Oregon Summary

From the early years of white exploration Oregon’s nickname has been “The Beaver State.” With fur hats fashionable in eastern cities and beaver abundant in Oregon’s streams, trappers, known as mountain men, were the first Europeans to explore the region. After the rage for beaver hats passed, the trails taken by the trappers were used by the early pioneers and became the Oregon Trail, the corridor to the West. The rush to colonize Oregon’s fertile valleys had begun. Today, its economy depends largely on timber and agriculture but electronics and tourism have broadened its base, with tourism now its third-largest source of revenue.

The state’s landscape is varied and dramatic — US-101 winds along the entire Pacific Coast, showcasing Oregon’s rugged coastline of rocky outcrops and soaring pinnacles. The Cascade Range’s volcanic peaks and vast forests of Douglas fir and Sitka spruce make it still possible to leave the crowds behind and gain a sense of isolation and discovery. The mountain peaks provide stunning backdrops to Oregon’s urban centers; the best example is Mt Hood, silently and ominously presiding over the state’s largest city, Portland.

The Cascade Range slices north-south down the state’s entire length. Many of its peaks exceed 10,000 feet — including Mt Hood, at 11,235 feet, the highest point in Oregon. Running roughly 100 to 150 miles inland, the range separates the broad Willamette Valley and Oregon’s coastal regions from the arid interior, producing two different climatic regions. Toward the coast a moist, maritime climate prevails with high rainfall, and here Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, and western hemlock are the primary conifers. East of the Cascades, Oregon’s high desert country fluctuates from scorching heat to bitter cold, with ponderosa pine the dominant species.