A Budget-Friendly Trip to Portland
Planning a trip out Northwest? You absolutely must visit Portland, Oregon! No, you won’t be able to park your RV in the city, but there are plenty of places to camp outside of the hustle and bustle and take a budget friendly trip to Portland. You have no excuse not to check it out.
When we went to Portland ourselves, we were definitely on a tight budget. Because of this, I did a lot of research on Portland day trip options that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. What I found were plenty of cheap and even free things to do in Portland as an RVer, as well as some inexpensive food and free RV camping near Portland.
In this article you will find the best of those offerings, so you can plan an epic day trip in Portland without breaking the bank.
Free Things to Do in Portland
First, let’s talk about some of the best inexpensive and free things to do in Portland. We should let you know off the bat that there are a LOT of them. In fact, there are so many great cheap things to do in Portland that you might even find you need to take two Portland day trips so you can see and do it all!
Of course there are state parks and plenty of opportunities for hiking and fishing around the state. Here are other less obvious options.
If you’re looking to experience an awesome day trip to Portland on the cheap, you will definitely want to pick and choose what you do from this list below.
Wander the Rose Garden
The first thing we did after arriving in Portland was head to the Portland International Rose Test Garden. This is definitely one of the best free things to do in Portland.
The garden is full of roses of all colors and sizes, and it is absolutely lovely. It smells amazing too, and it’s so fun to walk along the little paths and marvel at the many varieties of roses. My kids also really appreciated the stairs in the garden, which they had a blast repeatedly climbing up before sliding down the smooth edge of the stairway. (They can make anything into a playground, it’s their talent.)
Shop Portland Saturday Market
I’ll admit that we did not visit Portland on a Saturday (we usually try to avoid weekends in order to avoid big crowds). This was unfortunate because it meant we missed out on the Portland Saturday Market.
Checking out this market is totally free, and it’s considered the place to go for fun and interesting souvenirs. There are also a lot of great people-watching opportunities at the market, making it a great way to get a feel for the vibe of the city.
Visit Powell’s City of Books
If you’re a book nerd, Powell’s City of Books is a must-see place. This has to be the biggest bookstore I’ve ever been in—you could easily get lost as you explore all the rooms, floors, and walking paths of this place—and it claims (rightfully, in my opinion) to be the world’s largest independent bookstore. Grab a map when you get inside, you’ll need it.
There are books on every possible subject and for every age level, and they’re all nicely organized between nine color-coded rooms. There is also a Rare Book Room that is only open for limited hours during the weekend. We didn’t get to see that part, but it was still well worth a visit. In fact, the kids didn’t want to leave!
Play in a Fountain
Portland is home to a few different fountains that kids are welcome to play in. This is absolutely perfect on a hot summer day, and the kids couldn’t have been more excited when we stumbled upon the kid-friendly fountain in Jamison Square. They wasted no time at all getting wet and having a blast in the water while dad went to pick up some ice cream.
Another great fountain can be found in Keller Fountain Park. This is actually more of a waterfall than anything else, and kids and adults alike enjoy using it to get their feet wet when the weather gets too warm.
Explore Forest Park
Forest Park is an absolutely beautiful urban oasis. It offers 5,200 acres of trees, trails, and opportunities for outdoor recreation, and is another one of the best free things to do in Portland.
Make sure to make a stop at Forest Park during your Portland day trip. Once you arrive at the park, park in the Upper Macleay parking lot near the Audubon Society. From there, hike downhill for about half a mile, following signs for the “Stone House”. This will lead you to the Stone House, or what locals refer to as the Witch’s Castle.
Whichever name you call it, the structure has a pretty interesting history, which you can read about here.
Check Out Local Art
One of the things that makes Portland such a cool city is the art that can be found around every corner. Yes, the arts community is alive and well in Portland, and this means there are plenty of pieces of art to admire throughout the city.
Even just walking the city will give you an opportunity to admire a fair number of beautiful and interesting murals. That said, if you want even more art, try attending the First Thursday Art Walk or the Last Thursday on Alberta. Both are great events that showcase lots of local art.
