The spectacular Oregon coast is 60 miles west. Here is a small picture (52K GIF) of one of the beaches, but there are plenty of rocky parts of the coastline that are even more interesting. The Oregon Cascades mountain range stretches from the southern to the northern boundary of the state, and contains many volcanic peaks. Here is a large picture (221K JPEG) of Mt. Jefferson, one of the Cascade volcanoes, and a small picture (32 K GIF) of another of them (I don't know which). The Three Sisters Wilderness in the Oregon Cascades is the closest part of the range to Eugene. It is 80 miles east, and contains three volcanoes over 10,000 feet high (the Three Sisters), along with many small lakes. Crater Lake National Park is about 150 miles southeast. Many other parts of the Cascades are also interesting. (Mt. Jefferson is north of the Three Sisters Wilderness.) In the summer many hiking trails are accessible, and in winter both cross country and downhill skiing are possible. The Columbia Gorge, with a number of waterfalls, is about 150 miles northeast. A bit further north is the remains of Mt. St. Helens, which blew its top off in 1980.
Winter road closures: The McKenzie Pass (a scenic pass about 100 miles eact of Eugene), the Cascade Lakes Highway (a scenic drive just on the other side of the Cascades from Eugene), the north entrance to Crater Lake (which is much the most accessible entrance from Eugene), and the East Rim Drive in Crater Lake National Park, are all closed in winter. (The main visitor center at Crater Lake, on the rim of the crater, is usually accessible in winter, by a more indirect route.) These roads usually close sometime in November. The first three usually reopen sometime in June, and the East Rim Drive usually reopens somewhat later than the north entrance to Crater Lake. Exact opening and closing dates vary depending on weather and the amount of snow on the ground, and can be significantly earlier or later than those given here, so enquire before going.
The University of Oregon is located in Eugene, Oregon; here is a link to the City of Eugene home page.
Last significant change 16 Nov. 1996. Weather link updated 15 Feb. 2006.