The fourth race on Rally America's schedule, Oregon Trail takes place in the woods outside the city of Portland. With fast stretches combined with twisting wooded runs through the Tillamook State Forest this rally is always packed with excitement. The lush, wet woods provide trees and ditches galore that are constant worries for the drivers and their co-drivers. This rally is very fan friendly with spectator sites scattered all along the course.

The rally begins at the Portland International Raceway, with the cars whizzing around the tarmac track and the gravel perimeter. However, the majority of the rally takes place on old logging roads that run through the lush woods just west of Portland through the towns of Hillsboro and Vernonia. After the rally is over make sure to check out Portland, a city renowned for its vibrant art and cultural scene with a "green" twist. Local ingredients are used to their advantage throughout the area's restaurants, and you are never far from a brewpub, gourmet coffee shop, or a farmer's market— Especially if you take the city's light rail system to get there! Spectators will really enjoy this rally because of the ease with which they can watch the race, as well as all of the activities that Portland has to offer.

The Pacific Northwest weather is an ever changing variable. With rain likely in April, the roads can be extremely muddy and wet; however, it is just as possible for them to be dry and dusty. Dropping temperatures may, in extreme situations, even create snow and sleet which can wreak havoc on the course. This Oregon Trail may not be as treacherous as the one that the pioneers encountered, but these drivers and their crews can definitely expect the unexpected!

Red Lion Hotel Hillsboro (HEADQUARTERS), 3500 NE Cornell Road, Hillsboro, OR, |97124, (503) 648.3500