Oregon Facts, part VII
We finish up the 7-part series on Oregon tid-bits today! I hope that you’ve enjoyed it all!
The End of the Oregon Train Interpretive Center commemorates the journey of more than 300,000 people. They traveled from Missouri to Oregon in the 1800s in search of land for homesteading.
Visitors can experience a small section of the 2,000-mile Oregon Trail near where the original route crossed the Snake River.
Hells Canyon on the Snake River is the deepest river-carved gorge in the country, varying from 5,600 to over 8,000 feet deep. Other gorges of this size were carved by glaciers.
Oregon offers thousands of hiking trails. Some in John Yeon State Park, are short strolls. More experienced hikers can tackle the Pacific Crest Trail or climb up Mount Hood.
About 200 crops, from wheat to peppermint, are grown in Oregon – more than almost any other state.
The Pendleton Round-up has been attracting audiences since its inception in 1910. The September celebration now draws 45,000 spectators a year to its rodeo, parade, cowboy breakfast, and other wild west events.
The high desert plateau of Central Oregon, near Bend, is traditionally the stomping grounds of cowboys and ranch hands. The region is growing steadily more popular, however, as a base for skiing, golfing, rafting, and horseback riding.
The Painted Hills Unit of John Day Fossil Bed National Monument is one of the state’s most photographed places.
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument includes three areas totaling 14,000 acres of richly recorded history. Ancient volcanic soil has preserved the fossils of creatures from up to 45 million years ago, when this area was a lush, subtropical region.
There is a natural stone amphitheater in the John Day Fossil Beds.
One of North America’s most famous rock climbing destinations is Smith Rocks State Park. It boasts thousands of climbing routes along with an extensive network of hiking and biking trails.
Forty-eight covered bridges remain in Oregon, most in the Willamette Valley. Now quaint tourist attractions, the roofs were originally built to protect the wooden decks from the rain.
More than 3 million people live in Oregon, but very few live east of the Cascades. In fact, some of the states agricultural regions are home to more cattle than people!
About 7.5 million fruit trees are grown on 47,500 acres of Oregon’s farmland. Pears are the most common fruit tree. Cherries are the second most popular, grown on almost 12,000 acres.
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