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By Jamie Hale | The Oregonian, OregonLive | Posted January 06, 2019 at 08:00 AM
Ian Malkasian/The Oregonian
So you’re planning a summer vacation in Oregon. Congratulations! Our state is phenomenally beautiful and there’s no shortage of great sights to see here. But nailing down those reservations and plotting out that perfect road trip can be tricky.
Please allow me to offer some words of advice.
After travelling around the state almost full-time for the last three years, I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks that come in handy when, say, trying to book a popular fire lookout tower, or trying to find a place to camp on the coast at the last minute. Things haven’t always worked out for me, and overcoming my fear of failure has been a trick in and of itself.
But as you begin to master travel planning, the rewards you can reap become much greater. Being one of the lucky few to backpack the Enchantments or stay a weekend in a fire lookout is the direct result of careful and strategic preparation. Some luck is involved, of course, but nothing is more effective than an advance plan.
From general practices to specific advice, here are 12 tips for planning a perfect summer vacation in Oregon.
1. PLAN AHEAD
Jamie Hale/The Oregonian
1. PLAN AHEAD
This might sound obvious, but it’s a foil for so many travelers. These days there’s A LOT of competition for campsites, backpacking permits, events and attractions. The only surefire way around that is to plan ahead. I don’t think it’s ever too early to start planning, but a good rule of thumb is to start making arrangements two seasons in advance – for summer trips, plan in winter and for fall trips, plan in spring.
2. BOOK NOW
Courtesy of Equity LifeStyle Properties
2. BOOK NOW
Once you’ve plotted out your trip, book it right away. The longer you put that off, the more likely it is that other people will get the same bright idea and beat you to it. Quick action also helps fend off the cold feet some of us get about travelling – it’s best to book your trip before doubt has a chance to creep in. With that said, here are a few tricks to booking different kinds of trips in Oregon:
3. BOOKING STATE PARKS
Jamie Hale/The Oregonian
3. BOOKING STATE PARKS
Oregon State Parks allows you to make reservations up to nine months in advance, which should be plenty of time for most places. Take advantage of that long window, especially if you’re trying to camp on a holiday weekend – to give you some idea of how competitive it can be, as of this writing Cape Lookout State Park has only 34 campsites remaining of 232 for Labor Day weekend this September. I know some of the bigger parks hold traditional or sentimental value for a lot of Oregonians, but consider going to less-visited parks like Cottonwood Canyon or Humbug Mountain. It’s also generally helpful if you can start your stay on a Wednesday or Thursday to get in ahead of the weekend crowds.
Book sites online at oregonstateparks.org or by calling 800-452-5687.
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