12 New Things to Try in Eugene, Cascades & Coast in 2026

1. Dine at a New Restaurant

Skip ordering your usual favorite dish and try a different cuisine or a new restaurant. Many recently opened culinary hotspots promise flavor-filled adventure!

Start your day by pairing churro waffles or Mexican flan with warm, handcrafted beverages at Eugene’s Xocolate Coffee Co. For an elegant dinner, make a reservation at Domek in Eugene; the bistro serves a seasonally rotating lineup of Eastern European-inspired fare prepared with truffles, Oregon bay shrimp, wild trout and other Pacific Northwest ingredients. At the coast, the airy Rambling Rose delivers an upscale seafood experience in Historic Old Town Florence.

2. Hike a New Trail

Our region is robust with popular hikes but there are many lesser known trails perfect for quiet forest bathing and new adventures.

Enjoy natural beauty right in town along the five-mile (8-km) West Eugene Wetlands Hike, where cottonwood groves, open meadows and stands of oak thrive in the midst of the city. Just outside Florence, the 4.3-mile (3.67-km) Sutton Creek Loop Hike ventures through thickets of vegetation and a forest of regal Sitka spruce at the northernmost edge of the Oregon dunes.

If you’re hankering for a classic outing, put a new spin on a beloved trail. The 2.6-mile (1.97-km) Sahalie and Koosah Falls Loop Hike passes two waterfalls on the McKenzie River and is rightfully popular, especially in summer. Plan a spring trip, though, and you’ll enjoy more elbow room at the viewpoints and see the waterfalls at their thundering peak; in mid-October, you’ll have the trail’s colorful foliage displays all to yourself. 

3. Experience the Outdoors in a New Way

Knowledgeable guides make it easy to try new sports, learn new skills and discover new places — like a pro!

Test your balance sandboarding (basically surfing on curvy dunes) at Sand Master Park near Florence. Along the McKenzie River, Helfrich River Outfitter leads day-long fishing trips in McKenzie River drift boats designed exclusively for the crystal-clear waterway. If you’d like to paddle the McKenzie’s whitewater rapids, sign up for a rafting trip through Horse Creek Outfitters. Around Oakridge, local outfitter Cog Wild offers shuttles and guided rides on some of the area's top mountain biking trails. For fast-paced fun, take a small-group ride on the McKenzie River via Scenic Jet Boat Tours.

4. Root for a New Team or Athlete

Football fan? Try baseball. Track & Field fan? Check out ice hockey. Scout for the next big star! Every summer, the Springfield Drifters take the field in the West Coast League, made up of college students hoping to improve their game and catch the eye of professional scouts. In July, some of the world's top track-and-field stars descend on Hayward Field for the Prefontaine Classic. If you’d like to support the MVPs of tomorrow, attend a softball, women’s volleyball or baseball game at the University of Oregon. 

5. Find a New Favorite Theater

Discover the delightful intimacy of a small venue, the ease of an inclusive remodel or the talent of the local community by checking out a show at a different theater.

In downtown, the John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts (affectionately known as The Shedd) hosts a mix of live music, cabaret, theater and more. A few blocks away, the historic McDonald Theatre has been open since 1925 and today hosts a mix of popular musicians and stand-up comedians. Elsewhere in Eugene, Very Little Theatre has been putting on productions since 1929 and is today one of the nation's most successful community theatre companies. In Cottage Grove, the long-running Cottage Theatre hosts community-theater productions of classic plays, less heralded works, musicals and more.

6. Stay Somewhere New

Check into a new experience with a first time visit to a one-of-a-kind lodging property.

If you’re planning a coastal getaway, the Florentine Waterfront Hotel rents stylish cabins on the shores of Siltcoos Lake, while the River House Inn sits on the banks of the Siuslaw River in Historic Old Town Florence. Around Eugene, The Gordon Hotel hosts a variety of local art, chic rooms with private balconies, on-site eateries and other fun attractions — like a hidden, Prohibition-inspired speakeasy. For a touch of history, spend a night in the refined Campbell House Inn, which was built in 1892 and sits today at the base of Skinner Butte. For a weekend in nature, the luxurious Loloma Lodge offers comfortable lodge rooms and lavish riverside cabins along the McKenzie River.

