Oregon makes worst road trip states. Why? High taxes!

 
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

Liberals’ excessive high taxes have killed the best features of Oregon.

The Oregonian reports on a study ranking Oregon as #45 for states to do a road trip.

The reason Oregon was rated so bad was because our gas taxes were among the highest in the country. High gas prices push people out of doing road trips. Imagine if Governor Kotek’s $4.3 billion gas tax hike would have gone into effect. Thank goodness that the three chief petitioners (Rep. Ed Diehl, Senator Bruce Starr, and Jason Williams of the Taxpayers Association of Oregon) did the referendum drive to force the issue to the ballot, where voters killed it by 83%.

Oregon is also dinged for having too few arts, entertainment, and recreation businesses per 10,000 residents.

In Oregon, we are witnessing the closing of many long-term festivals and concerts. This is because of our high taxes, which have hurt festival sponsors and hurt attendance crowds, as both have less money.

Here are a few famous festivals now gone:

• Brew Fest
• Cycle Oregon Classic event after 33 years
• Oregon Jamboree after 30+ years
• Feast Portland
• Willamette Country Music Festival
• Bend Brewfest

Guess who does have money for road trips?

• Governor Kotek, who last fall went on $200,000 Asia trip.
• Washington County sewer agency that went to Hawaii staying at 5-star hotels
• Portland City Council for $40,000 trip to Europe to study car-free cities.
• Portland housing program director that went to Disneyland as official travel.

Now look at outdoor fee increases that went into effect this year, which makes it harder to do road trips:

• Peak Pricing: At high-demand parks, rates will increase to the top of their current ranges for visits from May 1 through September 30, and year-round on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.
• Tent Sites: Up to $29 per night.
• Full-Hookup RV Sites: Up to $52 per night.
• Rustic Yurts: $72 per night. Deluxe Yurts/Cabins: $129 per night. Rustic Cabins: $81 per night.
 • Primitive/Overflow Camping: Increasing from $10 to at least $15 per night.
 • Boat Moorage: Increasing from $15 to $20 per night.
 • Out-of-State Surcharge: Non-residents are charged a 25% surcharge on all overnight reservations.
• 12-Month Parking Permit: Oregon Residents: Doubled from $30 to $60. Out-of-State Residents: Increased to $75 (due to a new surcharge).
• 24-Month Parking Permit: Discontinued as of January 1, 2026 (existing permits will be honored until expiration).
• Daily Parking: Remains $10 for residents and $12 for non-residents at 46 designated parks, though the director now has the authority to raise this up to $25 for peak days at busy parks.
• Waterway Access Permits: Starting in 2026, all human-powered boats (including paddleboards, kayaks, and rafts of any size) require a permit. The cost is $20 for one year or $35 for two years.
• Dump Stations: OPRD plans to introduce fees for using dump stations that were previously free. Specific costs will be announced in spring 2026.
• Eliminated Free Days: Parking fees are no longer waived for Green Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) or First Day Hikes (New Year’s Day).

The Oregonian does make some good arguments that the study has some flaws.  read more here.

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