By Anne Taylor Hartzell, on August 24, 2013

Portland road trips with kids

Portland, Oregon is a fabulous city to explore with kids and a place where hipster family fun comes easy. For those families looking to get outside of the hustle and bustle of the city, there is no shortage of great road trips just a short drive away. Whether you want to explore the chilly Oregon Coast, head to the mountains, or explore Central Oregon’s magnificent pines and endless outdoor adventures, a fun family road trip from Portland awaits. Here are some of our favorite road trips with kids that are a short drive from Portland, Oregon.

Oregon Coast: Cannon Beach, Oregon

If you’ve seen a picture of the iconic Oregon coast, chances are you are already familiar with Cannon Beach. One of Oregon’s most famous landmarks, Haystack Rock, calls Cannon Beach home. Cannon Beach is a cozy little town, filled with fun small shops, restaurants, art galleries, hotels, and cottages. It was a popular road trip vacation for our family growing up in the Portland area. A drive to Cannon Beach from Portland will take you just one and a half hours west on Highway 26 and can be done as a day trip if you leave early in the morning. If you are staying the night, consider staying at a hotel, such as The Stephanie Inn or Ecola Creek Lodge.

Viewfinder Tip: Plan to dress kids in layers for an Oregon road trip, as temperatures and weather conditions can vary widely throughout the state. 

The Sunriver Resort, Bend, Oregon

Head east over the mountains to the Sunriver Resort, which to this day remains a very popular vacation spot for Portland area families. As a kid, we spent a considerable amount of time biking Sunriver’s endless bike trails, paddling down the river in a canoe, riding horses, and splashing in the pool. Some of my best memories as a kid were at Sunriver Resort. 

Willamette Valley Wine Country

Image Courtesy of The Allison Inn and Spa

While wine country may not conjure up visions of family fun, the Willamette Valley is a very family-friendly place to visit to teach your kids about agriculture, where food comes from, and family business. We love making The Allison Inn home base for our family, where the indoor pool, spacious rooms, and luxury amenities make traveling with kids in Willamette Valley wine country cool and relaxed. Stop for a picnic lunch to go at Perfect Picnics and celebrate the beauty of Oregon wine country with lunch on the lawn at one of our favorite Willamette Valley wineries.

Want more ideas? Travel Oregon has some great inspiration to get out and explore the natural beauty of Oregon.

Where are some of your favorite places to road trip with the kids?