8 Most Neighborly Towns In Oregon
In Oregon’s most neighborly communities, friendships grow through shared adventures; think the vast coastlines, mountain views, and quirky festivals that turn everyday moments into something worth celebrating.
For example, Estacada is the fastest growing town in Oregon with its array of vintage and quirky shops amid volcanic mountain trails, while Yachats dazzles people of every generation with its seemingly bottomless seaside sinkhole. Astoria, meanwhile, combines historic Lewis and Clark attractions with dark and fun festivals, and Tillamook has the best ice cream spots in the country.
Read on to learn more about the 8 most neighborly towns in Oregon and what you can find there.
Sisters
Sisters, Oregon, is named after the awe-inspiring Sisters Mountains in the backdrop of the town. In many ways, Sisters' culture is more in line with the Old West than the Pacific Northwest, as it hosts the delightful Sisters Rodeo each June. Downtown Sisters calls itself the Biggest Small Downtown around with its western-style boutiques and clothing shops like Dixies with its stock of Stetsons, boots, and Western jackets. After seeing downtown Sisters, you can take a trek to see the Three Sisters Mountains at the Three Sisters Wilderness, featuring multiple falls trails, sno-parks and other scenic trails. If you're looking for a shorter hike closer to town, then go to the Whychus Creek Overlook that gazes down onto a canyon in Central Oregon.
Estacada
Located on the outskirts of Portland is the fastest growing city in Oregon: Estacada. Families and senior citizens alike travel to this town for its affordable housing and variety of attractions. For example, the city lies on the Oregon Trail which was traversed by countless pioneers, and it teaches families about that journey at the Philip Foster Farm, with artifacts and costumes for you to dress up like a pioneer for a day. Town residents and visitors can escape into the wilderness at the Mt. Hood National Forest, named after the 11,125 foot volcano here, which challenges climbers and hikers alike. For shorter outdoor journeys outside of town, there's the Milo McIver State Park with its trails around the Clackamas River. Estacada's commercial establishments run the gamut from antique goodies at the Wade Creek Vintage Marketplace to Bigfoot memorabilia at the Mossy Rock Gift Shop.
Cannon Beach
Cannon Beach is one of the best destinations for a 3-day weekend in Oregon as it combines mountains, beach, forests, and a massive art scene. The town is famous for its Haystack Rock, a 235 foot basalt seastack lying in the shoreline of the Pacific. At low tide, you can get up close to the rock via the Ecola State Park. The rock isn't the only large feature in Cannon Beach, as some of the tallest trees in the world, the Sitka Spruce, grows at Oswald West State Park. Cannon Beach also has a rich community that puts on great festivals all year around, such as the Spring Unveiling Arts Festival in May and the Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest in June, where artists both old and young gather at the beach to build magnificent sand structures.
Pacific City
Not far away from Canon Beach is the town of Pacific City. It's an ocean lover's paradise here, and neighbors can greet each other right on the beach. Despite only having just over 1,100 people, there are several state parks within a short drive of the town. The closest is the Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area, which is a part of the larger Three Capes Scenic Route. You can catch a wave on the beach or hike through the sandstone cliffs. Between Cape Kiwanda and Cape Lookout is the coastal Whalen Island, noted for its 200 acres of forested trails amid ocean waves. Within Pacific City, you can pick up all your surf equipment from Moment Surf Company or take in the ocean breeze at the brewpub Pelican Brewing.
Yachats
The name for the city allegedly comes from the Siletz language meaning at the foot of the mountain. Throughout Yatchats are many unusual and interesting landmarks. One is Thor's Well, a sinkhole with sea water pouring into it constantly. The well was llikely a sea cave before the roof collapsed. Another is a narrow inlet just south of Yachats called the Devils Churn within the Siuslaw National Forest. Water can move very quickly in the churn, making it dangerous to cross. Yachats also honors Native Americans through its trails like the Amanda's Trail, named after a blind Coos woman who was forced into a reservation. Today, the trail passes through the forest with several interpretative signs about her life. In October, Yachats' community comes together to celebrate the many native mushrooms in the region at the Yachats Mushroom Festival.
Astoria
This historic city was founded in 1811, making it the oldest in the state, and the first U.S. settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. It was also a crucial stop on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, where the travellers established a small fort called Fort Clatsop which has been recreated at the Lewis & Clark National Historical Park. At the park, you can take off on the Fort to Sea Trail, or make your way further into Astoria to check out the many museums. One is the Columbia River Maritime Museum cataloging the town's history of maritime activities, while the Oregon Film Museum collects artifacts used by the many films made in Oregon like The Goonies. Astoria keeps a fun vibe throughout the year with the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival in June and the Festival of the Dark Arts in February, honoring the dark winter months with macabre artwork, music, and beer from Fort George Brewery.
Tillamook
Sitting on the Tillamook Bay, Tillamook is a fertile rural town with a huge dairy industry. Neighbors here love to gather for a cartoon of ice cream from the Tillamook Creamery, located inside the Tillamook Cheese Factory. Cheese is a cornerstone of Tillamook, with award winning cheddars available for purchase at Tillamook's Maker's Reserve. The town is home to several other cutesy attractions, like the smallest lighthouse in Oregon: the 38 foot tall Cape Meares Lighthouse. Despite its size, it used a Fresnel lens that was the most powerful of its time. You can visit this lighthouse at the Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint or go hiking through the Tillamook State Forest, a former logging center, turned multi-use outdoor recreational forest, with multiple mountain summits to conquer such as the Kings Mountain Trail and Elk Mountain Trail.
Klamath Falls
Out of all the neighborly towns on this list, Klamath Falls arguably has the most beautiful landscapes. It's close to the grand Crater Lake National Park, the deepest lake in the U.S. and one of the most beautiful in the world. If you prefer to stay in town, you can still spend a day at Moore Park on the shore of Upper Klamath Lake, or go on a short 3 mile hike through a canyon to Link River Falls via the Link River Trail. Klamath Falls gets all its neighborhoods together multiple times a year for several festivals. In late July, early August it throws the Klamath County Fair with carnival rides, food, and country music stars. In September, cyclists descend on the town to participate in the Ride the Rim Oregon, going around the entirety of Crater Lake.
It's an ocean and mountain lovers paradise
Most of these towns are either located on the coast, by the mountains, or both. Neighbors can't complain about the scenery in these towns, when they can step outside and see a massive sea stack, a lakeside beach, or even an awe-inspiring ocean sink hole. They also have plenty of opportunities to come together as a community whether that's building seacastles in Cannon Beach or viewing dark artwork in Astoria. Whether you plan to move to one of these neighborly communities yourself, or just come in for a visit, folks here can share a little bit of that paradise with you.
