OREGON FOOD TRAILS

Local agriculture and authentic cuisine are the distinctions along Oregon’s food trails, highlighting farmers, fishers, chefs and artisans. Use these self-guided routes to explore each region and discover its freshest, finest flavors.

Wild Rivers Coast Food Trail

The briny treasures of the Pacific — Dungeness crab, Oregon bay shrimp, oysters, mussels and more — are the undeniable culinary stars along Oregon’s South Coast. Crops thrive in the mild maritime climate, too. As you wander up and down the Coast, farm stands and local chefs invite you to savor each season’s offerings. And the stunning scenery along this route? That’s a treat for all the senses.

While the fishing fleets from Charleston and Winchester Bay head out to sea in search of the day’s fresh catch, Umpqua Aquaculture grows oysters from seed, suspended along lines in the clean, cool waters of Winchester Bay. The Wildflour Public House in North Bend makes a simple and sublime fish and chips with fresh cod; in Coos Bay, Shark Bites Café serves up local oysters and fish tacos. With its wild dunes and rocky sea stacks, Bandon is a great spot to explore the beach. Pick up picnic supplies at Farm & Sea or grab lunch at Tony’s Crab Shack along the wharf.

Bandon to Port Orford is a sweet spot for berry crops. Plump and juicy blueberries hang heavy on shrubs in summer at Twin Creek Ranch, Valentine Blueberries and Jensen Blueberries. Pick a bucketful or buy a few pints at their farm stands. Oregon is a top producer of cranberries, a food native to North America and a traditional dish for holiday meals. Bowman Bogs and Peters’ Cranberries sell the tart berries and cranberry products.

Port Orford is an exceptionally scenic spot to watch the activity of a working waterfront. In the late afternoon, the commercial fishing fleet unloads the cod, crab and rockfish that just might show up on the evening menu at nearby Redfish, or at Barnacle Bistro in Gold Beach. At the end of the day, toast the striking vistas of the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor with a seasonal craft beer from Chetco Brewing Company in Brookings.

Rogue Valley Food Trail

Near Grants Pass in Southern Oregon, the land rumples into crooked valleys of the Rogue and Applegate rivers, where country roads wander casually past herb farms, dairies, orchards and wineries. The serene setting belies a busy hive of activity, with artisan food makers crafting cheeses, chocolates and other savory treats. In other words, pack a cooler and a picnic basket for this tour, because you’ll find plenty of local goodies to pick up along the way.

Harry & David was an early adopter; the large online retailer of specialty food gifts began nearly a century ago in Medford, where you can visit its flagship store. You can’t go wrong starting a Saturday at the Grants Pass Growers Market, a hub for just-picked produce and fresh-baked goods. Then head for the fields at Fort Vannoy Farms, which delights children each fall with a corn maze and pumpkins growing fat in the autumn sun. Nearby Daily Blessings Farm cultivates organic produce and teaches hands-on classes about growing seeds and composting with worms.

Fields of fragrant lavender and other botanical herbs await in the Applegate Valley in summer. Pick your own blooms and find essential oils at the English Lavender Farm and Lavender Fields Forever. A farmer and an herbalist are the husband-wife team that founded Oshala Farm, which grows a variety of organic medicinal and culinary herbs sold to wholesalers and made into dozens of products available on its website. Rows of wine grapes climb up the valley’s steep hillsides, where many different microclimates allow local vintners to grow more than 70 grape varietals. Discover your favorites and enjoy the bucolic views at Wooldridge Creek Winery and Troon Vineyard.

In Central Point, Rogue Creamery credits the local glacial waters and grass-fed dairy cows for fine cheeses like its buttery, tangy Bluehorn blue cheese — a super-gold winner at the 2022 World Cheese Awards. Next door Lillie Belle Farms applies the same careful precision to its handcrafted chocolates, roasting heirloom cocoa beans and transforming them into rich and intense confections that beckon like little jewels in its display case. In Talent whiskey gets the artisan touch at Pioneer Whisky, where spirits are handcrafted “grain to glass.”

Mid-Willamette Valley Food Trail

Mineral-rich soils, a mild climate and talented winemakers put the Willamette Valley on the map in the late 1970s. Today it ranks among the top wine-producing regions in the world, home to hundreds of wineries that welcome you to their tasting rooms. While the secret is definitely out on its pinot noir, plenty of other talented food producers are also coaxing great things from the soils of the midWillamette. Come for the pinot; stay for the berries, hazelnuts and scenic views.

Attractions along this trail radiate out like spokes on a wheel from Corvallis. This lively college town is home to Oregon State University, a leader in agriculture research and education. Check out the regional bounty at the Corvallis Farmers’ Market on the downtown riverfront. Hiatt Farm is another tasty place to start your day, where fresh-baked sweet rolls come warm from the oven while you enjoy an espresso on the patio. If it’s summer, put picking berries next on your fun-to-do list at Kiger Island Blues for blueberries and Fairfield Farm for strawberries.

Stretch your legs with a stroll through the hazelnut orchards at Tyee Wine

Cellars and Buchanan Family Century Farm, followed up with a wine tasting in the parlor. Happy hour takes on a new meaning at nearby No Regrets Farm, which offers goat yoga and other experiences with their friendly therapy goats. A true farm-to-table experience awaits in Philomath, where the restaurant at Gathering

Together Farm blends European peasant cuisine with Pacific Northwest flair on its menu, featuring its own organic produce and homemade breads.

Early agricultural practices are on display at Thompson’s Mills, where Oregon’s oldest grain mill stands alongside the Calapooia River. Now a state heritage site, the still-functioning mill has guided tours available to explain its workings. Timehonored skills are also at work at Iron Water Ranch, where frolicking sheep produce the raw fleece and beautiful wool yarns for sale. Newborn lambs and the farm’s sassy herding dogs are always a hit with visitors.