This guide is for people considering a move to Oregon and for current residents looking for the next thing to do. I'm Katcina Smith, a real estate broker with MORE Realty, and I have spent years helping families find their place between the coast and the valley. These are the places I send friends and the ones I go back to myself.
Oregon is six states in one: the public beaches of the Coast, the farms and vineyards of the Willamette Valley, the bridges and food carts of the Portland metro, the river towns of Southern Oregon, the volcanic wilds of the Cascades, and the sunny high desert of Central Oregon around Bend. Seasons change everything here, so the guide is organized the same way: by the rhythm of the year.
Oregon Coast
A 360 plus miles of public beaches, headlands, lighthouses, and village harbors, from Astoria to Brookings.
Willamette Valley
The fertile I-5 corridor from Portland to Eugene: farms, vineyards, and the states big cities.
Portland Metro
Bridges, food carts, parks, museums, and forest on the doorstep of the ocean and the Gorge.
Southern Oregon
The Rogue River, Ashland world stages, orchards, and vineyards, with Crater Lake right above.
The Cascades
Snow-capped volcanic peaks, high lakes, and trail country: the backbone of Oregon runs through here.
Central Oregon & Bend
High desert and the Deschutes River: sunnier skies, bike paths, floats, resorts, and mountain views.
