3 Days Oregon Trip Itinerary with Cannon Beach

Oregon in June is the best time of year to go… but I may be biased since I have only been there once and in June. I went for a long weekend with one of my best friends. Since we were coming from Florida, visiting Oregon in June was an amazing shake-up of weather for us. The cooler non-humid temperature was refreshing. We lucked out and had lots of sunshine and if it was raining it was a light drizzle and while hiking we didn’t mind as it made the trees look even more magical. Our 3 days Oregon trip itinerary was just perfect in that we covered a lot of places that we wanted to see on our Oregon trip!

Staying in Portland gave us the option to have a bit of the city experience and amazing food while being within one to two hours of Mount Hood and Cannon Beach, in either direction of Portland. The main destinations we wanted to visit for this trip. So, let’s start with the best combination for 3 days of the Oregon trip itinerary!

Day 1: Hikes in Oregon will Never Disappoint

Mount Hood National Forest is a 1.5-hour drive from Portland. Before you leave the city limits of Portland I recommend stopping for breakfast sandwiches and chai or coffee to take along your drive with you. There are only a few restaurants in the town before Mount Hood.

Beginning with Mirror Lake Hike was a dream. It was around 7:30 AM when we started hiking and there was no one on the trail yet. As we got to the lake it was foggy and raining a little but still worth it, my favorite part of that hike was being on the trail going to and from the lake. There aren’t many places in the world where you can see such lush and vibrant forests.

Next, we drove another 20 minutes up to Tamanawas Falls Trail and this was pure magic. I couldn’t get enough of it … it looked like we stepped into a fairytale. Streams, many different trees and plants, and the sun started to come out… it was heaven. Given that I grew up where it is completely flat the intricate layers of this trail were mesmerizing to me.

Day 2: Portland to Cannon Beach is the Prettiest Drive

Starting in Portland and taking the drive on US Route 26 takes you through the beautiful Clatsop State Forest. Given the two-hour time difference for us we were awake and out the door early. Which made this drive even more beautiful with the sunrise and morning fog. Although this was not the highlight of our day trip to Cannon Beach, it made for an incredible start!

As we arrived in Cannon Beach we stopped at a grocery store just a stone’s throw away from the main Cannon Beach access. We stocked up on sandwiches, fresh fruit, coffee, and chai.

Between the grocery store and main Cannon Beach access, was a big parking lot that had hardly anyone parked at it yet. We drove to the front and walked right out to the beach. Haystack Rock, the most iconic rock formation at Cannon Beach,  juts out of the ocean similar to the limestone formations in Thailand, but with cooler non-humid weather it is such a unique site for the United States.

Hiking Above Cannon Beach

After taking in the first glimpses of the beauty of Cannon Beach we got back in the car and headed north a little way up the coast to Seaside. We parked at the entrance to Ecola State Park and hiked down to Crescent Beach, which is situated a little north of Cannon Beach. This gave us amazing views from above, as well as along the trail down, and on the beach.

Again, we lucked out and had the best weather! It was a clear sunny day so we could see all the way up the coast getting a beautiful view of Crescent and Cannon Beach from the viewing point just a short walk from the parking lot before you begin the gorgeous hike down.

Day 3: A Touch of Chinese Culture in Portland

Beginning our final day we made the short 30-minute drive to Multnomah Falls and took a quick paved hike up for yet again more beautiful views making for a great last mini-hike to loosen up our legs after hiking the past two days. We then headed back into the city for some Sunday Brunch.

We mainly came to Oregon for all the beautiful hikes however one spot we wanted to visit in the city was Lan Su Chinese Garden which was hidden in a one square block of pure magic in downtown Portland.

Our third day in Oregon was the rainiest day of our trip, which made walking around the Chinese garden even more serene. We grabbed hot teas from the little tea house in the back and wandered through the gardens in and out of the rain. No matter what the weather says make sure to bring a rain jacket!

With this being the fourth day of our trip we hung out in the city a little more and ate some of the best Thai food I’ve ever had from Paadee Thai Restaurant. It was a great last meal before we headed to the airport for our red-eye flight.

Hopefully, you enjoyed my 3 days Oregon trip itinerary with Cannon beach! Please, let us know your comments below!