Best Camping near Portland, Oregon

You don’t have to step far outside of Portland to find yourself bathed in the serene quiet of Pacific Northwest wilderness. The luminous, perpetually snowy peaks of Mt. Hood rise in the distance, and the Columbia River Gorge, home to shockingly beautiful waterfalls, is a short drive from the city. The loop hike at Latourell Falls and the scenic hike up the Wahkeena Trail to Devil’s Rest are other popular routes in the area.

Cyclists of all stripes flock to Sauvie Island for their popular 12-mile loop along the island’s south end. Nature hunters can also opt to drive the 33-mile Rim Drive loop at Crater Lake National Park for absolutely breathtaking views of the scale of the place. A sunset picnic at nearby Trillium Lake is surely one of the most photographed vistas in the state; though the Milky Way reflected over Crater Lake gives it a run for its money.