If you’re looking for scenic road trip ideas in Oregon, add Salem to your list. It’s just over an hour away from Portland — and right outside of Salem, in the charming town of Silverton, you’ll find the Oregon Garden: an 80-acre botanical masterpiece filled with more than 20 specialty gardens. If you’re wondering why you should visit a botanical garden on this vacation, it’s because this isn’t your average rosebush-and-bench setup. It’s a living showcase of Pacific Northwest flora, featuring everything from a massive conifer collection to a pet-friendly garden and a garden just for kids.
The Oregon Garden is also a great example of eco-friendly design. Silverton’s treated wastewater is reused to irrigate the garden’s wetlands ecosystem, which is also incorporated into educational programs for local students. Adults can check out the Garden University event calendar for workshops on everything from plant photography, art, and yoga, to birding, composting, and friction fire making.
The garden is beautiful year-round, and the website even provides a month-by-month guide for which plants you can expect to see throughout the seasons. Visit in spring for unique blooms like snowdrop and grape hyacinth, or come in April to see cherry blossoms covered in white. June to July offers the widest variety of plant life, but even winter has its perks, including events like a holiday bazaar in December.
Planning your visit to the Oregon Garden
Explore Silverton during your visit to the Oregon Garden
While you’re in Silverton, there’s more nature to appreciate over at Silverton Reservoir and Marine Park. While gas boats are not allowed in the lake, electric motors are permitted, and swimming is allowed as long as you aren’t near the docks or piers. Fishing for trout and catfish in the reservoir is a great way to enjoy the peaceful surroundings — if you don’t have a boat or canoe, there’s a fishing pier available to put your line in from the shore. Plus, the expansive Silver Falls State Park is only 20 minutes away and offers more than 35 miles of trails and treks to view the stunning South Falls waterfall.
History buffs and photographers will appreciate Silverton’s Gallon House Bridge, built in 1916 — one of the oldest bridges in the state. This covered bridge got its name because of the prohibition against alcohol, as it was a common place for bootleggers to meet up and swap goods when Oregon became a dry state that year. To dive deeper into local history, the $10 Historic Silverton Mural Walking Tour offers a stroll through town, stopping at all the notable places for more backstory. Silverton’s downtown is also packed with vintage shops, artsy boutiques, and small galleries, making it an easy place to wander and window-shop.
Wine lovers won’t want to miss nearby vineyards while traveling through the Willamette Valley. Closest to the Oregon Garden, Paradis Vineyards offers weekend wine tastings, while Pudding River Wine Cellars sits on a historic farm property complete with an outdoor patio and firepit. If you’re continuing your journey, consider a stop in nearby Corvallis, a charming little Oregon city only an hour away.
