There’s A Tiny Town Near Portland Completely Surrounded By Breathtaking Natural Beauty

Any direction you travel from Portland will land you in a small town, but this one is undeniably beautiful. Right in the heart of wine country, the small town is home to just over 2,000 residents and has all the peace and charm that a great small town can offer.

The sleepy town of Carlton is just a short drive from Portland, and features just three city blocks in its central area.

However small, Carlton manages to pack in restaurants, lodging and tasting rooms into its quaint downtown.

In fact, the city, featuring 22 tasting rooms, has more tasting rooms per capita than any other city in the country.

In fact, there are so many tasting rooms that even the Carlton Depot was turned into a tasting room.

Notable for their production of Pinot Noir wines, Carlton is part of the Yamhill-Carlton American Viticultural Area and known as "Pinot paradise."

The surrounding beauty is one of the best parts about the area, and a big part of the allure of this lovely slice of wine country.

On a beautiful day, there is really nothing like sitting in the shade and sipping a glass of great Oregon wine with a view of the vineyards around you.

The city may be small, but it is big in beauty and has plenty of amazing food, drink, and lodging choices to keep you coming back for more.

Carlton is about an hour drive from Portland, making it a great day trip escape. To get there, take the 99W South/Pacific Highway W to OR-240 W into Carlton.