Oregon's Volcanoes

Oregon is home to numerous Volcanoes, and while they are all in slumber, they have the potential to be quite dangerous, but that doesn't stop tourist and travlers alike from visiting some of these.

All of Oregon's volcanoes lie in the Cascade mountain range as can be seen on the map below. There are four major volcanoes, all of which are dormant. The last volcanic activity in Oregon was in 1955 (Mount Jefferson)

Probably one of the most famous volcanic tourist attractions in the Pacific Northwest, Crater Lake (which is a caldera lake) was formed nearly 8,000 years ago during a massive eruption of Mount Mazama. The lake is a popular tourist attraction because of boat rides to Wizard Island as well as the deep-blue color of the water.

Basically, Crater Lake is a lake nestled in a crater on a dormant volcano. What makes lakes like Crater Lake so rare are the way Caldera Lakes are formed. Geologists suggest that Mount Mazama was a composite volcano (A steep volcano comprised of many layers of lava flows) the top literally sank into the top after an eruption after time, the crater filled with water.

How To Use Climate To Your Advantage

Below are some examples of how you can take advantage of the various climates when traveling to Oregon.

A mild, oceanic climate is predominant in western oregon (all along the coast) which can make for a great summer get away. Along the coast you can expect a lot of rainfall (up to 200 inches per year) in the winter months, but in the summer in Astoria, for example, you can expect highs in from 50-55 degrees. A great cool off in the summer months. It is home to some of the best surfing in the state.

Bend, Oregon, one of the fastest growing cities in the state, is nearly the inverse of the western coastal area. Bend is a semi-arid climate (experiences cool nights and sunny days) and gets little rain fall per year (11 inches annually). However, some of the best skiing in the state can be found just outside of Bend at Mt. Bachelor

Finally, southern/central Oregon is a Mediterranean climate which can be a great summer time destination because of the relatively low humidity and and highs just around 90 F. River rafting, hiking and many other outdoor activities are easy to find in this part of Oregon.

Salem Oregon

Our first stop is Salem. Salem is the capital of Oregon 

and is located in the north-central Willamette Valley. 

The Willamette river flows north through Salem, creating a boundary between Marion and Polk counties.

A fun fact about Salem is the 45th Parallel passes through it's city limits. 

Although Salem is the state capital, it is rather small (46.4 square miles) with just over 130,000 people. 

Unlike other areas of Oregon, skiing is not an attraction to Salem. Elevation ranges from 120-800 ft within the cities limits and because it is a Marine West Coast climate, it sees more rain than snow.

Salem's central location relative to other attractions in Oregon make it a good place to visit (if you're using the GPS try 44˚55'51"N123˚1'44"W). It is just about an hour away from Portland Oregon and a hour and a half away from the Oregon coast and 45 minutes away from OSU.

There are also numerous parks located in Salem, making it a great spring time destination.