More designated scenic byways than any other state — and the designation system undersells it. From 363 miles of Pacific coastline to volcanic peaks to high desert that stretches to Idaho, here’s how to plan your route.
Designated Scenic Byways
All-American Roads
Coastal Drive — Hwy 101
Multi-Day Itineraries
Real-Time Road Conditions
Call for Road Updates
Download Offline Maps Pacific Coast Scenic Byway First
Best Season for Most Routes
Before Eastern Oregon
The challenge isn’t finding a beautiful drive in Oregon. It’s choosing the right one for your trip, your vehicle, and your comfort level with remote roads. A drive along the Oregon Coast on Highway 101 is a completely different experience from navigating the gravel switchbacks up Steens Mountain. Both are unforgettable, but they require very different preparation. This guide covers Oregon’s best road trips organized by the type of driving experience you’re signing up for. For broader trip planning, see our Plan Your Trip hub and the complete Things to Do guide.
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TripCheck.com — run by ODOT — provides real-time road conditions, webcam feeds, incident reports, and chain requirements for every highway in the state. Bookmark it, check it the morning of any mountain or remote drive, and check it again before any winter driving. You can also call 511 from any phone in Oregon for road condition updates.
Not all scenic drives are created equal. Before you plan your itinerary, understand what each tier involves.
Oregon’s showcase routes, suitable for any vehicle and all skill levels. Well-maintained highways with regular services, pullouts, and signage. Gas stations, restaurants, and lodging at reasonable intervals. These are the drives you do your first time in Oregon, and the ones you keep coming back to.
Paved highways through sparsely populated parts of the state. Road surface is fine, but services may be 50 to 80 miles apart. Cell service drops out for long stretches. You don’t need a special vehicle, but you do need a full tank, downloaded offline maps, and the understanding that help isn’t around the next corner.
Oregon’s wildest drives. Roads are unpaved or partially paved, sometimes narrow, and may require high clearance or 4WD. Seasonal — typically open late spring through fall only. Services are essentially nonexistent. These drives reward preparation and a sense of adventure with scenery most visitors never find.
Oregon’s most famous drive, and for good reason. Highway 101 runs the full length of the Oregon Coast, passing through fishing villages, over dramatic headlands, alongside massive sand dunes, and past sea stacks that look like they were placed by a sculptor with a flair for drama.
The northern stretch from Astoria to Lincoln City packs in Cannon Beach, the Three Capes Scenic Route, and Tillamook’s cheese and dairy country. The central coast around Newport, Yachats, and Florence brings Cape Perpetua, Heceta Head Lighthouse, and the Oregon Dunes. The southern coast from Bandon to Brookings delivers the most dramatic scenery of all — Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor serving up 12 miles of craggy headlands, natural bridges, and hidden beaches that feel like they belong in another country.
Don’t try to drive the whole thing in one day. You can, physically, in about eight hours without stops. But you’d miss everything that makes it worthwhile. Three days is a minimum; five days lets you actually explore. Oregon’s beaches are all public thanks to the 1967 Beach Bill — pull over whenever something catches your eye.
America’s first planned scenic highway, built between 1913 and 1922, winding through the Columbia River Gorge. The western section between Troutdale and Ainsworth State Park is the star, climbing through old-growth forest past a parade of waterfalls including Multnomah Falls, Wahkeena Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Latourell Falls. Viewpoints including the Portland Women’s Forum, Crown Point Vista House, and Rowena Crest deliver some of the most photographed landscapes in the Pacific Northwest.
This drive pairs naturally with the Mt. Hood Scenic Byway for a full loop: head east through the Gorge to Hood River, then south over OR-35 to Mt. Hood, and back to Portland on US-26.
This loop circles Oregon’s tallest peak, starting from either Hood River or the Portland side. From Portland, US-26 climbs through Sandy and Zigzag to Government Camp. A mandatory stop is Timberline Lodge, the 1937 WPA masterpiece built during the Great Depression. From Government Camp, OR-35 drops down the mountain’s east side, connecting to Hood River and the Columbia River Gorge.
In Hood River, the 35-mile Hood River Fruit Loop winds through orchards, wineries, cideries, and lavender farms with views of both Mt. Hood and Washington’s Mt. Adams. In winter, this drive takes you past several ski resorts and sno-parks. In summer, the alpine meadows at Timberline erupt with wildflowers. It’s gorgeous in every season — check TripCheck.com for chain requirements before heading up between November and April.
