About 20 miles south of Portland, sleepy Wilsonville and the surrounding rural communities offer plenty of autumnal adventures. Check out farms like Frog Pond, Fir Point, and Lee for pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and barnyard animals. Hit up French Prairie Gardens in nearby St. Paul for pig races, tractor wagon rides, and more. (Harvest festival schedules can be variable, so make sure to check hours before setting out.) For hikes, bike rides, picnics, and fall foliage, stop by Graham Oaks Nature Park or Molalla River State Park.

Apples, the world’s best peanut butter delivery device, await in the Hood River Valley, an easy hour- drive east of Portland. Along the Hood River Fruit Loop, find loads of u-pick and farmstand options—we're particular fans of Kiyokawa Family Orchards and Draper Girls’ Country Farm—as well as tasting rooms at the likes of Fox-Tail Cider & Distillery.

Just across the Columbia from Hood River, wee White Salmon—population approximately 2,500—boasts some of the region's most stellar views of Mount Hood. Fuel up at White Salmon Baking Company with hearty breakfast sandwiches (get a cardamom bun or croissant to go), and continue to Catherine Creek for mellow trails, glorious Gorge vistas, and smells of ponderosa pine. Soak things off at the nearby Society Hotel in Bingen, where non-guests can visit the cedar sauna and saltwater pools ($30 for an hour, reservations required). Happy hour at the café runs 4–6pm, so sip a post-soak cocktail around one of the outdoor firepits. Or, just 12 minutes away, AniChe Cellars perches on a height with glorious views and offers an array of fun, well-balanced wines, like the cherry, berry delight that is 7 Gables.

An hour southwest of Portland, Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum offers a glimpse into some of the country’s earliest airborne endeavors. The museum’s centerpiece is the so-called Spruce Goose, the largest wooden airplane ever built. The plane took its one and only flight on November 2, 1947.

For a moody, meandering drive, take Highway 30 north for about 25 miles and then hop on the Scappoose-Vernonia Highway. The historic logging route winds through dense forest, punctuated by mountain views. Along the highway are trailheads from which to embark on the Crown Zellerbach Trail; most hikes are fairly easy. For an added spook, visit Scaponia Park, supposedly haunted by a horse thief and his dog. Later, tuck in for lunch at Vernonia's Black Iron Grill, where you'll find a photo of Kristen Stewart on the wall—scenes from Twilight were filmed in this town.

Back in 1998, the small Columbia River town of St. Helens, 45 minutes from Portland, got ghouled in Disney’s goofy cult classic Halloweentown. (Like Vernonia, it was also a filming location for the Twilight series.) Now the witches return annually for a monthlong frightfest, replete with parades, haunted houses, costume contests, tours, and citywide decorations. Don’t forget to stop by the courthouse plaza, home of the Great Pumpkin.