One of the best parts about Portland is the great variety of outdoor activities and beautiful scenery less than 2 hours from the city! Portland is unique in the sense that it is surrounded by trees, mountains, and the coast. Summer and fall are a great time to explore and take a few day trips away from the city and experience the great outdoors while the weather is nice!
Hiking is a fun way to get outside and experience areas outside of Portland. Most hikes in the area are in a beautiful location with gorgeous views. The Oregon Coast is a hikers paradise with multiple hikes up the coast that end with breathtaking views of the ocean. The Neahkahnie Mountain hike is a moderately difficult hike that ends with rewarding ocean views. Once finished, head back down and grab some fish & chips in Cannon Beach, just a 15-minute drive from the hike!
Neahkahnie Mountain is just an hour and 45 minutes from downtown Portland, and can easily be a day trip.
- Neahkahnie Mountain is just an hour and 45 minutes from downtown Portland, and can easily be a day trip.
- Pro-tip, go on a hotter day in the city to cool down, as temperatures are usually about 10-15 minutes cooler on the coast. Leaving earlier in the morning is best as parking at Neahkahnie can get busy.
- From Portland, take the 26 to the 101. The 101 is a windy road with many beautiful views along the way.
- Between milepost 41 and 42 a sign for Neahkahnie Mountain will be visible. Parking can be found on the east side of the 101, or up the gravel road that leads you directly to the beginning of the hike.
The hike is mostly uphill, so bringing water is definitely recommended, especially if it is warm! Though the hike is shaded for the majority of the way, and it can get cool, so bring a jacket! Once you go about 1.7 miles on the trail you will come to a location where you can head up a slight hill. Go up and you will reach a large rock which you will want to climb to get the best views. There are many footholds on the rock so climbing it isn’t difficult, but is not recommended for younger children. At the top of the rock, you will immediately see incredible views of the ocean surrounded by trees and green. Don’t forget to take a picture! The way down is much easier as it is mostly downhill. Roundtrip, the hike is about 3 miles!
Now for the best part, the post-hike food! Drive only about 15 minutes and you will be in Cannon Beach, which is beautiful and has an abundance of cute restaurants, and most importantly, fish & chips! Pacific Coast is a beachy casual restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating along with cornhole.
Each item on the menu sounds delicious, but the fish & chips are some of the best, made with whatever fish is fresh that day. Get them battered or unbattered, and get a side of the dirty fries, loaded with blue cheese, sauces, and bacon. And don’t forget the beer or cider! With an assortment of local beers and ciders on tap along with their own beer, finding something to drink is not difficult!
After a delicious meal head to Suzy’s Scoops for dessert. It’s not a trip to the Oregon Coast without some ice cream! Suzy’s Scoops serves a variety of Tillamook Ice Cream flavors that will end your trip on a high note.
Summer in Portland isn’t complete without a trip to the beach!