Small-Town Charm.
Big-City Access.
Enjoy the best of both worlds. Canemah Cottages offers the charm and tranquility of a historic neighborhood with convenient access to the energy and amenities of city living. Just minutes away, downtown Oregon City boasts a vibrant and revitalized restaurant, brewery, boutique shopping, and entertainment scene, while nearby Portland offers an even greater array of dining, arts, culture, and metropolitan conveniences.
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Tumwata Village
The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde officially broke ground on the historic former Blue Heron paper mill site in May 2026. The multi-year project aims to heal the land and transform the area into a vibrant village featuring retail spaces, offices, housing, cultural gathering spots, restaurants, and a dedicated riverwalk overlooking Willamette Falls.
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Revitalized Historic Downtown
Downtown Oregon City is a historic, walkable waterfront district located 13 miles south of Portland at the edge of the roaring Willamette Falls. Once struggling with vacancies, Main Street has transformed into an award-winning hub featuring local boutiques, art galleries, specialty shops, family-owned eateries, historic taverns, and food cart pods.
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Clackamette Park - Expansion & Revitalization Project
This scenic park is located at the point of where the the Willamette River meets the Clackamas River. Beach access, picnic areas, boat launch, trails, pickleball courts, music park, events, and more.
Historic Oregon City
Set along the Willamette River just south of Portland, Oregon City is a place where Oregon’s past and present live comfortably side by side. Canemah’s Historic neighborhoods climb the hills above the river, while a revitalized downtown brings together local restaurants, shops, businesses and gathering places in one of the state’s most distinctive settings.
Oregon City played a central role in the early development of the Pacific Northwest. It became the first incorporated city west of the Rocky Mountains and served as the final destination for generations of travelers making the long journey west on the Oregon Trail. Long before their arrival, however, the area surrounding Willamette Falls was an important fishing, trading and gathering place for Indigenous peoples of the region.
Today, the falls remain one of Oregon City’s defining natural landmarks. The Willamette River winds below dramatic basalt bluffs, while the city rises across a series of terraces that give its neighborhoods an unusual sense of elevation, character and connection to the landscape.
That history is still visible throughout the community. Century-old homes, historic districts, tree-lined streets and preserved landmarks share the city with independent businesses, neighborhood restaurants, parks and modern amenities. Even getting around reflects the city’s unusual geography — Oregon City’s Municipal Elevator connects downtown with the bluff above and has become a landmark in its own right.
Perhaps what makes Oregon City most appealing is its balance. Portland is close enough for an easy connection to the larger metropolitan area, while the rivers, forests, parks and communities of Clackamas County are equally accessible. It offers the history and character of an established Oregon town without feeling removed from the conveniences of modern life.
For those who appreciate architecture, nature and places with a genuine sense of identity, Oregon City offers something increasingly difficult to recreate: a community that has evolved for nearly two centuries while still feeling unmistakably connected to the landscape that shaped it.
“Canemah Village: The People Above the Falls” by David G. Lewis, The Quartux Journal
Canemah is now a neighborhood of Oregon City, but in the 1850s Canemah was a tribal village situated above the Willamette Falls on the eastern bank. The neighborhood today is steeped in history with a number of streets named for the native families who lived at the village, like ‘Apperson’. There native people would help portage canoes and supplies down the side of the falls to Oregon City.
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“Canemah” by David Hedges
Oregon Encyclopedia
Canemah, once the bustling terminus of navigation on the upper Willamette River, is located on the river’s east bank just above Willamette Falls. The name is Chinookan for “the canoe place,” descriptive of the sandy beach and natural harbor that attracted thousands of Native Americans, over many millennia, during annual salmon runs.
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