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
Admission to the Oregon Garden is $8 for adults and $3 for kids age 12 and under. It’s open year-round, with narrated tram tours available from April through October (add $4 for the ride). The paths are paved and wheelchair- and stroller-friendly, making it easy to explore at your own pace. While there is a dedicated pet garden in the collection, the entire space is pet-friendly, as long as you keep your furry friend on a leash…