This Central Oregon gem loops west from Bend along Century Drive, climbing into the Cascades past a chain of alpine lakes — Sparks Lake, Devil’s Lake, Elk Lake, Hosmer Lake, Lava Lake, and Little Lava Lake — with Mt. Bachelor and the jagged profile of Broken Top as constant companions. Each lake offers its own combination of paddling, fishing, swimming, and camping. The volcanic landscape shifts from ponderosa forest to alpine meadow to stark lava fields.
The drive serves as a launching pad for adventures. Many of Central Oregon’s best hikes leave from trailheads along this road, including routes into the Three Sisters Wilderness, Green Lakes, and the Broken Top crater. Note: Central Cascades Wilderness permits are required from May through September for most trailheads along this route.
This loop northwest of Bend traverses two Cascade passes and delivers some of the most dramatic volcanic scenery in Oregon. The highlight is OR-242 over McKenzie Pass, a narrow road that winds through an otherworldly lava field before arriving at the Dee Wright Observatory — a Civilian Conservation Corps stone structure built directly on a lava flow. The 360-degree views of Cascade peaks from the observation windows are staggering.
The return route on US-20 over Santiam Pass follows the McKenzie River, passing waterfalls and hot springs. The charming town of Sisters makes a natural lunch stop. Note: OR-242 is narrow and not recommended for large RVs or vehicles towing trailers.
The main event is Crater Lake, the deepest lake in North America and one of Oregon’s seven wonders. The 33-mile Rim Drive circles the caldera with more than 30 pullouts and overlooks offering views of water so blue it doesn’t look real. Wizard Island sits in the middle like a volcanic afterthought. The broader Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway connects Crater Lake to Klamath Falls, passing through landscapes shaped by millions of years of eruptions, lava flows, and cinder cones.
Important: Rim Drive doesn’t fully open until the snow melts, usually by early July. The park’s south entrance (from OR-62) stays open year-round, but the north entrance typically closes from November through June. Check the National Park Service website for current road status.
This quieter alternative follows the western foothills of the Cascades, tracing the Clackamas River to Detroit Lake, then the North Santiam and McKenzie Rivers before branching onto forest roads through the Willamette National Forest toward Westfir and Oakridge. Less dramatic than the high Cascade routes but connects to excellent waterfall hikes and river access. The mountain biking around Oakridge is world-class, and the McKenzie River corridor offers excellent fishing.
These drives follow real paved highways but pass through some of the most sparsely populated country in the lower 48. The scenery is extraordinary and the solitude is real. Come prepared — gas stations may be 50 to 80 miles apart, and cell service drops out for long stretches.
One of Oregon’s most underrated drives. Starting at the Columbia River near The Dalles and ending in Baker City, it cuts through 54 million years of geological and human history. The route follows the Wild and Scenic John Day River for nearly 100 miles, passing through ghost towns, ranching communities, and three units of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, including the extraordinary Painted Hills.
The Painted Hills deserve their own paragraph. These layered, multicolored clay hills are formed from 33 million years of volcanic ash deposits, and the colors shift with the light and moisture. Spring after rain is the most vivid. Along the way: Shaniko (a “living ghost town”), the Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site in John Day (one of the best museums of Chinese-American history in the Pacific Northwest), and gold mining remnants around Sumpter. The route ends near the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center outside Baker City, where you can still see wagon ruts from the 1840s.
⛽ Gas note: Fill up whenever you see a station. Stretches of 40–60 miles without services are common. Heppner, Mitchell, Dayville, John Day, and Prairie City are your reliable fuel stops.
Hells Canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon — a fact that surprises most people. This drive takes you along the eastern edge of Oregon from La Grande through the Wallowa Valley to Joseph, then into the canyon country along the Snake River. The Wallowa Mountains are sometimes called the “Alps of Oregon,” and the comparison holds up. Joseph, at the foot of Wallowa Lake, has become an arts town with several bronze foundries and galleries. The Wallowa Lake Tramway takes you 3,700 feet up to the summit of Mt. Howard for views into the Eagle Cap Wilderness.
From Joseph, the route drops into Imnaha and eventually to the canyon rim. The Hells Canyon Overlook delivers panoramic views of the canyon and Idaho’s Seven Devils Mountains. The full loop through Baker City on OR-86 passes through some of the most remote and beautiful country in Oregon.
⛽ Gas note: Fill up in Enterprise or Joseph. There’s essentially nothing between Joseph and the canyon, and limited services on OR-86.
