The Oregon Cascades are not like some other western mountain ranges. Frankly, if you’ve grown up on the Sierra or the Rockies, you may find them a little thin in places — a handful of 10,000-foot volcanic peaks jutting up out of heavily forested 5,000-foot hills. In many places the hiking is severely overcrowded; the Three Sisters Wilderness will remind you of Yosemite some days, and climbing South Sister can mean navigating a steady stream of hikers on the way up and back.

A beautiful, large Cascade lake is Waldo Lake, southeast of Eugene.

That said, the Cascades have their charm. Crater Lake is truly spectacular. Near Portland, Timberline Lodge captures a moment in Oregon — and American — cultural history, with its WPA aura.