Guy Webster Talbot and his family used this property as a summer estate until 1929 when they donated it to the state. Today, it's a beautiful picnic park. A modern picnic shelter is available for rent (and is reservable).While the park is terrific for a group or family picnic, the park is often uncrowded even on the best days because of its seclusion. A gently sloping grassy hill dotted with Port Orford cedars, Douglas firs, alders and maples invites frisbee tossing and quiet relaxation.

Harris Beach was named after the Scottish pioneer George Harris who settled here in the late 1880s to raise sheep and cattle. The park boasts the largest island off the Oregon coast. Bird Island (also called Goat Island) is a National Wildlife Sanctuary and breeding site for such rare birds as the tufted puffin. The park offers sandy beaches interspersed with eroded sea stacks.

Hat Rock State Park, located off U.S. Highway 730 nine miles east of Umatilla, lies on the south shore of Lake Wallula behind McNary Dam on the Columbia River. Hat Rock was the first distinctive landmark passed by the Lewis and Clark Expedition on their journey down the Columbia, and is one of the few remaining sites not underwater.

Enjoy your drive through this scenic corridor surrounding Highway 18. Along the way, there's a place to pull off, stretch your legs and enjoy a spot of lunch amid a captivating ancient forest. If the time is right, get ready for some exciting wildlife viewing. A weekday would be the most peaceful, and give you a chance to discover the old growth Douglas-fir trees along the Salmon River. Stay alert for salmon, deer and Roosevelt elk. Exactly one mile east of the park entrance is a pull-out with a short trail leading to a swimming hole beneath more ancient trees.

Heceta Head State Park (which includes Devils Elbow State Park) is located in a cove at the mouth of Cape Creek. There are picnic tables sheltered from the wind and a great view of the ocean. A short trail leads to the historic Heceta Head lighthouse and lighthouse keeper's house. A recently-completed trail gives you a spectacular view of the coast north to Cape Perpetua.

Heritage Landing is a popular jetboaters launch. It provides access to the Deschutes and Columbia Rivers. This is where river guides meet their clients, families gather to head out onto the Columbia River for salmon fishing or water skiing, and everyone collects to share the excitement of their big catch. Jetboating is allowed on the lower segment of the Deschutes River all year around except alternating weekends from June - September; boaters passes are required.

Hilgard Junction State Park is next to Interstate 84 at its intersection with Highway 244 near the Grande Ronde River. The park offers camping and daytime activities amongst the cottonwood and ponderosa pine. The Grande Ronde River flows through the park, enticing anglers, rafters and swimmers. Beaver, mink, deer and a variety of birds inhabit the park area and can be viewed throughout the year.

Where motorists on old U.S. Highway 30 once crept around curves high along the cliffs of the Columbia River Gorge, hikers, bicyclists and users of other muscle-driven forms of transportation leisurely enjoy the view from the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail. The trail, two disconnected paved ribbons along abandoned stretches of the historic highway, give you more than 10 miles of sightseeing thrills.

Hoffman Memorial Myrtle Grove is a shaded glen canopied with spectacular myrtlewood trees. Interpretive signing accompanies a self-guided tour brochure designed to help you experience this cool respite from the highway. There's no drinking water at the park. The myrtlewood tree is a relative of the bay laurel. Many people cook with myrtlewood leaves in place of bay leaves. Can you imagine the pungent aroma that will greet you as you enter this grove?

Just south of Cannon Beach, this little wayside gives you easy access to the beach and a peek at some interesting history. Imagine travelling by stagecoach along the beach (before the highway was built, the beach was the only way to go). North of the parking area you can still walk along the original trail carved into the point by the stagecoaches. The wayside was named after this trail because it hugs the point. Looking further north, Haystack Rock, one of the most identifiable landmarks along the coastline, is easily visible.

The park and campground are dominated by Humbug Mountain (elevation 1,756 feet) and surrounded by forested hills. The campground enjoys some of the warmest weather on the Oregon coast as the surrounding mountains offer protection from cool ocean breezes. Many visitors enjoy windsurfing and scuba diving. Hiking to the top of Humbug Mountain is a major activity.

Heading to or from the Oregon coast or the giant redwoods on Hwy. 199, you may want to stop for a picnic at this day-use park. Located at the confluence of the east and west forks of the Illinois River, the park offers picnic tables and restrooms. There is a short walking trail near the picnic area. The Illinois Valley is a unique geologic area with many rare plants. Visit here to enjoy the natural beauty of the area.

This 62-acre parcel of rolling grassland, set amidst the stunning backdrop of the Wallowa Mountains, became a State Heritage Area in 2009. The entire area is part of the ancestral homeland of the Nez Perce Tribe, and is a sacred place to the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. "Iwetemlaykin" is the Nez Perce name for this area of the Wallowa Lake basin. Pronounced ee-weh-TEMM-lye-kinn, the name translates to "at the edge of the lake." The property is adjacent to a Nez Perce National Historical Park, site of Old Chief Joseph Gravesite and Cemetery.