South of Bend, the ponderosa forests thin and the high desert takes over. Fort Rock, a 325-foot volcanic remnant rising from the desert floor, is the standout landmark — inside its walls, archaeologists discovered 10,000-year-old sagebrush sandals, the oldest footwear found in North America. The route passes Summer Lake, where a hot springs resort makes a perfect overnight stop. Further south, Lake Abert stretches beneath the 2,500-foot wall of Abert Rim, the largest exposed fault scarp in North America. The drive ends in Lakeview, Oregon’s highest-elevation town, where Old Perpetual geyser erupts every 90 seconds or so.
⛽ Gas note: Services between La Pine and Lakeview are extremely limited. Christmas Valley, Paisley, and Lakeview are your only options. Carry extra water, especially in summer.
These two routes explore some of Oregon’s most overlooked mountain country. The Blue Mountain Scenic Byway rolls through pastoral hills south of the Columbia River, past Heppner (get gas here), and through the Umatilla National Forest to Granite. The fall foliage through here rivals anything in New England, with golden larch and blazing maple.
The Elkhorn Drive makes a full loop from Baker City through the Elkhorn Mountains, passing the ghost town of Sumpter (with its operational gold dredge), the Sumpter Valley Railroad, and Anthony Lakes at 7,100 feet. The two routes connect at Granite, so you can string them together for a multi-day Eastern Oregon adventure.
This route south from Burns passes through the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge — one of the most important bird habitats in the West, with more than 320 bird species documented. Our Oregon wildlife and nature guide covers the best viewing seasons. The drive reaches the tiny hamlet of Frenchglen (population around 12) with its historic hotel — the gateway to Steens Mountain and the Alvord Desert. Even if you don’t venture onto the gravel roads, the drive from Burns to Frenchglen through the refuge is stunning, especially during spring and fall bird migrations.
These drives are for travelers who want to see the Oregon most visitors never find. The rewards are immense, but so is the commitment. Read this section carefully before you go.
Steens Mountain is a 30-mile-long fault block rising from the high desert to 9,734 feet, with its east face dropping 4,000 feet to the Alvord Desert in one of the most dramatic escarpments in the American West. The gravel loop road climbs from sagebrush through aspen groves to alpine meadows, with viewpoints at Kiger Gorge and the East Rim that will rearrange your understanding of Oregon’s geography. Fall is a particular favorite for the golden aspen canopy.
The Alvord Desert, accessible from the eastern base, is a vast dry lakebed where you can camp for free under some of the darkest skies in Oregon. Nearby Alvord Hot Springs offers soaking pools with views of the mountain.
⚠ Critical preparation: Carry all supplies including water, food, fuel, and a spare tire. The nearest services are in Burns, 60 miles north of Frenchglen. Cell service is essentially nonexistent. Tell someone your plans and expected return time.
If someone dropped you in Leslie Gulch without a map, you’d think you were in southern Utah. This eight-mile dirt road winds through spectacular volcanic rock formations, hoodoos, and slot canyons in Oregon’s far southeast corner. Bighorn sheep navigate the crags above. Slocum Campground at the road’s end — where Leslie Gulch meets the Owyhee River — has 12 sites and stargazing that’ll keep you up past midnight.
The broader Owyhee Canyonlands are one of the last great unprotected wildernesses in the lower 48. Access requires planning and ideally a high-clearance vehicle, though the Leslie Gulch road itself is manageable for most cars in dry conditions.
Southeast of Burns, this loop passes through volcanic terrain considered among the most geologically diverse in the country. Short trails lead into pockets of swirled rock, craters, and formations that look imported from another planet. The loop connects to the Peter French Round Barn — a massive 1880s circular barn that’s now a state heritage site — and to Diamond Craters, an Outstanding Natural Area managed by the BLM.
Oregon’s drives are best experienced in combination. These itineraries link routes into cohesive road trips, each designed around a different part of the state and a different kind of experience.
This is the trip for first-timers who want the greatest hits. Start in Portland, head east through the Columbia River Gorge, spend time around Hood River and Mt. Hood, then south to Bend with a stop at Smith Rock. From Bend, take the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway and continue south to Crater Lake. Head west to the coast at Bandon or Gold Beach, then drive north on Highway 101 through the Oregon Coast highlights back to Portland.
This loop covers four of Oregon’s seven distinct regions, three climate zones, and the full spectrum from volcanic peaks to ocean beaches. Our Oregon with Kids guide has a family version with kid-friendly stops. Book accommodations well in advance for summer travel, especially around Crater Lake and the central coast.
