- Michael O'Keeffe
The Unique and Wonderous Land of Oregon: A Gallery
Oregon is awesome! Oregon may not have the tallest mountains or the biggest cities on the West Coast, but it certainly has some of the most unique, wonderous, and straight weird wild landscapes in the country. Located on the Pacific Coast, this large state is packed with a diversity of biomes ranging from lush temperate rainforest to dry stark desert. In between is an array of geological and geographical oddities. Oregon is a state shaped by volcanism with evidence of both ancient and ongoing activity. This has allowed the state to become home to some of the coolest geology found anywhere!
The states long running coastline is built for a road trip with the iconic Highway 101 traveling all the way down the 400+ mile coast passing by quaint seaside towns, stunning view points, and quiet beaches. Heading east through the coastal mountains you enter the Willamette Valley where most of Oregon's population resides including the city of Portland. Further east still you enter the Cascades where thick lush old growth forests hide stunning canyons and gorges with cascading waterfalls and crystal clear rivers. At the crest of the Cascades lies a chain of volcanoes with Mount Hood in the north spanning southward towards California with famous peaks such as the Three Sisters and Crater Lake among them.
The east side of the crest paints a different picture, the rain shadow effect keeps the entire eastern half of Oregon much drier with high desert occupying this region. There is much to be seen here as well with scattered mountain ranges rising high above the desert floor. These ranges offer a stark contrast to the desert below with towering forests peppered with sparkling alpine lakes beneath rugged peaks. That isn't to say the desert is without some impressive features itself with unique spots such as the Painted Hills and the Alvord Desert playa to name a few.
Yeah Oregon is pretty great! Enough of me talking about it though, here is a gallery of some of my favorite spots in Oregon I've taken over the years. Enjoy!































If you enjoyed these photos feel free to subscribe below to stay up to date on my latest adventures! Cheers!