Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

I know this goes without saying, but the state parks in Oregon are amazing. You can travel to any corner of the state – from the coast to the Cascades, arid desert to fertile valley – and find expansive trail networks, well-groomed campgrounds and sprawling day-use areas.

Earlier this year we asked you, our readers, to nominate your favorite Oregon state parks. After spending the year travelling to the top 15 and writing a profile on each, the time has come to rank the parks on their merits.



With this list, I'm trying to determine Oregon's best state parks, not just the most popular. A good state park should elicit excitement in the hearts of Oregonians, but it should also serve the public well. I only considered the 53 places the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department considers "state parks" (as opposed to "recreation sites," "scenic corridors," etc.), and looked at facilities, trails, access and natural beauty.



Odds are, you’ll disagree with something on this list, as you should. We Oregonians hold our public lands in high regard, and everybody has their special spots in nature. My goal isn’t to demean any park – each one is special, truly – but to highlight the best of the best.

So after months of traveling and much deliberation, these are the 20 best state parks in Oregon.

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HONORABLE MENTION

Before we get into the main ranking, I want to give a shout-out to five great parks that found themselves out of contention. A few were overlooked in the reader vote, while two fell victim to a discrepancy in the parks department's "state park" labeling -- dubbed full "state parks" in some documentation and humble "state recreation sites" in others. I'll take some blame for those two snubs, which left a pair of well-deserving parks on the outside looking in.

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Flickr/daveynin

20. Viento

The Columbia River Gorge is a patchwork of public lands, and while most of it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, there are a few Oregon state park sites as well. Among them, Viento State Park stands out, with access to the Columbia River, as well as the forested cliffs and waterfalls of the gorge. There's also a 75-site campground, though the passing trains don't allow for a very restful night.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

19. South Beach

The coast has dozens of state park sites, and South Beach State Park just gets lost in the mix. The sprawling park offers great beach access and a big campground with 287 sites and 27 yurts. It's found just south of Newport, where it's often overshadowed by parks at Yaquina Bay, Yaquina Head and Beverly Beach.

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Courtesy of Oregon State Parks

18. Valley of the Rogue

Valley of the Rogue deserves some attention here, simply for the fact that it's the single most popular state park in Oregon. In 2017, the southern Oregon park attracted nearly 1.8 million day-use visitors, which is more than South Beach and Smith Rock combined. It also has a 164-site campground that drew an additional 112,000 overnight visitors, good enough for seventh statewide. Alas, it's labeled a "state recreation site" on some state park documentation, and therefore was overlooked in our initial poll.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

17. Cottonwood Canyon

I was surprised Cottonwood Canyon State Park didn't get more love from our readers. Oregon's newest full-fledged state park is nestled into a colorful desert canyon on the John Day River, just south of the Columbia River Gorge. Its newness and the small scale of its campground (only 21 sites) may be to blame for its lack of popularity, but over time this may become one of the top-tier state parks in Oregon.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

16. Harris Beach

Harris Beach is another one that fell victim to the "state park"/"state recreation site" discrepancy. It's a shame, because it really is one of the most beautiful parks on the Oregon coast, and should definitely rank higher on this list. With so many sea stacks dotting the surf, and a 149-site campground right beside the ocean, it's an incredible place to camp out at the coast.

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THE TOP 15

These 15 parks represent the top 12 from our original reader poll, plus three picks from the runners up. If you want to get an idea of how readers ranked these parks initially, you can go back and read that list. This represents my own ranking after traveling to each one.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

15. Milo McIver

Nestled along the curves of the Clackamas River in the Willamette Valley, Milo McIver State Park is designed for a wide variety of day-use activities, including equestrian trails and a world-class disc golf course. The new Memorial Viewpoint gives a great look at Mount Hood over the river, but the park lacks some of the natural awe that other parks offer.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

14. Wallowa Lake

Wallowa Lake State Park is surrounded by natural beauty, situated at the base of the majestic Wallowa Mountains of northeast Oregon. Leave the park headed north and you'll get a great look at Wallowa Lake, or head south to gain access to the incredible Eagle Cap Wilderness. The park itself, however, disappoints with overcrowding and lack of safe access to the nearby wilderness.

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13. LaPine

Quiet LaPine State Park surrounds a serene stretch of the Deschutes River as it flows through the desert south of Bend. Its campground is designed exclusively for RVs, making it a little less comfortable for tent campers, but it benefits from a surprisingly long trail network that follows the river, leads to a small waterfall and takes hikers to one of the largest ponderosa pines in Oregon.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

12. Sunset Bay

Crowds are consistent at Sunset Bay, one of the busiest state parks on the Oregon coast (in 2017, nearly 1.4 million people stopped off at the small, 405-acre park) but it's popular for good reason: Sunsets there are incredible. Go there when low tide comes just before dusk, and wobble out to the ancient tide pools at the edge of the bay – few experiences on the coast can compare.

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11. Cape Blanco

Cape Blanco State Park revolves around its lighthouse, a stunning beacon with a hardscrabble past. Take a tour to hear the story of how lighthouse keepers worked through the stormy nights (sometimes in vain) to keep ships from wrecking offshore. Then stay for a day or night at the beautiful, windy southern Oregon beach.

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10. Beverly Beach

Its campground may feel crowded, but Beverly Beach State Park has more than enough beach to find a little slice of paradise. Located between Depoe Bay and Newport, the park is situated on a long stretch of sand that runs nearly five miles from Devils Punchbowl to Yaquina Head. It's best known for the iconic Spencer Creek Bridge, which arches over the path to the beach.