Perfect for a long weekend. Drive the Historic Columbia River Highway east to Hood River. Explore the town, do the Fruit Loop drive, then head south on OR-35 around Mt. Hood. Stop at Timberline Lodge. Return to Portland on US-26 through Government Camp. Add a day for waterfall hikes in the Gorge, wine tasting in Hood River, or a side trip to Silver Falls State Park on the return.
Use Bend as home base to explore the Cascades’ volcanic legacy. Bend’s brewery scene makes for excellent post-drive evenings. Drive the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway one day. Take the McKenzie Pass loop (when open) another. Make a day trip south to Newberry Volcanic Monument, where you can swim in Paulina Lake and soak in the hot springs. Then commit a full day to the drive south to Crater Lake. This loop works particularly well in late summer when all routes are open, combining with excellent hiking at every stop.
Start with the Journey Through Time from the Columbia River to Baker City, spending time at the Painted Hills and John Day Fossil Beds. From Baker City, take the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway through the Wallowa Valley and Joseph. Return via the Elkhorn Drive through the Blue Mountains and Sumpter. This is Eastern Oregon at its finest — farther from crowds than anywhere else in the state, and the geology, history, and mountain scenery are extraordinary. The pace is slower out here, and that’s the point.
From Bend, drive the Oregon Outback Scenic Byway south to Lakeview, with stops at Fort Rock and Summer Lake Hot Springs. From Lakeview, head east to Burns via US-395 and OR-205. Take the High Desert Discovery Scenic Byway south through the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge to Frenchglen. If your vehicle can handle it, drive the Steens Mountain Loop and visit the Alvord Desert and Alvord Hot Springs. This is Oregon’s most remote road trip — you’ll cross landscapes that look like Mars, soak in hot springs under dark desert skies, and go hours without seeing a stoplight. It’s also the trip that requires the most preparation.
The practical stuff that most road trip guides skip or scatter across footnotes.
Oregon made national news in 2023 when it effectively ended its 72-year ban on self-serve gasoline. Gas stations in Oregon’s 16 most populated counties can now designate up to half their pumps as self-serve, while keeping attendants on the other half. In the state’s 20 rural counties, self-serve is allowed at all hours. Many stations still operate as full-service only by choice.
The practical takeaway for road trippers: don’t be surprised if an attendant walks up to pump your gas, and don’t be surprised if you’re directed to a self-serve pump. Both are normal. In remote areas, the question isn’t who pumps the gas — it’s whether there’s a station at all. Fill up whenever you can in Eastern Oregon.
TripCheck.com provides real-time road conditions, webcam feeds, incident reports, and chain requirements for every highway in the state. Bookmark it and check it the morning of any mountain or remote drive. Call 511 from any Oregon phone for road condition updates.
Oregon has significant cell service dead zones — in the Cascades, along parts of the coast, throughout Eastern Oregon, and in the Columbia River Gorge outside major towns. Before any road trip, download offline maps through Google Maps or Apple Maps on Wi-Fi. A paper map of Oregon is also genuinely useful out here. AAA publishes an excellent one.
Oregon requires chains or traction tires on certain highways during winter conditions. Vehicles under 10,000 pounds that aren’t towing can use either chains or traction tires (marked with the mountain/snowflake symbol). The Siskiyou Pass on I-5 south of Ashland is the most frequent location for conditional closures.
Studded tires are legal in Oregon from November 1 through March 31. If you’re renting a car for a winter road trip, ask the rental company about chain options. You don’t want to be figuring this out at a chain-up area in a snowstorm.
Oregon has one of the most robust EV charging networks in the country, with nearly 1,600 public charging stations and a West Coast Electric Highway of fast chargers along I-5 and other major corridors. The coast, Willamette Valley, and Portland-to-Bend routes are all well-served.
Eastern Oregon is a different story. Charging stations thin dramatically east of the Cascades. If you’re driving an EV on the Journey Through Time, Oregon Outback, or Hells Canyon routes, plan your charging stops carefully and conservatively. Use the PlugShare app for current station locations and user reviews. Range anxiety is real out here, and the consequences of running out of charge on the Outback Scenic Byway are serious.
Late July through September is wildfire season. Smoke can significantly affect visibility and air quality on any drive in the state. Check Oregon’s wildfire map before traveling and have flexible backup plans. Other seasonal considerations: winter storms can close mountain passes with little notice. Coastal storms from November through March bring high winds and wave hazards. Summer heat in Eastern Oregon regularly exceeds 100°F.
For any remote paved or backcountry drive, carry: a full tank of gas, at least one gallon of water per person per day, basic food and snacks, a first aid kit, a charged phone with offline maps downloaded, a paper map, a flashlight, warm layers (temperatures drop dramatically at elevation and after dark even in summer), a basic tool kit and spare tire, and jumper cables. For backcountry roads, add a shovel and tow strap.
