A spring morning on the McLoughlin Promenade, a scenic walkway along the bluff above downtown Oregon City, with Willamette Falls in the distance. (Jamie Hale/Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)
Between riverside beaches, good restaurants, beautiful trails and one incredible waterfall, Oregon City has more than enough to fill your cup.
Those in the Portland area looking for a quick day trip – say, something far enough to be removed but close enough to be convenient – should look no further than the historic city at the end of the Oregon Trail.
Popularly lauded as the first incorporated U.S. city west of the Rocky Mountains (though Mayor Denyse McGriff will tell you it was the first west of the Missouri River), the town sits at the intersection of the Willamette and Clackamas rivers with a small, historic downtown near the amazing Willamette Falls and a more sprawling section of town on the bluff above the Willamette River.
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While there’s definitely a small-town vibe, its proximity to Portland is clear, especially in the restaurant scene. This is a place where you can find the offshoot of Gabriel Rucker’s famed Canard, and at least one cafe that stocks beans from Deadstock Coffee. That said, you’re more likely to see people populating beloved establishments like Mike’s Drive-In and Ranee’s on Main, where the food is decidedly unfussy.
I have long loved spending the day in Oregon City, taking any opportunity to go there. For years, I took my car to a mechanic in town, often lingering long after the work was done.
This spring, when the sun emerged and the flowers began to bloom, I plotted my return: a daylong exploration of old favorites and new spots around town. If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a travel reporter, it’s that there are always new things to discover.
Coffee and a danish at Black Ink Coffee in downtown Oregon City. (Jamie Hale/Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)
The Oregon City Municipal Elevator is a 130-foot elevator built in 1955 that takes pedestrians to the bluff above the town. (Jamie Hale/Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)
BREAKFAST AND A WALK
The best place to start your day downtown is Black Ink Coffee, a cafe on the southern end of the historic downtown that shares space with White Rabbit Gifts. Portland coffee snobs will be at home here with beans from Deadstock, Proud Mary and Stumptown. On a sunny Thursday morning, I sipped a macchiato at a table with vague “Alice in Wonderland” markings, then slipped out into the beautiful day.
While this part of Oregon City seems designed for walking, those embarking on foot will have to contend with parking: Metered spots downtown have two-hour limits, forcing visitors to return and move their cars. There are a few four-hour and eight-hour spots, as well as one pay lot, but I usually just surrender and organize my day around the meter.
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Not far from Black Ink Coffee is the famed Oregon City Municipal Elevator, a 130-foot free public elevator that takes pedestrians up to the bluff over town (a charming stairway to the top is also available). The elevator opened in 1955, replacing an old hydraulic model that forced people to cross a 35-foot catwalk over the railroad tracks. All this I learned at the top, where a cheerful worker sat at a desk offering information to curious passersby.
The city continues at the top of the elevator, with more shops and restaurants, as well as historic buildings and neighborhoods. A few blocks over, I found The Hive Social, a hip, modern restaurant that serves food all day. In a cozy booth, I sidestepped the pricey Benedicts for an order of the Just Avo Toast and over-easy eggs, with a (surprisingly tall) glass of grapefruit juice that came out to about $20 – good fuel for a morning walk.
Oak trees and green spaces are found along the McLoughlin Promenade. (Jamie Hale/Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)
Willamette Falls, seen from a viewpoint on the side of Oregon 99E in Oregon City. (Jamie Hale/Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)
A mock pharmacy showcases old medicine bottles and other medical devices inside the Museum of the Oregon Territory. (Jamie Hale/Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)
The elevator gives access not only to the upper part of town, but also the McLoughlin Promenade, a half-mile pathway that runs along the edge of the bluff, past beautiful gardens and great views. The promenade comes alive in the spring, with blooming flowers, blue skies and lots of green space to enjoy. For now, this is also the best place outside of a boat to get a look at Willamette Falls, which since time immemorial has been a place for fishing and communal gathering.
As walkers on the promenade can see, Willamette Falls is still surrounded by several old paper mill buildings and hydroelectric powerhouses, some of which are active and some of which are actively being torn down. On the Oregon City side of the river, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde is slowly demolishing those buildings to make room for its tumwata village project. On the other side, the Willamette Falls Inter-Tribal Public Access Project is working on a vision of its own. Both projects promise new, beautiful community spaces, but are expected to take years to complete.