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9. Shore Acres

Perhaps the most unique state park property in Oregon, Shore Acres is a coastal viewpoint, storm-watching spot, beach access point, formal garden and historic landmark, all wrapped up into one. It was once considered the most luxurious estate in Oregon, but after a fire, a war and an economic downturn, it was sold off and became one of the most beloved parks in the state.

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8. Ecola

Ecola State Park boasts some of the best views on the Oregon coast, and is known for its proximity to the incredible Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, perched on a rock a mile out to sea. A long hiking trail leads along high cliffs overlooking the ocean and the park's two gorgeous beaches. There's no proper campground, but three primitive wooden shelters are open to people who hike in.

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7. The Cove Palisades

The Cove Palisades State Park is a desert oasis, located at the confluence of the Deschutes, Metolius and Crooked rivers just east of the Cascade Mountains. It's best known as a destination for boaters, who zip around the Lake Billy Chinook reservoir, but a short hiking trail leads to stunning panoramic views of the park. It's also home to The Island, an off-limits preserve that contains a pristine example of Oregon's original high desert ecosystem.

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6. Jessie M. Honeyman

The Oregon Dunes meet coastal lakes at Jessie M. Honeyman State Park, a popular coastal destination since the 1930s. Since then, it's been a big draw for families, who can easily walk or bike from the massive campground to the dunes – where ATVs and sandboards rule – as well as to the two lakes in the park.

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5. Cape Lookout

There's a certain special feeling you get from some state parks on the coast, and Cape Lookout just has it. Families have been flocking to the north coast getaway for decades, there for the nice day-use area, large campground, sprawling beach, and gorgeous Cape Lookout itself, where a long trail leads out to its point. Despite its reputation of being crowded, it only draws 142,000 day-use visitors annually, ranking it in the bottom half of all state parks on the coast. It certainly can feel cramped, but a short walk down the beach or up the long trail network offers plenty of room to spread out.

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4. Oswald West

Oswald West is easily the most beautiful state park on the Oregon coast. It has towering Neahkahnie Mountain, the churning waters of Devils Cauldron, a great surf spot at Short Sand Beach, and the panoramic views atop Cape Falcon. Hiking trails wind through the quiet coastal rainforest in between, connecting it all. The only thing Oswald West doesn't have is camping of any kind, meaning access to this paradise often requires an early-morning drive to the crowded parking lots off U.S. 101. Still, there's so much to do in a day-trip to the park, and so much beauty to soak in, that by the time the sun has set, it almost doesn't matter that you can't stay the night.

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3. Smith Rock

Smith Rock is awesome in the purest sense of the word. Dominated by castles of desert rock that tower over the snaking curves of the Crooked River, Smith Rock has a kind of primal pull, drawing more than 776,000 visitors last year. Among rock climbers the park is a temple, a place where they can hone their skills on some 2,000 world-class routes. A few years ago it was named one of the Seven Wonders of Oregon, and since then the parks department has grappled with ways to accommodate the growing crowds. Smith Rock might well top this list if it had proper camping, but as it stands, campers cram into a place called The Bivy, a walk-up campground that serves mostly climbers.

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2. Silver Falls

Silver Falls is pure magic. The Willamette Valley park contains an incredible display of waterfalls, all laid out on the Trail of Ten Falls that loops through the park. There's towering South Falls on one end and North Falls on the other, with smaller – but no less beautiful – falls in between. The trail runs up and down the cliffs and behind a few falls, giving hikers an incredible point of view. Silver Falls is also home to a 91-site campground that also features 14 cabins, open year-round. That's not to mention the lodge and conference center, group campsites, a meeting hall and horse camp. There's a lot packed into the popular state park, but at the end of the day it's those waterfalls that elevate it so high on the list.

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1. Fort Stevens

The best state park in Oregon? It has to be Fort Stevens. It doesn't have the magic of Silver Falls, the awe-inspiring crags of Smith Rock or the views of Oswald West, but Fort Stevens boasts a huge number of features that are unique unto themselves. Consider the iconic Peter Iredale shipwreck, the massive South Jetty at mouth of the Columbia River, the many historic military batteries, and more than six miles of sandy beach – all found at the confluence of the mightiest river in the western U.S. and the greatest ocean on Earth.



Fort Stevens is a rare park that has something for just about everyone. Like wildlife? Go look for bald eagles at the mouth of the Columbia. History buff? Browse the batteries and military museum. Want a beach day? There are miles of sand. Want some interesting photos? Do a shoot at the shipwreck. Even the campground at Fort Stevens offers a lot, with 482 sites for both tents and RVs, as well as 15 yurts and 11 deluxe cabins for those who want more comfort. Hiking trails, bike paths and park roads connect everything, making it easy to get around, with or without a car.

With so many amazing state parks in Oregon, we’re all bound to play favorites. But compare them all on their merits – the recreational opportunity, natural beauty, access, facilities – and Fort Stevens’ sheer diversity and number of unique attractions stand above the rest. Whether or not it’s your favorite, it’s the best state park in Oregon.

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NORTHWEST TRAVEL GUIDES

Most beautiful places in Oregon: Oregon is a beautiful place, but these are the most beautiful places in the state.

Oregon's best roadside attractions: From the Oregon Vortex to the Sea Lion Caves, here are our 40 best roadside attractions.

Most iconic hikes in Portland: There's plenty of good hiking in Portland, including these seven iconic hikes around the city.



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