Admit it, you're always looking for the next best place to take a picture of your beautiful bike for Instagram or Facebook.
But ya know, you can only take photos at the same place so many times before you've covered every angle, so here are my tips for you on some great places to take photos of your bike in Portland, OR.
In the Portland Metro Area
See See's Motorcycle Coffee - Iconic Portland Motorcycle Destination
Two Stroke Coffee, St. Johns
Cathedral Park - One of the most picturesque photo ops in Portland.
Hoyt Arboretum
Mount Tabor
Powell Butte Nature Park
SE Cresthill Rd, Happy Valley - Great view of MT Hood from an empty lot between houses.
Mount Calvary Cemetery
Train Tracks in Oregon City
Kelly Point Park
Outside of the City
Hwy 224 , Clackamas River South of Estacada
Cape Horn Overlook
Women’s Forum Historic Columbia Hwy
Vista House
Rowena Crest
Sauvie Island
Off the Beaten Path
Note: Most of these suggestions are rough dirt roads. I do not advise those with little to no off-road experience to visit these locations alone. Always have tools necessary to make minor repairs to your vehicle, a first aid kit, a paper map or gps unit, and some way to communicate if you do not have service in an emergency. Use your best judgement when assessing the difficulty level of any OHV tracks.
1. Olallie Lake
Fantastic view of the lake with Mt Jefferson in the background.
Note: NF-4220 is a rough dirt road.
2. The Tillamook Forest
Head up almost any Forest Service road in the Tillamook Forest and you can find some incredible views and ideal locations for photos.
A few places I recommend starting from: Browns Camp OHV area, Diamond Mill OHV & Diamond Mill Rd.
3. Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Similarly with the Tillamook Forest, these National Forests have a maze of Forest Service roads that offer some really amazing views if you do a little bit of exploring.
I suggest starting with NF-417 and find your way up onto a ridge.
4. Mt. Hood National Forest
Particularly Lolo Pass will give you a fantastic open view of Mt Hood. Very Majestic for bike photos!
Day Trip from Portland
1) Shaniko
A fun ghost town in Central Oregon. Make sure you bring a lunch and enjoy the scenery before heading back to Portland. There is no longer a working gas station so plan accordingly!
2) Pacific City
Where you can ride on the beach! Be cautious and know that riding on loose sand can be real tricky. Plan to go with a buddy so you can pick up each other's bikes and get out of any stick situations you find yourselves in.
3) Maryhill Stonehenge War Memorial
Be warned that there are no services or water at Stonehenge. The road to Maryhill is paved but the parking lot is dirt and gravel.