Lavender Valley Farm Review: Hood River, Oregon

If you’re in the Hood River, Oregon area following the Fruit Loop, and it’s mid-July to mid-August, you absolutely need to visit Lavender Valley in Mt. Hood!

Fruit Loop? What is that?
The fruit loop is a 35-mile route in the Hood River area that takes you through different fruit and vegetable stands, wineries, and flower fields. The best time to visit is during harvest season, which can vary due to the weather, but in general, summer is always a good bet. I’ve visited in both early and mid-July and found everything to be open.

Lavender Valley in Oregon is one of the lovely lavender farms in the area. I’ve visited Lavender Valley two times in the last few years and it never disappoints. This particular lavender field has a gorgeous view of Mt. Hood, so if you’re looking for lavender photography spots, this is the place to be. While the other lavender fields are nice, this particular spot can’t be beat.

Admission:
Lavender Valley Farm in Oregon is free to explore and photograph. They offer a U-pick option to take home a bouquet of lavender, though we didn’t do this as the flowers wouldn’t last for us to enjoy at home.

Gift Shop:
There is a small gift shop selling their reasonably-priced lavender products. I absolutely love their lavender linen spray!

The lavender fields:
The symmetrical rows of the blooming purple lavender, a rustic barn and Mt. Hood in the background offer a phenomenal setting for photography.

The lavender field here is huge and the crowds are light, so if you’re coming here to explore or take photos, you practically have the place to yourself. You’re free to roam around in the rows of lavender and take as many instagram-worthy photos as your heart desires! They have a few picnic tables if you want to enjoy a snack or lunch.

If you’ve never been to a lavender field before, you might be surprised to see that there are bees everywhere. Bees are attracted to the lavender and they cannot be avoided. But don’t fret – they will not bother you, even if you’re doing a photoshoot right next to them.

We lucked out in that they had a special sunset photography event on one of the days we were in town. It was free and we got some amazing pictures. If you’re wondering about this, I would ask at the gift shop. We were shopping and just happened to mention that this place would be so beautiful at sunset, and the employee told us about the free event. The views here are gorgeous – you can get great shots of the fields with Mt. Hood in the background and a rustic barn, as the sun sets.

But what if I’ve been to the south of France? Is it worth my time?
I haven’t been to the lavender fields in France (yet), but I have been to quite a few in the US, namely in Oregon and Washington State. For views, this is absolutely hands-down the best lavender field I’ve been to in the United States. If you’ve been to the south of France, you could be disappointed.

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What if it’s not blooming season? Should I still go?
Lavender Valley Oregon is open May to September, but just because they’re open doesn’t mean you’re going to see the purple hues – you’ll just see green tufts! Personally, I wouldn’t bother visiting if the lavender isn’t in bloom, unless you just want to hit up the gift shop for lavender goodies. Our first trip here was in late July; our second trip here was in early July. The trip in early July was during the early stages of blooming and we didn’t get quite the purple explosion that we had during our first trip. Your best bet is to follow their Facebook or website to find peak bloom times, as it varies every year.

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Lavender Valley – Hood River, Oregon Pros and Cons:
Pros:
Bucket list setting for photography
Best prices for lavender merchandise along the Hood River Valley Fruit Loop

Cons:
Timing is vital – you have to be here during the blooming season
Bees are attracted to lavender – they won’t bother you, but they are there!
Cannot photograph for sunrise/sunset unless they are holding special photography hours