The eclipse reaches Oregon at about 10:15 a.m. PDT and exits the state at 10:27 a.m. At the coast, the greaest duration of totality is 2 minutes and as the eclipse exits Oregon, the duration of totality has increased to 2 minutes and 10 seconds. When the eclipse first touches Oregon, the Moon's shadow is racing at approximately 3,400 miles per hour! When the Moon's shadow leaves Oregon, it has slowed down to about 2,900 miles per hour because it is now higher in the sky. The width of the eclipse path in the Willamette Valley is about 87 miles.

Strong climbers will be able to see an amazing sight from the top of Mt Jefferson at 10,479' elevation. Not only will you see totality, but also the stupendous light show of the Moon's shadow racing across the landscape. From this vantage, you will see distant places to the west darken before totality reaches you and after your two minutes of totality, you'll be able to see the landscape to the east turning dark. The risk of this tactic is that you cannot evade clouds which might develop and you would be wise to carefully study the weather forecast before starting the long hike.

For accommodations, many hotels in the Willamette Valley within the eclipse path are already sold out. But given the superior highway system in the United States, a visitor can stay in Portland or Eugene and with an early start, reach an optimal location to view the eclipse by midmorning. A strategy that should work well for interior parts of Oregon such as the Deschutes River Valley is to either camp or bring a trailer or RV.

Traffic, especially in the Willamette Valley and Madras, will be extreme on eclipse day. Our recommendation is to arrive at least one or two days before. If this is not possible, leave very early in the pre-dawn hours for your destination in the path of totality. More on eclipse traffic and congestion here.