At the end of the McLoughlin Promenade, I crossed a pedestrian bridge over Oregon 99E and walked up to the main Willamette Falls viewpoint on the side of the highway. The view here doesn’t come close to what you’d get on the river, but it’s still a pretty good look.
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Across the street, I popped into the Museum of the Oregon Territory, a small museum run by the Clackamas County Historical Society that had just opened for the day. The $8 admission gave me a self-guided tour of the exhibits, which run from Indigenous history through the industrial era into modern times. This is a nice way to dip your toes into local history; those looking for a more immersive experience can visit the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center on the other side of town, with its historic re-enactors, crafts, games and tours.
The Corner 14 food cart pod is bustling on a weekday afternoon. (Jamie Hale/Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)
People gather along a beach on the Willamette River at Burnside Park in West Linn, with Goat Island in the distance. (Jamie Hale/Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)
WILDFLOWERS AND RIVERSIDES
Back along the promenade, down the elevator and once again downtown, I searched for something to eat. I’ve lunched a lot in Oregon City over the years and have settled on a few favorites: the lefse wraps at Ingrid’s Scandinavian Food, the perfectly-portioned lunch menu at Pho Thi, and the creative, upscale options at Canard.
On this trip, I decided to check out the Corner 14 food carts, across the street from Oregon City Brewing on the north end of downtown. After browsing carts offering Thai, burgers, Mexican and Russian peroshki, I settled on a place called Veggie Bowl, where I devoured a box of rice, quinoa, veggies and nori, flavored with an addictive spicysauce for a reasonable $11. Fueled up once again, I set off for an afternoon exploring the outdoor opportunities around town.
Oregon City has a number of good hiking areas, including Newell Creek Canyon Nature Park, which opened in 2021 with more than four miles of forested trails, and Canemah Bluff Nature Park, a small park with river views.
One of my favorite natural areas here is the Camassia Natural Area, a 26-acre nature preserve just across the Willamette River in West Linn. Camassia is known for its beautiful spring wildflower blooms, which on this day I couldn’t resist. A short loop trail took me through a forest blooming with trillium and Oregon grape, and into meadows where purple camas lilies and pink sea blush flowers were popping. Nestled into a local neighborhood, the preserve has limited parking, so be respectful of neighbors when finding a spot. (Alternately, you can make the one-mile walk from downtown Oregon City, which is along sidewalks most of the way.)
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After the flowers, I drove a few minutes deeper into West Linn to Maddax Woods, a seven-acre park along the Willamette River. Despite what the name suggests, the highlight here is a riverside viewing platform that looks out to Goat Island (another misnomer, as the resident animals are roosting herons). A wooded trail leads a short way uphill and enters Burnside Park, a neighborhood forest that gives access to a shaded river beach. I could have spent the rest of the afternoon on the sand, where the scenery was peaceful despite the rumble of motors from a boat launch across the water. Instead, I marked it down for another time and continued on my journey.
A margherita pizza at Mi Famiglia, a pizza restaurant in downtown Oregon City. (Jamie Hale/Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)
A river intake pump station is an unusual landmark along the Clackamas River Trail. (Jamie Hale/Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)
Somehow hungry again, I stopped at the Mi Famiglia pizzeria in downtown Oregon City, where I downed half a $17 margherita pie, cooked speedily in the wood-fired oven. The day had grown warm, and I found the meal a necessary break from both the sun and from walking. Of course, that didn’t mean I was done exploring.
After visiting the banks of the Willamette River, I was interested to see what the Clackamas River parks had to offer. Back in my car, I drove to the north side of town where I found River Access Park, part of the Clackamas River Trail. Between the noise of nearby Interstate 205 and the disappointingly small river access points, this was no peaceful getaway (though the sunny, accessible picnic areas were tempting). The paved trail is better suited for cycling than walking, and my feet soon tired of the hard surface. I had hoped to spend more time by the Clackamas, but after a quick two-mile out-and-back walk, I had seen enough.
With evening descending and my to-do list complete, I searched for one final stop to put a cherry on the top of my Oregon City day trip. The day before my trip, a colleague who lives in the area gave me a great tip: Mike’s Drive-In, a local burger chain with a spot in the heart of Oregon City, offers soft serve ice cream cones for $1.49. There, I ordered a vanilla-strawberry swirl and grabbed a seat outside, chilled by both the ice cream and the cooling day.
