Discover Oregon’s Best State Parks

Although Oregon is home to just one national park, the Beaver State’s wide range of outdoor environments makes it a premier location for state parks of all shapes and sizes – 254 of them, to be exact.

With the rainy Oregon Coast on one side of the state and the dry high desert on the other, Oregon offers an assortment of top-tier destinations, each with its own unique set of exhilarating activities.

Whether you’re looking for a chance to swim, fish, hike, boat, ATV, trail run, dune board, wakeboard, or simply relax and take in a pristine view, there’s an Oregon state park that will fit the bill. Here’s a selection of excellent state parks worth a visit – or a whole trip of their own.

Wallowa Lake State Park

Best State Park for Year-Round Outdoor Fun

Nicknamed “Little Switzerland,” Wallowa Lake offers panoramic mountainscapes with campsites featuring valley views and access to hiking, swimming, boating, and fishing. As a year-round campground, this park sees high visitor volume in all seasons, but that doesn’t dampen its appeal.

In the summer, the lake affords visitors opportunities to boat, paddle, fish, or swim while basking in warm temperatures and stunning alpine views. In the winter, guests can still enjoy the mountain paradise, but with fewer crowds and unspoiled access to many pristine alpine lakes that dot the region.

Whether you’re a snowshoe enthusiast with an eye toward shoulder season or a sun worshipper who prefers to tan under 10,000ft peaks, Wallowa Lake State Park has a little something to offer everyone.

Local Advice: Arrive early – sites fill up fast. Don’t miss the nearby town of Joseph, a mountain village filled with artists.

Cape Lookout State Park

Best State Park for Camping

A lush coastal forest protects this campground from the harsh winds that batter the cliffs in Netarts, making it an excellent place to visit in both high and low seasons. Cape Lookout also offers year-round camping, a rarity for a seasonal state like Oregon.

If you’re looking to use this park as a base camp, Cape Lookout offers quick and easy access to beach views, including Cape Meares Lighthouse to the north, which offers whale watching, picnic areas, and the largest Sitka spruce in Oregon.

To the south, there’s Whalen Island and its Sandlake Estuary, a haven for wildlife viewers, beach walkers, kayakers, and canoeists.

Local Advice: Visit during late summer months when temperatures are at their warmest and the sun frequently makes an appearance.

Smith Rock State Park

Best State Park for Rock Climbing

Long known as a Pacific Northwest climbing destination, Smith Rock features 800 ft redstone cliffs with countless routes and enough scenic beauty to spend a weekend – or more – testing your skills.

Despite its regional popularity, the park offers enough nooks and crannies for everyone to find a problem to solve. For those not inclined to scale heights, there are also premium mountain biking trails and ample wildlife viewing opportunities, including golden eagles, mule deer, native river otters, and, of course, beavers – the state mascot.

No camping is allowed in the park, but nearby options exist, such as Skull Hollow or the Smith Rock Bivouac Area, allowing you to spend a few nights in rock paradise.

Local Advice: To blend the local scene, stay in Bend and commute daily to Smith Rock.

Fort Stevens State Park

Best State Park for History Buffs

A park crafted for history enthusiasts, Fort Stevens boasts a historic military outpost, a military museum, and the remnants of a shipwreck from 1906. This hidden gem also features a gorgeous beach, marking the northernmost point on the Oregon Coast Trail.

Visitors can enjoy a wide range of scenic views, rich historical sites, and the added benefit of Coffenbury Lake, which has picnic areas, a 2-mile hiking trail around the lake, and seasonal swimming and boating access. The park also includes a massive campground, featuring 174 full-hookup sites and 302 electrical sites with water included.

Local Advice: The military fort is a must-visit, and the chance to see a century-old shipwreck is extremely rare. Add coastal views, a large campground, and a lake for swimming…what’s not to love about this park?

Silver Falls State Park

Best State Park for Hiking

A state park said to rival some of the smaller national parks in the country, Silver Falls is a true hiker’s paradise. Its proximity to Portland (just over an hour’s drive) makes it popular for locals and tourists alike, but the park’s beauty in all four seasons justifies the trip, regardless of the crowds.

The Trail of Ten Falls hike allows unprecedented access to 10 separate waterfalls over a manageable 8-mile loop. For visitors seeking sanctuary from the crowds, this acclaimed park features more than 35 miles of backcountry trails for hiking, mountain biking, or trail running.

Those fortunate enough to secure a campsite (open year-round) can enjoy the hike before day-trippers arrive and still have time to explore the rest of the park or the nearby town of Salem.

Local Advice: If visiting in summer, try to arrive on a weekday. Alternatively, come early, conquer the Trail of Ten Falls, then head to Salem for a refreshing Oregon-brewed beverage.

Cove Palisades State Park

Best State Park for Water Activities

Home to the legendary Lake Billy Chinook, Cove Palisades State Park is nestled in the heart of Central Oregon, hidden among its more popular counterparts.

Regardless, Cove Palisades offers visitors a premier lakefront campground (Deschutes Campground), an RV-accessible and scenic upper campground (Crooked River), and all the boating, fishing, paddling, and wakeboarding an outdoor enthusiast could desire.

Though it is a highly popular summertime destination, Lake Billy Chinook’s expansive shape and numerous spindly arms allow houseboaters, speedboaters, and bass hunters to share the waters with relative ease. Moreover, onsite boat and Jet Ski rentals simplify planning your adventure.

Local Advice: For easy access to the marina and lakefront beach, try to reserve a site at Deschutes Campground. If you end up at Crooked River, don’t miss the nearby ice cream shop/convenience market—it’s worth the wait after a hot afternoon on the water.

Jessie M Honeyman Memorial State Park

Best State Park for Sandboarding

Home to Oregon’s second-largest state park campground, Jessie M Honeyman Memorial State Park – often referred to as “Honeyman” – is as eclectic a destination as one can find.

Situated within a 47-mile cluster of massive sand dunes, this state park offers hiking access to the Oregon Coast, two different lakes for daily recreation, and a vast network of dune trails open to ATVs year-round.

Cleawox Lake, the park’s smaller body of water, welcomes motorized boating, swimming, and fishing for native cutthroat trout. Flanked by dunes, this lake becomes a popular spot during summer months, with many visitors testing their sandboarding skills before cooling off in the lake’s warm waters.

Local Advice: If the central campground at Honeyman is full, there are many lesser-known campgrounds located just south of the park. Additionally, fitness enthusiasts looking to test their dune-running endurance can participate in the Siuslaw Dunes race, featuring 25k and 50k routes starting in Honeyman State Park.