Top 9 Biggest Hippie Towns In Oregon

Ashland currently snags the title as one of the most “hippie” places in America, let alone the state of Oregon. The reasons why are plentiful. The area is famous for its thriving arts scene, which extends all the way to gardening. If you want to see something that truly looks like it came out of a hippie head trip, check out the Fairy Ponds.

The area also has a water dispenser that’s said to have healing waters, a food co-op, and other similarly hippie-friendly amenities. It’s a laid-back town you’ll never want to leave.

While Ashland takes a more magical approach to being a hippie, Fairview is the more cosmopolitan approach to hippiedom. This high-income area is a luxury town that’s filled to the brim with amenities that one might deem “hippie friendly.” These include yoga studios, organic markets, and vegan restaurants.

It’s like nouveau hippie. Or bougie hippie, considering how pretty everything here is. But, don’t be afraid or turned off by the wealth. You’ll definitely find a lot of fun to be had around here.

Portland has always been a little bit on the hippie side of things. After all, hipsters are basically the more corporate type of hippies. The city is famous for its quirky arts scene, folk band scene, as well as their foodie scene. While it doesn’t have a Grateful Dead vibe to it that it had earlier, there’s something to be said about this city’s love of coffee and farmer’s markets.

The city also has a budding EDM scene, though it’s not as big as other major cities. That added points to our observation, too. After all, ravers are the new hippies, aren’t they?

In a lot of ways, the hippie tendency of this town tends to show itself off to the world by its name alone. Happy Valley even sounds like a hippie place, and truthfully, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. This valley has a population that loves fresh, organic food. There are plenty of places to go grab a bite, and seeing people doing yoga in the park is pretty commonplace.

Another major reason we decided to clock this on our list? This town is also home to a music festival that tends to focus on folk and eclectic music. It’s called Pickathon, and it’s got camping. If that isn’t hippie enough, we have no idea what is.

This photo shows one of Eugene’s most popular chefs, and yes, he owned one of the most iconic hippie restaurants in the world. Can you feel the peaceful vibes coming from these people? Because, I sure as heck can. That’s basically Eugene, Oregon, in a nutshell. It’s considered to be one of the biggest hippie towns in America by the locals.

The city has a lot of pull, and not just because of the hippies who hang out in the parks, either. Eugene boasts a ton of yoga studios, tie-dye clothing, and organic food restaurants. As a hippie, you’ll find yourself living it up here.

How hardcore are you about sustainability and communing with nature? Are you willing to go the distance, maybe do something that most people would consider to be extreme? Little Applegate is a small Oregon town that might be for you. The reason it made this list is that it has a real-life hippie commune in its boundaries.

The commune itself is very small and contains around a dozen residents who are totally hellbent on making things sustainable and giving people a safe space for personal growth. It’s called Full Bloom, if you’re curious. If you ask me, that’s taking hippie to a new level.

Deadwood is a town that’s not actually a town, per se. It’s not actually incorporated as a town, which means that it is technically not an official town. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t people who call Deadwood home. This area, much like Little Applegate, made this list because there is a live hippie commune that is part of the region.

The commune is known as Alpha Farms, and it’s a place where you get to put intentional living to the forefront of your life. Like others of this type, Alpha Farms has a strong focus on sustainability.

This major town is home to the Oregon State Fair. In any other state, this wouldn’t mean anything. However, it’s Oregon and that means that you are going to have to go there to see how many hippies are just hanging out there. Off-festival season, Veneta still manages to make itself very hippie-friendly through the use of coffee houses as well as the use of yoga studios.

This is the type of place where you can always see a little bit of the sixties. It’s just that kind of vibe.

Related Questions

Does the cult commune from Wild Wild Country still exist?

Most people think of communes in Oregon and think of the documentary about the Rajneeshi religion. While the documentary shed light on a lot of the crazy goings-on that happened there, the truth is that the commune is all but abandoned right now. With that said, there are a couple of people who still live in Antelope who claim to follow the guru’s teachings. So, it’s not entirely abandoned.

Is Oregon a hippie state?

Yes. There’s no way to walk around from the truth. Oregon is the nation’s leading maker of homemade tie-dye, has some of the most famous hippie hotspots in America, and also happens to host some of the last remaining communes in the country. If you are a hippie, then you will probably want to go to Oregon and check out everything the state happens to offer.

Why is Oregon such a hippie state?

It’s a lot of factors. The wide-open spaces made it a good place for people who wanted to have a commune that’s far away from everyone else. There were a lot of politically active people in the state during the 60s and 70s. And, since it was close to California, there was bound to be a little bit of cultural diffusion.With that said, it’s a lot more straight-laced than it once was. At times, the laid-back environment just seems to beg for more hippies to come back around the area. Or maybe, that’s just the ganja talking.