Memorial Day Traffic?

Hi, Sorry if this topic has been addressed already but I didn%26#39;t find anything recent. We have the opportunity to be in Portland for a few days and could extend over Memorial Day weekend to see the area (have never been). Would the coast and gorge drives be horribly slow on the long holiday weekend? Any suggestions for great scenic drives that might avoid bumper to bumper?

Thanks in advance!

Memorial Day Traffic?

Well i will tell you, you dont want to be driving out of town over the Holiday Weekend, the monday that is. It gets pretty busy.

Memorial Day Traffic?

The worst of the traffic, I think, will be in Oregon%26#39;s wine country, where Memorial Day weekend is one of the two biggest in the year. But, my family has often spent that weekend at Cannon Beach over the years, and while traffic might be heavy to and from, I can%26#39;t remember that it%26#39;s ever been bumper to bumper. I%26#39;d expect the same is true of the gorge. I wouldn%26#39;t let concerns about traffic affect your plans, even if you want to go wine tasting.

Unclear just how many days you have for travel from Portland but I would certainly not let that weekend deter you from seeing the Gorge or the Coast. For the Coast, a must see, I suggest you leave Portland very early, head for and walk the town of Cannon Beach, see Ecola State Park, then south through, for example, Florence, with an overnight (if you can get lodging) in Newport or Yachats at Overleaf or Fireside Lodges (try for ocean front, not view, room). Then, decide from, say Florence, your return route, i.e., back up coastal hwy. or cut over to I-5.

The only problem you will have with getting to the Gorge is making it through the heart of town heading east, and that would be on Friday night. Once you get past the I-205 merge, it should be smooth sailing. Keep in mind that if you plan on taking the historic highway, your main problem is going to be some congestion around Vista House, and some of the parking areas for the various waterfalls. But, this is the case pretty much on any weekend day when the sun is out. No way to avoid it. But, I really wouldn%26#39;t consider it bumper to bumper. Also if you take I-84 and skip the historic highway, you are going to have a hard time finding parking for Multnomah Falls as well, and sometimes it does back up a little bit on to the freeway. Again, not bumper to bumper traffic.

If you give me some ideas on exactly what you are interested in seeing while in the gorge, I can give you some more specific information.

Hi again and thanks everyone! Very helpful replies. We%26#39;re just starting to look into what we might see/do while there and will depend somewhat on being able to get lodging. We could leave Portland either Thursday evening or Friday morning and would have to be back to the airport Monday morning for a flight back east. Various friends have recommended just a scenic drive along the gorge and/or coast, Mt Hood, Mt St Helens, maybe a boat trip on the river? Due to an injury we%26#39;re more inclined to scenic driving and short easy walks/hikes or boat rides this trip. Open to suggestions and now looking at flight and lodging options.

If you are going to stay on the North Coast, I believe most places begin their two night minimum Memorial Day weekend. The experts on the coast can be more help in that area.

The Gorge and loop around Mt. Hood would make for a very scenic day trip. Or, you could take your time and stay somewhere in the Hood River area. Most of the hiking in the Gorge is obviously uphill for the waterfalls, but still doable.

http://friendsofmultnomahfalls.org/maps.html

There are volunteers that staff a interpretive exhibit at Multnomah Falls, and they could also provide you with some more specific information.

Another place with some very easy hiking/nature walks is Wildwood Recreation Area near Welches, on Hwy 26 near Mt. Hood. There is a $5 fee to access, but well worth it IMHO. Nice picnic spot as well.

blm.gov/or/鈥?/a>

Mt. St. Helen%26#39;s is another spot where you wouldn%26#39;t necessarily have lots of walking, but a very scenic drive, assuming the mountain is ';out';. Lots of visitor centers to visit and meander through, wildlife viewing, etc.

http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/

Ooops, sorry mahjerle, you had included the website.

The coast, gorge/Mt. Hood, and St. Helens are all in different directions, and easily done as day trips from Portland. So I%26#39;d suggest using Portland as a base, rather than trying to string sights together into a 3-day roadtrip. The exception might be the coast, where it would be nice to wake up, and take a morning walk on the beach.

I suppose it%26#39;s because of the economy, but I just checked availability for one night (Sunday) of Memorial Day weekend at one of my favorite places in Cannon Beach. There is no 2 night minimum, and it is available: http://www.surfsand.com/

Travel to the coast and mountains on Memorial Day Weekend should not be an issue. Again, as others have said, it may be a bit busy, but not bumper to bumper....nothing like you experience in the Boston area....been there, done that and getting out of Boston to the coast can be UGLY! LOL!