baumanns-fall-harvest-festival-pumpkin_2068346015_ypsfbl The Best Fall Day Trips near Portland, Oregon — Kids wait in line for the hay bale slide at the annual harvest festival in the Bauman’s Farm in Gervais, Oregon.

Though the open road calls to us in all seasons, autumn holds an indisputable magic: the dropping slant of the sun, the crispness of the air, the vivid oranges and yellows of the leaves. After the summer swelter, little feels more delicious than donning a sweater and ditching the city for a tromp along an uncrowded trail or an apple-picking extravaganza. Here are a few of our favorite day trips for the fall season, from getting spooky in St. Helens to sipping cider in Hood River.

A festive fall sampler platter on Sauvie Island

For many, Sauvie Island—about a half-hour drive from downtown Portland—is a summertime destination for its Columbia swimming spots and pick-your-own berry patches. But the real magic begins when the leaves start to turn. Sprawling fields of sweet corn, sunflowers, and pumpkins lead to a wildlife area ideal for fall bird-watching, not to mention beaches that clear out each autumn. Start your day at Topaz Farm for its fall harvest festival, with a u-pick pumpkin field, hay rides, and barnyard animals. (Paid admission to the festival is $12.) Then stroll among bigleaf maples and Douglas firs on the 2-mile Wapato Access Greenway State Park Trail, which loops around Virginia Lake on the island’s western shore. If getting chased by a chainsaw-wielding farmer is your kind of thing, you can finish your day at Bella Organic Pumpkin Patch and Winery when it opens its haunted corn maze every Friday and Saturday night through October. (Plan to get to the maze early and expect long lines.)

baumanns-fall-harvest-festival-pumpkin_2068346015_2068250420_vljkxo The Best Fall Day Trips near Portland, Oregon — The corn maze at Bauman’s is one of several labyrinths at its harvest festival, ranging from the kid-friendly to the genuinely challenging.

Meander through the Mid-Valley

Thanks to its abundance of orchards and hop farms, the area between Salem and Gervais dazzles day-trippers in the autumn—think harvest festivals, apple picking, and fresh hop beers galore. Begin your day at a farm like Salem’s True North Orchards, where you can fill buckets with honeycrisps and bartlett pears or covet the antiques in the on-site general store. Then, roll into Bauman’s Farm & Garden for apple cider doughnuts and, from September 20 through October 30, its elaborate harvest festival: Kids will dig the petting zoo, corn maze, apple cannon, and giant hay slide; the 21-plus crowd will dig the Bauman’s ciders on tap. Finish up with an afternoon at the Mt. Angel Abbey, a Benedictine monastery near the namesake Bavarian-themed town known for its gigantic Oktoberfest celebration. Wander the grounds to visit a bizarre basement museum filled with odd artifacts and taxidermy, a library designed by noted Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, and a taproom serving monk-brewed ales.

Live the farm life in and around Wilsonville

About 20 miles south of Portland, sleepy Wilsonville and the surrounding rural communities offer plenty of autumnal adventures. Check out farms like Frog Pond, Fir Point, and Lee for pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and barnyard animals. Hit up French Prairie Gardens in nearby St. Paul for pig races, tractor wagon rides, and more. (Harvest festival schedules can be variable, so make sure to check hours before setting out.) For hikes, bike rides, picnics, and fall foliage, stop by Graham Oaks Nature Park or Molalla River State Park.

shutterstock_47031427_gwonev The Best Fall Day Trips near Portland, Oregon — The Hood River Valley, in all its stupidly idyllic splendor.

Pick apples and sip cider in the Hood River Valley

Apples, the world’s best peanut butter delivery device, await in the Hood River Valley, an easy hour drive east of Portland. Along the Hood River Fruit Loop, find loads of u-pick and farmstand options—we’re particular fans of Kiyokawa Family Orchards and Draper Girls’ Country Farm—as well as tasting rooms at the likes of Fox-Tail Cider & Distillery.

Society-hotel-gorge-washington-spa-pool_Talia_-Jean-Galvin_wvexji The Best Fall Day Trips near Portland, Oregon — Bingen’s Society Hotel, on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge, has saltwater pools and a cedar sauna that are also open to nonguests. (Blue skies not guaranteed.)

Enjoy life on the other side of the Gorge

Just across the Columbia from Hood River, wee White Salmon—population approximately 2,500—boasts some of the region’s most stellar views of Mount Hood. Fuel up at White Salmon Baking Company with hearty breakfast sandwiches (get a cardamom bun or croissant to go), and continue to Weldon Wagon Trail where you can hike along an abandoned wagon road through Oregon white oak woodlands. On a clear day, enjoy glorious views of Mount Hood and the White Salmon valley. At the nearby Society Hotel in Bingen, nonguests can visit the cedar sauna and saltwater pools ($35 for an hour, reservations required). And happy hour at the café runs 4–6pm, so sip a post-soak cocktail around one of the outdoor firepits. Or, just 12 minutes away, AniChe Cellars perches up high, with glorious views and an array of fun, well-balanced wines, like the cherry, berry delight that is 7 Gables.

spruce-goose-mcminville-airplace-museum_1103662364_hqhaob The Best Fall Day Trips near Portland, Oregon — The Spruce Goose flew once. Now it lives in McMinnville.

Get loose with the Spruce Goose in McMinnville

An hour southwest of Portland, Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum offers a glimpse into some of the country’s earliest airborne endeavors. The museum’s centerpiece is the so-called Spruce Goose, the largest wooden airplane ever built. The plane took its one and only flight on November 2, 1947.

CZ_TRAIL-05_mkygbe The Best Fall Day Trips near Portland, Oregon

Take a drive along the Scappoose-Vernonia Highway

For a moody, meandering drive, take Highway 30 north for about 25 miles and then hop on the Scappoose-Vernonia Highway. The historic logging route winds through dense forest, punctuated by mountain views. Along the highway are trailheads from which to embark on the Crown Zellerbach Trail; most hikes are fairly easy. Those who prefer to pedal can explore the Banks-Vernonia State Trail by bike and follow the path of an abandoned railroad bed. For an added spook, visit Scaponia Park, supposedly haunted by a horse thief and his dog. Later, tuck in for lunch at Vernonia’s Black Iron Grill, where you’ll find a photo of Kristen Stewart on the wall—scenes from Twilight were filmed in this town.

Halloweentown_pumpkin_pussmw The Best Fall Day Trips near Portland, Oregon

Get into the Halloween spirit in St. Helens

Back in 1998, the small Columbia River town 45 minutes from Portland got ghouled in Disney’s goofy cult classic Halloweentown. (Like Vernonia, it was also a filming location for the Twilight series.) Now the witches return annually for a monthlong frightfest, replete with parades, haunted houses, costume contests, tours, and citywide decorations. Don’t forget to stop by the courthouse plaza, home of the Great Pumpkin.

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