Midsummer is well on its way in Portland! Looking to get outside the Director Parks and Jamison Squares of the city to stay cool? Well, luckily there are many options for families to beat the heat as well as experience Oregon’s breathtaking natural beauty close to the city. This list is certainly not exhaustive, but does include links to more detailed visitor information. Mileage indicates distance from downtown.

For more exploration, Oregon’s Swimming Holes 2.0 app from the iTunes store is a treasure map of vetted swimming spots, complete with user pictures. As always when venturing out into the great world, be mindful of Leave No Trace principles, which remind us to leave places better than how we found them. Refreshing waterways await!

NORTHWARD

Broughton Beach

10 miles – $5 parking fee

Located just north of the Portland Airport and reopened with full facilities in 2013, Broughton Beach along the Columbia River offers a close by urban escape. Ample bathroom and parking available.

Dougan Falls, Washougal River

41 miles – Washington Discover pass required

The entire length of the Washougal River is dotted with beautiful pools and sunny spots to picnic and hang out for an afternoon. Dougan Falls is deemed the gem of all the sites along the river, but many others are listed in the link above, all of which you will pass along the same road.

SOUTHWARD

Eagle Fern Park

30 miles – $5 day use fee

This is a very accessible county park, located just outside Estacada along Eagle Creek, a tributary of the Clackamas River. Surrounded by old growth forest, this is the place to go for serenity: wading, hiking, and catching crawfish.

Three Pools Day Use Area

87 miles -$5 day use fee

All right, I recognize that this site is far outside our hour boundary, but it deserves mentioning as one of Oregon’s best and well-visited swimming holes and daytrip destinations.

WESTBOUND

Henry Hagg Lake Park 

35 miles – $6 parking fee

Located directly outside of Forest Grove, this is also a relatively accessible swimming location. A nice trail rings the entire lake, and visitors can rent paddle boats, swim, mountain bike, or even fish!

Keenig Creek, Wilson River

56 miles – free!

Nestled deep in the Tillamook Forest on Highway 6, the Wilson River is a lovely place to swim. This particular spot is a site with slow moving water, deep pools, and big rocks for hanging out on the sunniest days. You will pass The Tillamook Forest Center on your way there, which is worth a visit.

EASTBOUND

Dodge Park

28 miles – free!

Located at the confluence of the Bull Run and Sandy Rivers, this park owned by the Portland Water Bureau is one of the area’s best kept secrets. Two rivers, tall trees, cool water…doesn’t get better than that.

Oneonta Gorge

35 miles – free!

This destination deserves being mentioned twice. A gem of a 0.3 mile walk up Oneonta Creek’s shallow waters is bordered on either side by sheer fern-covered basalt walls and interrupted by a obstacle-course log-jam and deep, chilling pools sometimes 5 feet deep. The reward at the end is Oneonta Falls, powerfully cascading into the creek.