7. Pitch Your Tent in a New Spot

Ready for a night under the stars? Choose a campground near the river, dunes or forest for a fresh, new environment.

Just outside Mapleton, less than 20 miles (32 km) from the Oregon Coast, Archie Knowles Campground hosts nine basic sites in a shady forest of Douglas fir. RV campers, meanwhile, can pull into the Port of Siuslaw Campground & Marina along the Siuslaw River in Florence — home to more than 120 sites, nearly 30 of which sit along the waterfront and offer full hookups. Not far from Westfir and Oakridge, Black Canyon Campground hosts 75 spacious sites in a lush forest near the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. On the banks of the teal-hued McKenzie River, Paradise Campground lives up to its name with more than 60 sites in a towering forest of old-growth Douglas fir and western red cedar.

8. Try a New Winter Sport

Every year, as the weather cools, fresh snowfall transforms the Cascades into a winter wonderland. This year, explore the landscape on snowshoes or skis!

After grabbing all the necessary winter gear and purchasing a Sno-Park permit, head out Highway 58 to Salt Creek Sno-Park, which pairs its cross-country skiing and snowshoe trails with a snow play area geared toward kids of all ages; an easy outing heads to Salt Creek Falls, and a longer loop includes views of Diamond Creek Falls. Further up Highway 58, Gold Lake Sno-Park sits at the highest elevation of the area's Sno-Parks; its network of groomed cross-country trails leads to three-sided shelters with wood stoves. Nearby, Willamette Pass Ski Resort hosts roughly 12 miles (20 km) of groomed cross-country ski trails.

9. Adventure Down a New Road

Scenic drives are always in season, so fill the gas tank or charge your battery for an epic road trip.

Drive the McKenzie River Scenic Byway, a 34-mile (55-km) route that winds along the riverbanks while passing through eight small communities. Depending on the seasonal road and weather conditions, follow the leafy and lush Aufderheide Scenic Byway for 60 miles (97 km) to Westfir and Oakridge. There's also plenty to love along the stretch of Highway 126 between Eugene and Florence, where you'll pass parks, waterfalls, a century-old covered bridge and other fun sites.

10. See a Waterfall in Every Season

From thundering plumes in winter to shimmering cascades in summer, our waterfalls enchant year-round.

In spring, snowmelt feeds Trestle Creek Falls in the Cascades. Come summer, the easy Sweet Creek Falls Trail affords views of a whopping eleven waterfalls in the Oregon Coast Range, while Proxy Falls becomes easier to reach when the McKenzie Highway opens in mid- to late June. By fall, crowds clear out around Brice Creek Falls and Spirit Falls around Cottage Grove. When winter rolls in, Salt Creek Falls sits in the midst of a snowy forest, pairing its prime location with parking and snowshoeing opportunities next door at Salt Creek Sno-Park. 

11. See a New Exhibit

A pair of world-class museums reside on the University of Oregon campus. The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art displays thousands of works from around the world, and the Museum of Natural and Cultural History celebrates thousands of years of natural and cultural history with interactive exhibits, multimedia presentations, engaging interpretive panels and other attractions.

For more history, check out the Bohemia Gold Mining Museum in Cottage Grove. The museum pays tribute to the area’s rich mining past with tools, photographs and other artifacts from the collection of a longtime miner. In Florence, the Siuslaw Pioneer Museum covers regional history through artifacts (such as a canoe and tools) used by the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, equipment from loggers and anglers and more.

12. Mix it Up at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts 

Four resident companies showcase Eugene’s creative spirit at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts, which hosts a spacious concert hall and an intimate theater in downtown Eugene.

Eugene Ballet delivers captivating performances of well-loved works throughout the year, Ballet Fantastique enchants with inventive dance theater, a pair of choral organizations totaling 138 voices comprise the Eugene Concert Choir and the Eugene Symphony delivers performances that range from classical music’s best-loved works to soundtracks from beloved films. 

Extra Credit: Look for a New Star

When the sun sets, the stars come out above Eugene, Cascades & Coast. Best of all: You don’t need a high-powered telescope to see stars, planets and other celestial wonders across our varied landscapes. Head out onto the dunes at Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park, which sits within the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area just south of Florence. Further east, the historic Dee Wright Observatory resides under crystal-clear skies in the Cascade Range.