It might have been a little early in the season for days filled with riverside beaches and ice cream cones, but I felt certain this town would soon be buzzing with activity, the community’s many wonderful destinations well enjoyed.
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–Jamie Hale covers travel and the outdoors and co-hosts the Peak Northwest podcast. Reach him at 503-294-4077, jhale@oregonian.com or @HaleJamesB.
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ATLANTA — For the second time in as many seasons, Oregon entered the College Football Playoff with high expectations and exited with a pillar to post thrashing from a conference foe.
In similar fashion to last year’s Rose Bowl rout by Ohio State, No. 1 Indiana had its way with No. 5 Oregon in a CFP semifinal at the Peach Bowl Friday night. By the end of the 56-22 mauling, led by Fernando Mendoza’s five touchdowns, neither the scoreboard nor the box score reflected how lopsided things truly were.
Three Ducks turnovers, including a pick-six by Dante Moore on the opening play of the game, led to 21 first-half points for the Hoosiers (15-0), who led 35-7 at halftime.
“This is going to be a life lesson that a lot of people never get,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “We just got our butt kicked. That’s going to happen in life and not just Dante. Every single person in the locker room, every coach, every person can learn, hey, how do you respond to that.
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“Some people crawl into a hole, don’t face the music. Some people say, okay, let’s figure it out. Let me challenge myself so I can be better. Let me be an example of how you handle moments like this. I think there is a way to handle that.”
One could say the Ducks (13-2) should have learned a similar lesson from the Rose Bowl, but with so many new starters from a year ago that’s not entirely accurate.
This UO team ranked in the top 10 in many statistics all season and was at times even more dominant than last year’s team. But against the best competition its weaknesses showed more than its strength. The Hoosiers (15-0) capitalized on many of those to advance to face Miami in the CFP Championship on Jan. 19.
“They have a great defense, great disguise and different looks, but you can’t win football games if you’re causing turnovers,” said Moore, who was 24 of 39 for 285 yards with two touchdowns but lost 28 yards rushing due to three fumbles. “Something of course I need to work at.”
Moore lost two fumbles, one on a strip sack and another when running back Dierre Hill Jr. ran into the tip of the ball on Moore’s wind up.
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“First play, I still like the play, but it sucked the result,” offensive coordinator Will Stein said. “We had the fumble off the elbow, like, crazy. … We were stopping ourselves, but they’re a really good defense. They are really good and they create takeaways and they don’t mess up.”
Mendoza was 17 of 20 for 177 yards and the five scores, which went to four different IU players.
Named offensive MVP, Mendoza set a Peach Bowl completion percentage record and threw the most touchdowns against Oregon since Cal’s Davis Webb had five in 2016.
“He understands what he’s doing,” Lanning said. “He has great weapons to be able to take advantage of.”
Indiana was 11 of 14 on third down, including nine of its first 10, underscoring one of Oregon’s defensive weaknesses against better teams.
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Defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi called it a “really poor finish” to an “awesome season.”
It’s difficult to take a long view after another promising campaign ends in such brutally demoralizing fashion, though several players tried.
“This is a great program,” said running back Noah Whittington, who was limited due to turf toe. “It’s going to continue to grow. Eventually we’re going to get the job done. Unfortunately it wasn’t today, but down the road we’re going to get ‘em.”
Yet for a second year in a row, albeit once again with several top skill players out due to injury, Oregon was embarrassed on a national stage.
“In this moment,” Lanning said, “you feel like a failure and they’re not. They’re not failures. These guys won a lot of damn ball games. … I also think you can’t discredit that we played well. We’ve played well at times even here in the postseason.”
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Lanning proclaimed Oregon’s season motto “double down,” an expected value proposition in blackjack, which adopted because the program’s process is sound, even if last year’s Rose Bowl ending was not.
In many cases, it worked. But not always, like Friday night. It doesn’t mean that Lanning’s methods won’t pay off in the long run. It does mean the 2025 season ends without the ultimate reward, and in this case, far worse: another playoff blowout loss, which even if it proves again to be against the eventual national champion is still an offseason’s worth of misery to endure.
Adding insult to injury is Mario Cristobal, in his fourth year at Miami, bringing the Hurricanes back to the national championship game for the first time in 23 years.
But Oregon still earned a seat back at the CFP table. Whether Lanning is willing to double down in the same spot, or consider greater changes with two outgoing coordinators, could determine if the Ducks play differently next year.