J. F. Kimball State Park is a pristine site located at the headwaters of the Wood River. This stream flows from the pine forest into open meadow land laced with picturesque quaking aspen surrounded by the southern Cascade Mountains. Wood River offers fine fishing that can be accessed from the park by canoe. Kimball Park offers primitive camping next to a spring-fed lagoon at the beginning of this waterway.

Need a place to play? Where you can enjoy nature viewing at its finest? This is a place where those weary of hectic schedules and jangling telephones can find peace, a place where life can be pondered from a different and unique perspective. Most of all, a place carefully designed and maintained for people -- for the mother and her baby out for a Sunday drive, for the father teaching his son how to fish, for the teenager who wants to get away for a bit, for the couple on a weekend camping trip, for the grandparents who just want to take it easy for a week.

After you visit Jasper for the first time, you might be tempted to tell all your friends about it. Go ahead. We don't mind. The park has plenty of room for games, picnics, fishing ... sounds like the perfect place to hold a family reunion, doesn't it? The reservable group shelters come complete with covered cooking facilities.

Situated half way up the Oregon coast and three miles south of Florence on scenic Highway 101 is the second largest overnight camp in the state. There are two miles of sand dunes between the park and the ocean. Two natural freshwater lakes are within the park. Cleawox -- which is great for swimming -- and Woahink, which has a public boat ramp, is used for all water sports. Rent a canoe and explore the lake.

John B. Yeon Scenic Corridor honors a man who gave generously of his time and professional skills. He was one of the principal architects of the Historic Columbia River Highway (US 30); a major portion of the scenic highway joins I-84 westbound at Yeon State Park.

Picture yourself in a campsite overlooking Lost Creek Reservoir with wildlife, large conifer trees, and mountains surrounding you. Take a hike or bike ride on our 11-mile trail system, through the forest with year-round streams and wildlife viewing. Take a swim in the cool, mountain water; rent a boat from the marina (call (541) 560-3646 for information), and troll the 10-mile lake for trout and bass ... an angler's dream. Or bring your own boat and waterskis, and spend a few days in the sun.

Kam Wah Chung Museum is a must-see for anyone with an interest in Oregon history. Preserving the legacy of the Chinese workforce in Oregon, the museum contains artifacts and displays that share some of the trials of everyday life of these people.

Once upon a time -- from about 1915 to about 1950 -- a giant wonderful dance hall and outdoor resort existed at Koberg Beach. When the town of Hood River wanted to cool off or go ballroom dancing to the sounds of a swing orchestra, they went to Koberg Beach. Eventually, the ballroom and the beach had to make way for the rising Columbia River when hydroelectric dams were constructed. For a complete view of the way it was, go see the Koberg Beach exhibit at the Hood River County Museum in Hood River.

Lake Owyhee State Park lies next to a 53-mile-long lake formed by Owyhee Dam. Breathtaking views of the Owyhee Mountains await. A boat trip up the lake (we sell fuel and ice) from the park is one of the many not-to-be-missed experiences in eastern Oregon. Look closely! Bighorn sheep and pronghorn antelope live here, as do golden eagles, coyotes, mule deer, wild horses and (rarely) mountain lions. Critters aren't your game? Rockhounds and hikers are welcome in this wilderness paradise. Use the park as your base camp to explore the badlands of Oregon.

If you want to immerse yourself in a subalpine pine forest where the air has that high-Cascades tang; to stay in a clean, quiet campground next to a twisting, cold river brimming with trout (and a nearby legendary fly fishing spot) and surrounded by miles of waiting-to-be-explored wilderness; to sit smack in the middle of dozens of high-mountain lakes (in winter, near some of the best ski-spots in the land); to see eagles or red-tailed hawks grabbing breakfast right in front of you; or, to just sit in a campsite pondering what you might do tomorrow ...

Located at the western gateway of the Columbia River Gorge, Lewis & Clark State Park appropriately honors its legendary namesakes who camped and explored here in November, 1805. The park is situated near the mouth of the Sandy River where it spills into the mighty Columbia River and at one of the entrances to the Historic Columbia River Highway. A flat, grassy, tree-dotted park invites blankets and sun-lovers to come spend a leisurely day.

Stub Stewart State Park is the playground in your backyard. Just 31 miles west of Portland, the park offers camping, picnicking and hiking. If you like trails, this is the park for you. Explore more than 20 miles of trails. Bring your horse or bicycle and spend hours exploring the far reaches of the park. After a day of play, finding a quiet spot to relax is easy in the 1,673 acres of lush rolling hills, forest and deep canyons.