Travel & Outdoors

Squash Season

13 Great Pumpkin Patches to Visit near Portland This Fall

Pumpkins? Check. Also: hayrides, corn mazes, farm animals, apple cider doughnuts, and so much more.

09/29/2025 By Cami Hughes and Isabel Lemus Kristensen

Get Out

What to Do in Oregon in October

Celebrate the harvest in Hood River, have fun with fungi in Yachats and Eugene, and cheer on pumpkin regatta paddlers in Tualatin.

09/24/2025 By Isabel Lemus Kristensen and Portland Monthly Staff

Leaf Peeping

Where to Check Out Fall Colors in Portland and Beyond

See changing autumnal foliage from the top of Mount Tabor, in the Portland Japanese Garden, and across Oregon.

09/22/2025 By Isabel Lemus Kristensen and Portland Monthly Staff

Fun with Fungi

A Beginner’s Guide to Mushroom Foraging in Oregon

Intimidated? Don’t be. Here’s all you need to know to get started—including the ultimate hack for finding the freshest intel.

09/17/2025 By Emma Marris Illustrations by Michael Novak

Openings

New Pacific Northwest Hotels, Resorts, and Getaways to Know

Luxury tents, saunas, ocean views, and an attic library.

09/17/2025 By Isabel Lemus Kristensen and Brooke Jackson-Glidden

WEIRD OUT

Visit These 13 Oregon Oddities and Roadside Attractions

Our state has shipwrecks, shoe trees, and sinkholes awaiting you.

09/16/2025 By Isabel Lemus Kristensen, Margaret Seiler, and Portland Monthly Staff

Travel

8 Fun and Easy Fall Day Trips near Portland

Sip cider in Hood River, get spooked in St. Helens, and celebrate the fall harvest around Wilsonville.

09/09/2025 By Isabel Lemus Kristensen and Portland Monthly Staff

Bier Fest

Oktoberfest Already? Here’s Where to Go In and Around Portland.

Break out your lederhosen for pretzel tossing, dachshund races, and a goat petting zoo.

09/04/2025 By Alex Frane and Portland Monthly Staff

Hit List

The Best Farms and Orchards for Apple Picking near Portland

We’ve narrowed down the region’s autumnal offerings, with great mountain views, kid-friendly vibes, and rare varietals ripe for the picking.

09/04/2025 By Alex Frane and Portland Monthly Staff

The People's Coast

The Best Oregon Beaches Within 3 Hours of Portland

Our coast brims with spectacular beaches. Here are a few that will leave you breathless.

08/29/2025 By Isabel Lemus Kristensen and Sam Stites

Get Out

What to Do in Oregon in September

Dahlias are in bloom, Crater Lake goes car-free, the Pendleton Round-Up kicks off, and Oktoberfest has us raising our steins.

08/27/2025 By Portland Monthly Staff

Swimming

Portland Hotels with Outdoor Pools for Summer Splashing

Why should tourists have all the fun? Avoid the city's overcrowded public pools by treating yourself to a lil' staycation.

08/26/2025 By Margaret Seiler and Isabel Lemus Kristensen

Transit Trip

We Took the New North Coast Express Bus to Rockaway Beach

This summer weekend bus heads straight for Oregon Coast hits like Tillamook and Cannon Beach. We had the cushy coach practically to ourselves.

08/21/2025 By Margaret Seiler

Coast Is Clear

The Burly All-Terrain Wheelchairs Rolling Across Oregon’s Beaches

David’s Chair helps people with mobility challenges access the joys of the shore.

08/19/2025 By Amelia Arvesen

Wine Country

The Most Exciting Chefs in the Willamette Valley Right Now

‘Farm to table’ is nothing new. But Oregon’s wine country cooks are making local food feel fresh.

08/18/2025 By Alex Frane, Brooke Jackson-Glidden, Emily Teel, and Matthew Trueherz Photography by Michael Novak

Dining Picks

Where to Eat in Oregon Wine Country, According to Winemakers

The Willamette Valley knows how to roll out the white tablecloths. But many vintners and cellar hands prefer low-key gems.

08/12/2025 By Emily Teel

Animal Planet

Have the Vaux’s Swifts Ditched Chapman for Good?

Last fall, the birds abandoned their longtime roost. Now, a city waits in suspense.

08/11/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson

Summer Weekends

A Casually Luxurious Seattle Weekend with the Kids

Biscuit carts, dive-bombing seagulls, Canlis cocktails, and a dreamy hotel pool.

08/04/2025 By Jordan Michelman

Soil Deposit

The Luxe Conglomerate Quietly Gaining Ground in the Willamette Valley

New money famously draws skepticism when coming into the valley. What’s different about the Ground’s mini wellness empire?

07/29/2025 By Jordan Michelman

Fire Season

What to Know About Oregon Wildfires Right Now

Where the fires are burning, how to track them, and how to stay safe.

07/25/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson

Portland Monthly