The second College Football Playoff semifinal game is a can’t-miss Big Ten showdown. We’ve compiled everything you need to know about where to watch the Peach Bowl, including live streaming options for cord-cutters.
The No. 5 Oregon Ducks will take on the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl. With the Ohio State Buckeyes, a Big Ten powerhouse and the reigning National Champions, out of the picture after a shock quarterfinal elimination, the Ducks and Hoosiers both have a shot at making it to the championship. Oregon has had a tremendous season, going 13-1 and shutting out Texas Tech in the quarterfinals. Their only fumble this season was Indiana (a 30-20 Hoosiers victory in October), which went undefeated (14-0) and walloped Alabama 38-3 in the quarterfinals. It’s safe to say that it’s anyone’s game, and only time will tell which of the two teams will earn a spot at the National Championship.
If you’re hoping to tune in, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading to learn some of the best live streaming options below. The services we’ve highlighted will also allow you to live stream the National Championship on January 19.
What channel is the Peach Bowl on?
Like the rest of the CFP, the Peach Bowl will air on ESPN in the US. The Oregon vs. Indiana game is scheduled to kick off on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, but the network’s college football coverage will begin at 6 p.m.
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Where to watch the Peach Bowl in the US
If you don’t have cable, you don’t need to worry about missing out on any of the action. There are several ways to live stream ESPN, including ESPN Unlimited, the network’s direct streaming counterpart. At $30 a month, ESPN Unlimited unlocks total access to all things ESPN, including live streams from the flagship network and other properties, like ESPN2, the ACC Network, and SEC Network.
ESPN Unlimited
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ESPN Unlimited has everything from ESPN Plus, in addition to all that the ESPN linear networks have to offer.
If you’d prefer a service with a free trial and other channels beyond those in the ESPN family, DirecTV and Fubo are two of our top live TV recommendations. DirecTV offers ESPN in all of its Signature packages, but you can save some money if you’re only interested in sports by subscribing to the DirecTV MySports genre pack. Subscriptions cost $70 a month, but there’s a five-day free trial for new customers. MySports also unlocks ESPN Unlimited access.
DirecTV MySports
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DirecTV’s MySports pack carries popular sports channels, from mainstays like ESPN to niche offerings like the ACC Network.
Fubo is another top sports-centric streaming service. You can get ESPN and around 28 other channels through Fubo’s Sports + News pack, in addition to ESPN Unlimited access. Subscriptions start at $56 a month, but new users can get a five-day free trial and a $10 off first-month discount.
Fubo Sports + News
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The new Fubo Sports + News pack is only available in select areas. It combines 20+ major sports channels (including the new ESPN Unlimited) and select local networks (ABC, CBS, and FOX).
Where to watch the Peach Bowl in the UK
In the UK, College Football Playoff games (including the Peach Bowl) are available through DAZN. Subscription prices vary by plan, but most college football games this season were available for free in the UK (as long as you create an account). DAZN will also live stream the National Championship later this month.
How to watch the Peach Bowl from anywhere
If you’re traveling away from home, you can still keep up with your usual streaming options with the aid of a VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs are cybersecurity tools that enable people to change their devices’ virtual location. This way, their go-to websites and apps work from anywhere, just like they would back home. VPNs are also popular methods for enhancing online privacy and security.
NordVPN is our No. 1 recommendation right now. It’s a top-rated option with tons of features, servers, and a hassle-free 30-day money-back guarantee, so it’s no sweat if you find that it’s not what you’re looking for. Our official NordVPN review breaks down everything else you might need to know about the app.
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NordVPN Plan
NordVPN is one of the top VPN services in the business. It offers excellent value with a strong selection of features and a low monthly price. A wide selection of international servers, high-end security, fast connections, and audited privacy protection have made the brand a household name in the world of VPNs.
Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Business Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.
