Oregon is wonderland of breathtaking natural beauty nestled in America’s Pacific Northwest. Not only does the Beaver State boast amazing nature trails, spectacular waterfalls, and thousands of square miles of pristine forest… it also has one of the world’s hippest cities as its main urban hub: Portland.
Oregon is a destination that offers a wide variety of attractions. Whether you want a quiet and relaxing vacation in nature, or a fun holiday full of adventures and exploring, Oregon has what you’re looking for.
Wheelchair Travel In Oregon
If you’re planning on traveling in Oregon in a wheelchair, you might be wondering, “Is Oregon wheelchair-friendly?”. The answer is yes: Oregon is a wheelchair-friendly state. As a wheelchair-user, you will find plenty of great things to do and experience. Most of the state’s attractions are accessible and comply very well with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Bear in mind that most of Oregon is wilderness, so accessibility can sometimes be limited by natural topography. But wherever it is possible to make an area of natural beauty accessible, it has been done. Oregon’s largest city and major hub, Portland, is one of the most accessible cities in America.
Getting Around Portland, Oregon In A Wheelchair
Portland is a very wheelchair-friendly city. The city’s downtown area has beautifully smooth pavements and curb cuts, so it is very easy to traverse in a wheelchair.
Portland has plenty of wheelchair-accessible taxis. Portland city buses are fully wheelchair-accessible and you can buy tickets using an app on your phone. The city’s rail service, MAX Light Rail, is fully wheelchair-accessible. You can rent a wheelchair-accessible van for your stay in Portland from All In One Mobility. The city also has plenty of disabled parking spaces.
Wheelchair-Accessible Vacations In Oregon
Plenty of Oregon vacations are fully wheelchair-accessible. You can easily experience the unique bookstores, donut shops, and craft beer bars in a wheelchair. You can also marvel at the magnitude of some of North America’s most glorious waterfalls. Being a wheelchair-user will not hold you back on a vacation to Oregon.
Wheelchair-Accessible Waterfalls In Oregon
Oregon is famous for having some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. Many of the state’s amazing waterfalls are wheelchair-accessible.
Accessible Trails In Portland
Portland has numerous beautiful nature trails and gardens to explore, many sections of which are wheelchair-accessible.
Wheelchair Destinations In Oregon
With so many great attractions to experience on a vacation in the Beaver State, it can be difficult to know how best to spend your time. So to offer a little inspiration, here are six of the best wheelchair-friendly attractions in Oregon.
1. Go Alpine Skiing With Oregon Adaptive Sports
Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS) offers skiing and snowboarding lessons on Mount Bachelor and the Hoodoo Ski Area, southeast of Portland. The company believes that all people, including people with disabilities, should be able to enjoy skiing and snowboarding. OAS has state-of-the-art skiing equipment for people with disabilities as well as expert staff and volunteers. A day on the slopes with OAS will be a day you will never forget.
2. Marvel At Multnomah Falls
Multnomah Falls is located on Multnomah Creek in the Columbia River Gorge. It is the tallest waterfall in Oregon, at a whopping 620 feet! Multnomah Falls is the most famous and most visited natural attraction in the Pacific Northwest. It is an iconic sight and something you don’t want to miss while visiting Oregon. The lower falls, as well as the Multnomah Falls lodge, which affords a great view of the entire waterfall, are wheelchair-accessible.
3. Explore The Cornucopia Of Exotic Trees And Shrubs At Hoyt Arboretum
Hoyt Arboretum is a unique site that encompasses 190 acres and 12 miles of hiking trails. It is home to over 2,000 rare species of trees and shrubs from all across the world. Hoyt Arboretum is an oasis of fragrant tranquility only minutes from downtown Portland. Several of its trails are wheelchair-accessible.
4. Rummage Through The Rare Volumes At Powell’s Books
Anybody with a passion for reading must visit Powell’s bookstore while in Portland. Powell’s is one of the largest independent bookstores in the world, with a massive selection of secondhand books. You will find rare treasures in Powell’s that you will not find anywhere else on the planet! There are four Powell’s locations in and around Portland, but the best branch to visit is Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W. Burnside St., which has over one million books!
5. Carb Up On Portland’s World-Famous Donuts
Portland has carved out for itself a reputation as the world’s Mecca for donuts. It is said that you have not really tried a donut until you’ve tried one of the unique and scrumptious creations that come out of one of Portland’s many fine donut shops. Voodoo Doughnut is the most iconic donut shop in Portland, but there are other great donut locations in town as well. We recommend Pip’s Original Doughnuts and Chai for a donut experience you’ll want to write home about!
6. Sample The Wares Of Portland’s Craft Beer Breweries
Portland has plenty of great independent craft beer breweries. A great way to sample the best of Portland’s original brews is to take a BREWVAVA tour of Portland’s craft breweries. BREWVANA host accessible tours and have one wheelchair-accessible bus. Just make sure you let them know in advance that you are a wheelchair-user.
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