Oregon

Portland reveals a creative, laid-back atmosphere shaped by its lush gardens, cultural neighborhoods, and pioneer heritage. The city is also known as one of the birthplaces of the American environmental movement: as early as the 1970s, it adopted forward-thinking urban policies that have made it one of the most environmentally engaged metropolitan areas today.

Washington Park illustrates the region’s passion for botany with thousands of plant species from around the world. The park is home to one of the oldest Japanese gardens in the United States, created in 1963 to symbolize cultural reconciliation after World War II. From the city’s heights, sweeping views hint at the presence of the Cascade Range volcanoes, including Mount Hood, visible on clear days.

Silver Falls State Park stands out for its spectacular waterfalls carved into layers of basalt, evidence of massive lava flows that covered Oregon more than 15 million years ago. The park is also a refuge for the Pacific giant salamander, an endemic species of the region’s moist forests.

The Pacific coast reveals a powerful shoreline shaped by wind, tides, and offshore storms. This stretch of coastline is part of the Pacific Flyway, a major migratory corridor for millions of birds crossing North America each year. Coastal villages preserve a maritime culture inherited from the first Scandinavian fishermen who settled here in the 19th century.

Yachats lies at the direct meeting point of the Pacific Ocean and coastal forests. The Cape Perpetua area is known for hosting one of the most productive temperate forests in the world, where Sitka spruce can reach over 70 meters (230 feet) in height. The name “Yachats” comes from a Native American word meaning “dark waters,” referring to the volcanic rocks lining the shore.

Crossing the Cascade Range highlights dense forests, volcanic peaks, and impressive waterfalls such as Salt Creek Falls. This region is marked by the presence of the Douglas fir, Oregon’s emblematic tree, which can live for more than 1,000 years and has been one of the state’s most important timber species since the early 20th century.

Newberry National Volcanic Monument showcases a landscape shaped by successive eruptions. Newberry Volcano, still considered active, features an 8-kilometer-wide caldera formed about 75,000 years ago. The ancient forests surrounding Paulina Lake are home to wildlife adapted to volcanic soils, including the rare white-backed woodpecker, which depends on burned trees for feeding.

The Columbia River Gorge forms a vast river canyon created by cataclysmic floods at the end of the last ice age. This natural corridor long served as a trade route for Indigenous peoples, notably the Chinook, who exchanged dried salmon, obsidian, and shells from the coast. Even today, the gorge symbolizes the meeting of human history and geological forces.