Recommend time to visit PNW (Portland, Ashland: vacation, rent , house)

[MtnSurfer]

Hello,

I am already planning our family vacation for next year. I have heard that the Fall is a lovely time in the PNW. I have been dreaming about wildflower season out there ever since:
Moderator cut

This will be my families first time to the PNW. We plan to start in Portland/Vancouver area then drive south to N. Cal.

The main things I would like to see are:
1. The Gorge area waterfalls
2. Grand scenics with Mt. Hood in the background like Darren's shot
3. The Oregon Coast (Heceta Head Lighthouse, etc...)
4. Crater Lake

Do you think it would be better to wait for at least June to see the rest of these areas. I know in the Winter there are is lot of rain and clouds especially at the coast. But how is April and May typically. Are clear days really hit and miss during Spring?

Thanks for any tips you can provide.

- Derek

[Waterlily]

Spring weather can be hit and miss. Here we are in the merry month of May and it is sunny today. May will have a few cloudy days but not many.

I'd say it would be best to get a map and plan out a route. Figure out where you'll want to spend the nights and days. It's not a lot of miles but how you want to spend your time.

[janb]

Spring will be iffy, and limit your Crater Lake experience (rim road will be closed from winter snow)

August is best weather (but more crowded) Roses are still pretty nice, and free concerts in the parks

Sept is past the flowers, but weather decent and cooler, crowds gone
October (my favorite) brings colors, crispness and great sunsets, but there is a chance of overcast / rain. By Nov first... too late. Rains arrive and strip the trees of colored leaves. By chance you may get a warm or sunny week in March or April, but the odds are against you. May better, but not great, June ~ 66% chance of decent weather.

For spring wild flowers it would be very hard to plan in advance.... depends on snowpack, spring rains and temps. Like the desert, some years are a bust. Better to keep some spare change to buy a weekend trip up when you've got a call that the flowers are good AND the weather is too (very rare!)

[MtnSurfer]

Thanks Jan and Waterlily,

It sounds like the earliest I may want to bring my family out is June for our first trip. That way I'll have better odds of seeing things (eg - coast, Crater Lake, etc...). I don't mind some clouds and rain. But if all the beautiful scenery is covered in the clouds it will be hard to appreciate it as much.

I also hear that the road around Carter Lake has not been plowed in the Spring.

Thanks again,

- Derek

[LarryMorris]

Crater Lake is open pretty much year round, but the road around the lake will only open once the snow melts. The road to the lodge is kept open and you should be able to see the lake. Check with the Nat Park Service. They should give a better idea. More importantly, it can be pretty nasty in the Cascades even through June. If you come then make sure you bring warm clothes. Same with Oregon Coast.

The Fall is nice and but might not be as reflective of what your family might have to live with if you do move up here. I would still suggest late June, just be prepared for weather.

[MtnSurfer]

Ok,

So for the 'coast' would you say that May or August might actually be better than say June and July with regards to the summer low clouds/fog effect I have read about.

When I lived in S. Cal we used to get 'June Gloom' in and around the coast where I lived and grew up(Hermosa Beach). May was usually more photogenic/interesting with either a rain storm or clearer skies vs. the flat light of June.

I have a friend who lives in N. Calif. (Santa Cruz) who says they get a lot of fog in June as well. Just curious if this is the same for most of the west coast including the Oregon coast?

I am hesitant to come during August because I want to see some of the hit and miss weather that Jan and Waterlily speak of. A mixture of rain and some sun would be great. I also agree with what Larry said about Fall not being as reflective of what life in Oregon might be like.

Thanks again for your input.

[PNW-type-gal]

July, August, September are the closest we get to reliably sunny and dry. June can be quite changeable, with temps in the high 80s one week and then the next week 50 and raining.

The Rose Festival is in June in Portland - it's fun to see the city all decked out. On the other hand, it's also the city at the height of crowded and touristy season: rooms will be expensive and in short supply and places like Multnomah Falls in the Gorge will be crowded.

[Also plan to see Hood River - watch the climate change as you drive out the Gorge, from the wet Douglas Firs and lush fern and moss undergrowth to the drier Ponderosa Pine and sage on the dry side. I'd suggest going out the Gorge to Troutdale, cutting up to the old Gorge Highway and the Crown Point Vista House and down the road to all the waterfalls and Hood River, and then back up to Portland via the Mt Hood Highway and a quick visit out to Timothy Lake and Timberline Lodge.]

If you're going to the coast with kids, I'd plan on hitting Astoria - there's a great Maritime Museum there, plus Fort Stevens, which is a great place to let kids out of the car to run around, play in the WWII bunkers, the huge grounds and on the beach. Depending on tide, you might see the iron skeleton of the Peter Iredale, a 1906 shipwreck. If you are feeling adventurous, there are many parks on the coast with yurts for rent (heater, bunk beds and all). The reservation system is on-line and fills up pretty quick, though.

Word of warning about the beaches - the water here is COLD, no matter what the season or air temp, and the possibility of "sneaker waves" and logs in the surf is high. Watch tide pools carefully, have one person watching the ocean at all times. Is this overkill? 90% of the time, yes. I've had entire days spent out at the beach without seeing either a sneaker wave or a log. But we read news accounts about once a month of someone drowning or nearly drowning at the coast from those things. There are a couple of protected bays and backwaters that are quite a bit safer.

[jjpop]

There's just no place on earth like Oregon in September.

Not too hot, not cool yet, not raining yet, allergens are gone.

From the east side to central Oregon to the coast, all the way from PDX to Ashland, September is THE time of year to visit Oregon.

[seashelly]

I'd say come in late May, early June. (School's let out in June here). The waterfalls have a good flow from the melting winter snows. In April and early May, the mountain passes still get snow and some are still not cleared of fallen trees and rocks for the season. As for the flowers, the Rhododandrons are blooming now and probably still around in June. The ones growing wild along the highways are something to see. The hillsides are now covered with the yellow blooming gorse. If you come in August, you'll catch the Dalias in bloom. Actually, with our mild temps, there seems to always be something blooming in Oregon. Also, in June summer tourist months, you might be able to catch a lighthouse tour.

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

Thanks Jan and Waterlily,

It sounds like the earliest I may want to bring my family out is June for our first trip. That way I'll have better odds of seeing things (eg - coast, Crater Lake, etc...). I don't mind some clouds and rain. But if all the beautiful scenery is covered in the clouds it will be hard to appreciate it as much.

I also hear that the road around Carter Lake has not been plowed in the Spring.

Thanks again,

- Derek

All of the roads at Crater Lake are not reliably open until July 1. The park service will plow out the last of the snow to make sure the road is open for the 4th of July.

A part of the rim drive might be open in June. This has not been a particularly snowy year. I recommend calling ahead to check on road conditions.