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Lillian Brown
Senior Associate Editor of Streaming
Lillian Brown is the Senior Associate Editor of Streaming at Business Insider. A lifelong entertainment and media buff, she specializes in helping you find how to watch your favorite shows, movies, and sporting events.ExperienceLillian has been writing about entertainment, sports, TV, and film for over six years, starting her career in the Living/Arts department of The Boston Globe. She went on to write entertainment features, roundups, and conduct celebrity interviews for publications like Vulture, TV Guide, Esquire, Time, and The Daily Beast before joining Business Insider as a streaming specialist on the Reviews team.In her current role, she writes about everything from finding the right VPN for watching overseas soccer games to choosing between the endless number of streaming services out there. When she’s not writing, she is editing stories from freelancers or fellow Reviews team members. Lillian is also an expert deal hunter. She loves the thrill of sharing an amazing discount with readers, whether it be on her favorite streaming services or on products she knows our team loves and recommends. She plays an active role in writing about sales and deals for the Reviews team.Why you can trust LillianWhether she’s testing streaming platform interfaces or actively comparing channel offerings between services, Lillian always has her finger on the pulse of what’s new in entertainment. She has tested nearly every streaming service and is an expert when it comes to VPNs. She is the first person to know when a streaming service has changed its price, and whether or not it’s still worth paying for. As a sports fan, she also knows exactly where the next big playoff game is streaming, what time it starts, and where they’re playing. Expertise
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Oregon officials are opening an investigation into a shooting by federal agents in Portland that left a married couple wounded and sparked renewed outrage in the city over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown there and across the US.
The shooting inflamed tensions a day after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, prompting protests and condemnation from state and city officials there.
Following Wednesday’s killing, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told agents to “get the fuck out” of the city. Oregon state Sen. Kayse Jama took a similar tone during a news conference after the Portland shooting, telling ICE agents to “get the hell out of our community.”
The Portland shooting unfolded Thursday afternoon as US Border Patrol agents were conducting a “targeted vehicle stop” and one of the agents “fired defensive shots” after the driver tried to run the agents over, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene,” she added.
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No agents were injured in the shooting, a federal law enforcement source told CNN.
McLaughlin said the driver and passenger are believed to be linked to Tren de Aragua, the notorious Venezuelan gang President Donald Trump has long targeted amid accusations of drug trafficking, murder and other violence, though she did not provide evidence.
Portland Police Chief Bob Day said local officers weren’t involved in the incident, but responded to reports of a shooting involving federal agents just after 2:15 p.m. Thursday.
Minutes later, police received a call from a different location from a man who said he’d been shot by federal officers and was requesting help, according to Day and dispatch audio.
When officers arrived, they found a man and a woman with gunshot wounds and emergency responders transported them to a hospital, Day said. The conditions of the patients weren’t known Thursday night, he added.
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The chief said his department didn’t know if the vehicle involved in the shooting had been weaponized against the agents.
The two people who were shot are married, a senior law enforcement told CNN.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson linked Thursday’s shooting to the killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, the circumstances of which has been disputed by federal and local officials. Wilson said he had spoken to the Minneapolis mayor earlier in the day to offer condolences and called Good’s death “entirely preventable” in a statement Thursday morning.
Hours after the mayors spoke, Wilson was similarly casting doubt on the Trump administration’s characterization of what took place in Portland.
“We know what the federal government says happened here. There was a time when we could take them at their word. That time has long passed,” he said.
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Wilson called for ICE to halt all operations in Portland until an investigation can take place.
“Portland is not a training ground for militarized agents,” Wilson said. “When the administration talks about using full force, we are seeing what it means on our streets.”
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced late Thursday the state will open an investigation into the shooting, saying officials “have been clear about our concerns with excessive use of force by federal agents in Portland and nationally.”
“The investigation will look into whether any federal officer acted outside the scope of their lawful authority and will include witness interviews, video evidence, and other relevant materials,” Rayfield said.
On the federal government side, the FBI said it is investigating an “assault” on two CBP agents. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is assisting the FBI, it said.
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Trump has frequently taken aim at Portland, depicting the liberal city as a crime-riddled war zone and falsely claiming on several occasions that it is “burning to the ground.”
The White House was locked in a months-long battle with city and state officials over the administration’s controversial deployment of National Guard troops to the city, which was blocked by a federal judge. City officials have argued Trump’s incendiary remarks and troop deployments have inflamed violence in the city, which has been rocked by frequent protests over immigration enforcement.
Multnomah County, which includes part of Portland, voted Thursday to extend an emergency declaration in response to ICE’s continued presence in the area, County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said.
The declaration was originally issued in December “in response to ongoing impacts from federal immigration enforcement,” Vega Pederson said at the time.
“Multnomah County will not stand by as federal governments attack our neighbors,” she said Thursday.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/advancelocal/VDG5QICFUFBIRC5HXCQAPIQ3JI.jpg?ssl=1 "Oregon City is a perfect day trip destination, with rivers, restaurants and trails to explore")
