Oregon is an incredibly beautiful state that’s immensely varied and diverse. Mountains, vineyards, desert, temperate rainforests, beaches, alpine lakes… the Beaver State has it all. And while the aforementioned regions are often what comes to mind when most people think of Oregon, the state has strong rural roots, too. While you can visit some impossibly charming rural towns in eastern Oregon, there’s some beautiful countryside just outside Portland that’s worth exploring, too. Enter: the following rural road trip that leads to some of the best countryside hidden gems in Oregon.

Did you know about these hidden gems in the Oregon countryside… or that such bucolic beauty was just a stone’s throw from Portland? There’s so much to explore here in the Beaver State, and this rural road trip is just the beginning of the epic road trip adventures in Oregon that await.