Locals Hate When You Do This in Oregon’s Most Popular Towns

Oregon is packed with amazing places to visit—coastal towns, stunning waterfalls, quirky cities, and endless outdoor adventures. But while tourists love exploring the state, locals have a few complaints.

If you want to visit Oregon without annoying the people who actually live there, here are the top things tourists do that locals absolutely hate.

Table of Contents

1. Blocking Traffic While Taking Photos in Bend
2. Treating Portland Like a Theme Park for Weirdness
3. Ignoring “Sneaker Waves” Warnings on the Oregon Coast
4. Overcrowding Multnomah Falls… And Then Complaining About It
5. Driving on the Beach in Pacific City (When You Shouldn’t Be)
6. Trashing Campsites in the Cascades
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1. Blocking Traffic While Taking Photos in Bend

Floating the Deschutes with views of Old Mill in Bend Oregon.

Bend is one of Oregon’s top adventure towns, but if you stop in the middle of the road to take a picture of the mountains—expect honking.

Locals drive fast on mountain roads, and stopping suddenly for a deer, a view, or a selfie is a great way to cause an accident.
Smith Rock, Mount Bachelor, and the Cascade Lakes Highway all have scenic pullouts—use them instead of stopping randomly.

2. Treating Portland Like a Theme Park for Weirdness

Keep Portland weird sign. — Author Tony Webster

Portland has a reputation for being quirky and weird, but it’s not a circus. Locals aren’t walking around in costumes or riding unicycles with flaming bagpipes all day.

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Taking photos of random people because they “look Portland” is rude.
Asking locals where all the weird people are? Also weird.
The city has real issues like homelessness and affordability—not everything is a hipster joke.

3. Ignoring “Sneaker Waves” Warnings on the Oregon Coast

Oregon’s beaches are stunning, but the ocean here is no joke. Every year, tourists get caught in sneaker waves because they don’t take warnings seriously.

Sneaker waves look like normal waves until they suddenly surge up the beach—dragging people into the ocean.
Locals watch the tide and never turn their back on the waves—you should too.

4. Overcrowding Multnomah Falls… And Then Complaining About It

Multnomah Falls is one of the most photographed waterfalls in the U.S., but locals rarely visit because it’s packed year-round.

If you go, expect crowds, expect limited parking, and expect to wait in line for the best photo spots.
Instead of complaining about how busy it is, check out other nearby waterfalls like Wahclella Falls or Elowah Falls for a less touristy experience.

5. Driving on the Beach in Pacific City (When You Shouldn’t Be)

Big rock on Pacific Beach with surfs in the wave.

Yes, you can drive on the sand at Pacific City, but that doesn’t mean you should. Every summer, some tourist gets their car stuck and needs an expensive tow.

If your car isn’t 4WD, don’t even think about it.
If the sand looks soft and deep, it probably is.
Locals love watching tourists get stuck—but also get tired of pulling them out.

6. Trashing Campsites in the Cascades

Oregon is an outdoor paradise, but locals hate when people leave garbage, toilet paper, or even worse, fire damage behind.

Campfires can spark wildfires—locals take burn bans seriously.
Pack it in, pack it out. If you brought it, don’t leave it behind.
If you need to use the bathroom in the woods, do it properly (and yes, that means digging a hole).