Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Wildflowers bloom at Thunder Rock Cove on the southern Oregon coast.

This summer has been one of Oregon’s best in recent memory, with clear skies and moderate temperatures, the perfect template for good adventuring.

You would be excused if you held out on traveling to some fire-prone regions until the fall, but as the threat of smoke and flame around Oregon has fizzled (fingers crossed for the rest of the year), it’s been a great season to explore every corner of the state.

We’ve been out quite a bit ourselves, exploring low tide and tall mountains, dark caves and beautiful wildflowers. With Labor Day and Memorial Day weekends marking the unofficial bookends of summer, here are some of our favorite travel photos from the season.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Revisiting the reopened Wahclella Falls Trail

Just in time for Labor Day weekend, the beloved Wahclella Falls Trail reopened to the public, nearly two years after closing in the wake of the Eagle Creek fire.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Discovering the new bike path in the Columbia River Gorge

In August, the latest segment of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail opened to the public, offering several miles of new paved pathway for cyclists and hikers.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Soaking in the spray at Tamanawas Falls

A short hike on the eastern flank of Mount Hood ends at beautiful Tamanawas Falls, where mist soaks trees and hikers at the base.

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Dave Killen/The Oregonian

Exploring the Eight Lakes Basin on horseback

We spent three days on horseback exploring the Eight Lakes Basin in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness, gaining a new perspective on fire-ravaged trails.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Taking a jet boat ride up the wild Rogue River

Departing from Gold Beach up the wild and scenic Rogue River, a jet boat tour was a fast-paced and fun way to tour the area.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Spending a night in Paradise

That jet boat took us up to Paradise Lodge in the Wild Rogue Wilderness, where we spent a night over Memorial Day weekend.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Eating fish and chips on the Oregon coast

Every season is a good season for seafood, but this summer we published our 10 favorite fish and chips spots on the Oregon coast.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Watching sunsets around Portland

Winter sunsets may be more dramatic, but there's something magical about those long, summer sunsets that fall over Portland.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Diving into the Oregon Caves

The "marble halls of Oregon" are a true natural wonder, and this summer we finally took a guided tour into the depths of the Oregon Caves.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Hiking through the Oregon Dunes

They may look like an alien world, but the Oregon Dunes are a part of the Oregon coast landscape, offering a breathtaking adventure in more than one way.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Beautiful days in Florence

Florence was especially beautiful this August, as the sun illuminated blue and turquoise shallows in the Siuslaw River that runs through the coastal town.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Aimless wandering in the Eagle Cap Wilderness

The Eagle Cap Wilderness in the Wallowa Mountains is known for its backpacking excursions, but aimless day hiking makes a nice adventure as well.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Wildflower hikes at the Zumwalt Prairie

Fields of wildflowers backed by the majestic Wallowa Mountains make a picture-perfect moment at the Zumwalt Prairie in northeast Oregon.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Hiking into the Blue Mountains

One of Oregon’s most unexplored ranges, the Blue Mountains are a beautiful, but rugged place to go day hiking.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Strolling through downtown Pendleton

The Pendleton Round-Up doesn’t come until mid-September, but we spent a few days in August exploring the eastern Oregon town, stopping by boot stores, saloons and curio shops.

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Mark Graves/The Oregonian

Checking out low tide along the coast

Three especially low tides came to the Oregon coast this summer, attracting beach walkers, tide pool explorers and photographers.

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Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian

Celebrating 50 years at the Oregon Country Fair

This year marked the 50th anniversary of the Oregon Country Fair, which brought another year of magic to the forest outside Eugene.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Learning history at the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute

We stopped by the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute near Pendleton, which lays bare the history of the Columbia Plateau tribes of Native Americans and their peoples’ decimation by white settlers.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Listening to storms at Jubilee Lake

A beautiful summer day turned stormy at Jubilee Lake in northeast Oregon, as thunder and drizzling rain passed through the campground overnight.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Sunny days at Rooster Rock

Whether your clothes are on or off, Rooster Rock State Park is a perfect spot to spend a sunny summer day.

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--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB