One of the things that my wife and I always look forward to doing each year is taking our kids out on little adventures during the fall. The cool crispness of the air wafting in our open bedroom windows early in the morning always brings feelings of excitement. For us, the changing of the seasons from summer to fall always brings cozy morning breakfasts, warm drinks, and plenty of time to explore the outdoors. The cooling temperatures make it so comfortable to be outside (not to mention the bugs aren’t as bad as they are during the summer!). If you’re like us and love experiencing all of the wonders that fall brings, you’ll want to keep on reading because we want to share with you our favorite things to do with our kids in Oregon in the fall. Let’s get started!

Take a Stroll Through Hoyt Arboretum

Hoyt Arboretum is one of our favorite places to go with the kids. While it’s a great spot to go for a short hike in the summer, the changing colors of the leaves give the arboretum a new life, so it’s like exploring somewhere brand new with the changing seasons! The brilliant colors of yellows, reds, and oranges never fail to delight our kids. When we have plenty of time, we like going on a big loop hike through the park. Take the Overlook trail to start, hop on the Wildwood trail, then to Hawthorn, then to Maple, back onto Wildwood, and finish the loop with the Holly trail for a solid 2-hour long stroll through some of the most diverse and beautiful forests in Oregon!

Visit Bushue’s Family Farm to Pick Pumpkins

One of our kids’ favorite things to do in the fall is to go pumpkin picking at Bushue’s Family Farm! Whenever we visit Portland in October, we make it a point to make the short 30-minute drive down I-84 to Boring. Our kids get so excited when we get close to the farm because they can start to see the fields overflowing with ripe, round orange pumpkins! The pumpkin patch will open up on September 28, so make sure to mark your calendar so you can be sure to get the biggest and best pumpkins this year! 

Apple Picking at Kiyokawa Orchards

Another family classic adventure we go on with the kiddos is piling in the car to drive to Parkdale, Oregon, to go apple picking at Kiyokawa Orchards. They’ve got over 150 different varieties of apples to choose from! The staff is also incredibly helpful in suggesting apples that are best for eating, making into ciders, and my wife’s personal favorite apple pies. And if you’re running short on time and can’t go into the orchards to pick the apples yourself, Kiyokawa Orchards has a storefront where you can purchase your apples. 

Go Ziplining with High Life Adventures

Something we tried doing last year that is going to be a fall staple for our family is taking a zipline tour with High Life Adventures. Our 6-year-old loves doing adventurous things, so we were thrilled when he met the 60 lbs. requirement to be able to go on his own. We booked the 2.5-hour long tour and were so impressed with the scenery as well as the knowledgeable tour our guides gave us! High Life Adventures is located a short 15-minute drive outside of Astoria, so getting there was a breeze when we visited the Oregon coast (which is also incredibly magical in the fall!).

Final Thoughts

Exploring Oregon in the fall with our kids is one of our favorite things to do. The memories that we make while hiking through some of the most gorgeous areas or while taking home fresh, ripe apples to make into pies and ciders are some of the best we make over the course of the year. Be sure to bring plenty of layers to keep your kiddos warm because nothing has stopped one of our trips faster than when our kids start feeling cold! And always be sure to have a thermos full of something hot to drink. It just makes the experience that much more special!