My family has traveled to 33 states, but none has wowed us as much as this coastal gem — and, no, it’s not Hawaii

We went to Oregon near the end of the state’s peak summer season. Even so, the state had some of the most uncrowded beaches we’ve ever visited.

I suspect the sparse crowds are because there are just so many beaches to choose from — the state has over 250 miles of them along its coastline, and each is seemingly more picturesque than the last.

We explored 10 of them in all, including Seaside, Yachats, Agate, and Cannon, and only found a crowd at the last one.

Our favorite was “Secret Beach” along the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor. It’s a short hike down to a little waterfall that feeds right into the sea and has a sea cave, tidepools, and the softest sand

There was so much to do in each city we explored in Oregon

We’ve been to dozens of state and national parks across the country, but Oregon offered some of the most unforgettable ones yet.

The Trail of Ten Falls at Silver Falls State Park was our favorite because its 7-mile loop took us to or behind 10 beautiful falls.

We also loved seeing multiple waterfalls along the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, including Horsetail Falls, Latourell Falls, and the breathtaking Multnomah Falls — the tallest in the state.

As much as we loved each waterfall we visited, Crater Lake National Park was easily our best find of the trip. It’s considered to have one of the deepest, clearest lakes in the United States.

Its blue water was stunning to behold from the rim and even more thrilling to plunge into from the Cleetwood Cove trailhead.

All six of us enjoyed swimming in the cool water together before hiking back up to refuel our bodies with vegetable lasagna, bison stew, and seared salmon at the Crater Lake Lodge.

With all that said, our family is already planning another visit to Oregon next year.