d also love to hear any Oregon gems that you’ve come across in your travels!

If you’re looking for another USA adventure, check out my Southwest Itinerary HERE.

Happy Exploring!