Hi PNWNP...I'm headed to the West Coast....need some ideas!

Hello to everyone on the west coast. I'm RMNP poster but will be heading to Portland in the beginning of March. I only am spending 1 night in Portland and want to get out to shoot for the rest of my 4 days. The two things I want to see (I have never been to the West Coast!!) are some nice lush coastal forest with waterfalls \and what not. And some nice rocky "Oregon" coast. I don't know what the weather is like on the Coast in March, or in the mountains...but if you have any ideas within a few hours of Portland, I'd love to get some ideas to look into. Thanks!

Jonj,

I'll leave the answers to the locals.... but be careful... you may not leave!
JG

Jon,
I would suggest the Columbia River Gorge senic highway which starts about a half hour east of Portland. There is a vast network of trails with waterfalls,streams and viewpoints that are easy to get to. Though these areas have men shot extensively by us PNWer's they would be nice to have in your portfolio. As for the weather, it's real unpredictable that time of year. Usually it's kind of rainy. The Gorge starts getting green around mid April.

Is one of the waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge that gorgeous waterfall with the red bridge underneath it?

I'm not sure I know of a red bridge near a waterfall in the gorge. I could be mistaken though I know the gorge like my own backyard.

Here is the a shot of the falls I'm referring to.

http://www.srosenberg.com/Website7/images/falls_13.jpg

(An amazing photo from a RMNP guy!)


Also, How far is Ramona falls from Portland? And how is that area during early March (snow? wet? cold? )

That's Elowah Falls, just past the end of the Historic Highway, but that bridge is most definitely not red. I wonder what kind of film that picture was shot on?
Anyway, directions here:
http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/waterfall.php?num=1374&p=0

Ramona Falls is currently not accessible because the approach to the bridge that led to the trailhead got wiped out during the floods last November. If you can find a way across the river, you probably won't encounter more than a foot of snow, but it'll be about a 5 1/2 mile hike, one way, and I would expect all the footbridges over the Sandy River to be out too.

Oh wow, I had no idea that area gets covered in snow...I always thought the Pacific Northwest was sorta like a rainforest.

Ramona is much closer to Mount Hood, the gorge won't present any problems with snow (I hope)..... I'd suggest the 1 mile hike to Wyclella falls - it's a very beautiful walk and a nice waterfall to shoot. The Eagle Creek trail is a great workout and you walk past 3 or 4 waterfalls. If you take the trail down to lower punchbowl, you can walk upstream a little, and then wade into the water for shots of Punchbowl Falls ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/32744658@N00/355194627/in/set-72157594368471562/ ) You are still a little early for the gorge to change from it's winter greens into the summer greens you see lots of photos of. Make sure you are ready for some walking - the gorge trails will wear you out in a good way

A couple of my favorite beaches would be Oceanside Beach near Tillimook ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/32744658@N00/357954848/in/set-72157594368471562/ ) and Ecola State Beach ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/32744658@N00/331616297/in/set-72157594368471562/ ) which is 4 miles N of Cannon Beach. Check tide tables since Low Tide will let you have access to some of the rocky areas that are not as easy to get close to when high tide is in.

Hope you have good weather for your trip.

thanks for the suggestions! Anything else would be great! Thanks!

There are enclaves of rain forest in the Coast Range but you have to know where you're going. The nice thing about these little pockets of wildness is you can visit them on your way to the coast. That's where you'll find the m ost luxuriant rain forest...

For the coast, take a look at this book

>> Oh wow, I had no idea that area gets covered in snow...I always thought the Pacific Northwest was sorta like a rainforest.

Oh it is a rainforest, its just a rainforest with mountains growing out of it.
The Rockies might technically be taller, but most of the Cascades are infinitely more dramatic (especially once you're north of Interstate 90 in Washington - the volcanoes aside).

so the rainforests are at low elevation and then it gets snow above that? on the same mountains? That sound incredible.

It IS incredible. But don't tell anyone else about this when you go back.
Welcome to our part of the world. Hope you have a wonderful time.