Gaze at Multnomah Falls
We actually visited Multnomah Falls separately from our day trip in Portland. The falls are located outside of the city, and it felt like a lot to cram into one day, so we split it—and I’m so glad we did. We spent a good while hiking the area around the falls, and we wouldn’t have been able to do that if we had added it to our Portland day trip.
This awesome waterfall is located in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, and it is the most visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest.
Hike Hoyt Arboretum
Another one of the many things to do in Portland for free is visit the Hoyt Arboretum. This beautiful garden is another city oasis that is perfect for escaping the hustle and bustle of the city.
Hoyt Arboretum covers 190 acres and features 12 miles of gorgeous hiking trails. As you explore these trails, you will have the opportunity to see 2,300 different species of trees and shrubs from all around the world.
Admire the View from Pittock Mansion
While it does cost money to tour the beautiful historic Pittock Mansion, it does not cost a single cent to explore the grounds and admire the house from the outside. The house is set on a hilltop with an incredible view of the city, and if you happen to visit on a clear day, you can even see the mountains in the background.
Trust me, you will definitely want a camera for this one!
Cheap And Delicious Eats Around Portland
Now that you know all the best cheap and free things to do in Portland, let’s talk about what to eat. There are tons of amazing eateries in the city, but as you might expect in any metropolitan area, many of them are pretty pricey, meaning you have to sift through many options to find the most affordable food.
Below are our top picks for cheap food in Portland.
¿Por Qué No?
This hip taqueria is where we had lunch on our day trip to Portland. It was absolutely delicious and even the kids loved it. It was also surprisingly affordable. We sat outside under the shade offered there—something I totally recommend doing if the weather is nice, as it definitely added to the whole experience for us.
Cool Moon Ice Cream
I mentioned above that my husband went to get us ice cream while the kids played in the fountain we stumbled on. The place he ended up at was Cool Moon Ice Cream, just down the road from Jamison Square (though they have more than one location).
Let me tell you, I am an ice cream fanatic from way back, and I have tried a lot of different ice cream spots in our travels around the country. When I say that this was one of the better ones I’ve come across, you better believe it.
Basilisk
We didn’t actually get a chance to dine at Basilisk. That said, it is absolutely on our list to try next time. This restaurant serves up enormous chicken sandwiches that people seem to love. At $11 a pop, these sandwiches are totally affordable, and they look large enough that my son and I could share one, making this an even more affordable place to eat in Portland.
Cheap and Free Camping Near Portland
The least expensive lodging options near Portland are definitely campgrounds. For this reason, we absolutely recommend doing some Portland RV camping when visiting the city on the cheap. Also know where the dump stations are located around the state.
Because we are members of the Thousand Trails membership camping club, we camped at Mt. Hood Village RV Resort about an hour outside of Portland. That said, this likely isn’t the best option for those who aren’t members of Thousand Trails.
Here are a few other great places to find cheap and free camping near Portland, Oregon:
Rock Creek Campground
Distance from Portland: 1 hour
Located across the border and run by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Rock Creek Campground is located in Yacolt Burn State Forest. It is free to those with the Washington Discover Pass, and you must have this pass to use the campground at all. The campground features sites large enough for a 27-foot RV.
While there are no hookups available, the sites are spacious, there are pit toilets and a non-potable water spigot available, and there are trails nearby.
Cold Creek Campground
Distance from Portland: 1 hour
Cold Creek Campground is another DNR campground in Yacolt State Forest. Once again, campers are required to have the Washington Discover pass, and once again, there are no camping fees to stay here. This campground can accommodate RVs up to 25 feet in length. There are picnic tables, a shelter, and a vault toilet available for guest use.
Oxbow Regional Park
Distance from Portland: 40 minutes
Prefer to be able to make campsite reservations? If so, Oxbow Regional Park might be a good budget-friendly option for you. This park costs $25 a night and the sites can accommodate a big rig. There are free hot water showers, flush toilets, picnic tables, grills, and several other handy amenities offered to guests at this park.
There you have it, everything you need to know to find cheap or free camping near Portland, Oregon and enjoy a Portland day trip or two. With this information you’ll be able to have your Portland getaway and still have money left over to see some of the other amazing things in the Pacific Northwest!
Why not book your RV rental today so you can head out as soon as possible?
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