COVID-19 travel restrictions and border closings are constantly evolving. There is no guarantee that the dive sites mentioned within this article will be open at your time of travel.

Individuality rules in Portland, where anyone can suit their interests with ­everything from exotic coffee shops and international food trucks to expansive bookstores and outdoor adventure. Visitors to Portland can reap the benefits of the clear spring waters surrounding nearby Mount Hood and rich northwestern diving in Puget Sound.

If You Have One Day

Connect with a local dive shop to find a buddy, rent some gear, and head to Little Crater Lake. Ideal for ­intermediate ­divers comfortable in drysuits, some of the clearest water in America — with viz at 100-plus feet — is waiting to be ­explored. Within two hours of Portland, Little ­Crater Lake sits on the Pacific Crest Trail at an elevation of 3,300 feet, bubbling up by the foot of Mount Hood. The spring is best reached hiking down a short path with a cart. Spring temperatures stay consistently close to 43 ­degrees F. ­After diving, warm up with some coffee in downtown Portland.

If You Have Two Days

Take the two-and-a-half hour drive from Portland or rent an on-site ­cabin at Clear Lake Resort. Either way, rise early enough to start your day with a shore dive and ­affordable paddle-boat ­excursion at Clear Lake, a spring that was created when lava flowed into the north shore 3,000 years ago, preserving an underwater forest. After diving, hike on the McKenzie River National Recreation Trail to Tamolitch Blue Pool or head back to the city to do some sightseeing at the ­Oregon Zoo or downtown area. There, you can head to popular Powell’s Books or try the devilishly delicious Voodoo Doughnut.

If You Have Three Days

Fully experience the best of the ­Northwest by driving just over two hours north to Tacoma, Washington, where a charter boat will chauffeur you to the best sites in Puget Sound. Soak in the stunning structure of Dalco Wall — which starts at 35 feet and plummets beyond 110 feet — or enjoy some face time with the critters hiding among the artificial reef at KVI Tower, including nudibranchs, plumose anemones, red Irish lords and, if you’re lucky, wolf eels and giant ­Pacific octopuses. But don’t let boat diving steal all of your attention; save a day to see Mount St. Helens — an hour and a half from Portland — or enjoy the year-round skiing and snowboarding in the region.

Need to Know

When to Go: Summer and early fall provide the warmest weather conditions with the least amount of rain.

Dive Conditions: Drysuits are necessary for comfortably diving the clear springs, but 7 mm wetsuits with hood and gloves can be sufficient for charters.

Operators: Pacific Watersports, NW Scuba, Under Water Works, ­and Adventure Sports Scuba rent equipment and lead charters.