Oregon comes alive in the autumn, when the state’s natural landscape bursts into beautiful colors of red, gold and orange, and exciting festivals take place, celebrating everything from the arts to jazz music to the harvest.

Here are just a few of the reasons why fall is one of the best times to visit The Beaver State:

The Civil War

Civil wars usually lead to the death of thousands and the destruction of property. Oregon’s "Civil War" is no different, except the deaths are metaphorical and the destruction is to the combined psyche of one of Oregon’s two largest universities--the University of Oregon Ducks and the Oregon State Beavers. This war does not take place on a battlefield; instead, it takes place on a football field at the end of November. But you don’t have to wait until the season’s last game to enjoy Oregon or Oregon State football. The season begins in early September with each team playing six or seven home games per year. Get your tickets early, or they’ll be gone.

Silver Falls State Park

Silver Falls State Park, about 20 miles east of Salem, has over 25 miles of hiking trails. The most famous of these is the Ten Falls Trail, which, as the name implies, leads to 10 different water falls. Although four of the falls are located within a half mile of a parking area, hiking the entire, (mostly) paved trail is worth the effort. The falls range from 27 to 177 feet, four of which cascade in front of an amphitheater-type rock formation, allowing visitors to walk behind them.

Fall Festivals

Despite its northern location, Oregon’s proximity to the ocean prevents it from getting too cold in the fall, which enables the good folks of the Beaver State to celebrate with fairs and festivals.

• West Linn Arts Festival - The Portland metro area provides artwork, music, entertainment and food in the middle of September at the West Linn Arts Festival.
• The Depoe Bay Indian Style Salmon Bake - The folks in Depoe Bay are pretty proud of their ability to bake salmon. That’s bad news for salmon and good news for you. On the third Saturday in September, the town hosts the Depoe Bay Indian Salmon Bake.
• Annual Medford Jazz Jubilee - You can probably figure out what the Annual Medford Jazz Jubilee is by its name alone. This event, which is held annually during the first week in October, takes place in Medford in Southern Oregon and features three days-worth of jazz music.
• Annual Hood River Valley Harvest Fest - The beauty of the Columbia River Gorge makes an autumn visit worthwhile. Throw in a Harvest Fest, and you’ve got yourself two reasons to drive down the gorge.
• Fazio Farms Corn Maze in the City - Pony rides, a corn maze, face painting, food booths, a bouncy slide, and pumpkin painting make this annual Halloween event in the heart of Portland an excellent holiday tradition for children of all ages.

This is just a brief list of fall festivals in Oregon and a brief list of all there is to do in the Beaver State during the fall.