This isn’t paranoid preparation. It’s the standard for driving in country where the nearest tow truck might be two hours away and your phone has no signal.
Oregon’s scenic drives have dramatically different seasonal windows. Our Best Time to Visit Oregon guide covers weather patterns region by region.
Pacific Coast Highway 101 · Historic Columbia River Highway · I-84 through the Gorge · most of the Journey Through Time · US-97 corridor · I-5 corridor. Winter conditions including snow, ice, and chain requirements are possible on mountain sections of year-round routes.
Crater Lake Rim Drive (fully open usually July–October) · Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway (Century Drive section) · Steens Mountain Loop Road · Elkhorn Drive (upper sections) · portions of Blue Mountain Scenic Byway.
McKenzie Pass (OR-242) · Steens Mountain upper loop · some forest roads on the West Cascades Scenic Byway.
Best for waterfalls at peak flow, wildflowers in Eastern Oregon, and the coast with fewer crowds. Many mountain routes are still closed. If you’re early enough in the season, the Painted Hills after spring rain are the most vivid they’ll be all year.
Opens everything. All routes are accessible. Most popular season — most crowded, especially on the coast and around Bend. Wildfire smoke is possible in August and September. Despite the crowds, summer is the only time many high-elevation routes are accessible.
Best weather-to-crowds ratio. Eastern Oregon’s fall color is spectacular — aspens on Steens Mountain and larch in the Blue Mountains. Mountain routes begin closing in October. Check our Oregon events and festivals guide for fall harvest happenings that pair well with road trips.
Limits you to lower-elevation routes. The coast is dramatic in winter storms. The Willamette Valley wine country is uncrowded and seasonal events keep things lively. Mountain passes require chains. Many Eastern Oregon routes accessible but cold.
A long weekend based in Portland gives you the Gorge, Mt. Hood, or a taste of the coast. A week lets you do the Classic Oregon Loop (coast, Cascades, Bend, Crater Lake). Two weeks lets you add Eastern Oregon. To see the whole state including the Outback and Hells Canyon, you’d want three weeks.
It depends on what you love. For coastal scenery: the stretch of Highway 101 through Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor in the southern coast. For volcanic drama: Crater Lake’s Rim Drive. For pure remoteness and scale: the Steens Mountain Backcountry Byway. For waterfalls: the Historic Columbia River Highway. For something completely unexpected: the Journey Through Time through the Painted Hills.
For all paved scenic byways and remote paved routes, any reliable car works fine. For Steens Mountain Loop Road and Leslie Gulch, high clearance is strongly recommended. For other backcountry roads, check current conditions with the managing agency. When in doubt, a mid-size SUV or crossover handles everything in this guide.
Crater Lake National Park charges an entrance fee (or use an America the Beautiful Pass). Many hiking trailheads in national forests require a Northwest Forest Pass ($5/day or $30/year). Oregon State Parks day-use areas require an Oregon State Parks Pass ($5/day or $30/year). Some areas in the Cascades require a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit (May through September). There are no tolls on Oregon’s scenic byways.
Absolutely. Winter storms make the coast dramatically beautiful. You’ll see huge waves crashing against sea stacks, king tides flooding tide pools, and beaches nearly empty of people. Dress for rain and wind, and keep a safe distance from the waterline during storms. Many Oregon coast restaurants serve their best storm-watching food alongside views of the wild Pacific.
Oregon has 29 designated scenic byways, four of them federally classified All-American Roads. For detailed maps and turn-by-turn descriptions of individual byways, ODOT offers a free Oregon Scenic Byways Driving Guide. For real-time road conditions, TripCheck.com should be your first stop before any drive.
Oregon Camping Guide →
Best Hikes in Oregon →
Oregon Waterfalls Guide →
Oregon Hot Springs Guide →
Oregon Lodging Guide →
Oregon Fishing Guide →
Oregon Beaches Guide →
Oregon Wildlife & Nature →
Best Time to Visit Oregon →
Oregon With Kids Guide →
Oregon Events & Festivals →
Oregon Food & Drink Guide →
Oregon Breweries Guide →
Oregon Wineries Guide →
Plan Your Trip to Oregon →
Things to Do in Oregon →
Oregon Coast Guide →
Central Oregon Guide →
Columbia River Gorge →
Mt. Hood Guide →
Southern Oregon Guide →
Eastern Oregon Guide →
Willamette Valley Guide →
Portland Guide →
