McMenamins Edgefield is one of the best McMenamins hotels and has more to offer than any other McMenamins property. McMenamins Edgefield has so much to offer that an overnight stay is a must! If you are planning a staycation at McMenamins Edgefield you have come to the right place.

Let’s start with the basics. McMenamins Edgefield is located in Troutdale, Oregon. It is about 20 minutes east of Portland and super close to the Columbia River and Columbia River Gorge. McMenamins Edgefield covers 72-acres and this historic property has multiple buildings on the property. You can absolutely spend just the day at McMenamins Edgefield, but with all of the bars, activities, and amenities, you really need to stay overnight to experience it all!

I have compiled a list of the 18 best tips for staying at McMenamins Edgefield so you can take full advantage of everything it has to offer!  There is a reason it lands as number 1 on my Ultimate Ranking of Every McMenamins Hotel!

18 Best Tips For Staying At McMenamins Edgefield

Bring Flipflops

No matter the time of year, always bring flipflops when you stay at McMenamins Edgefield. One of the absolute best parts of McMenamins Edgefield is the soaking pool, which can only be used by hotel guests and spa guests. While you get super fluffy and warm robes in your room, you do not get any sort of footwear. I highly recommend bringing flipflops for your soaking pool enjoyment!

Plus, since many of the rooms at Edgefield do not have private bathrooms, you will likely need to walk outside of your room and down the hall to use the bathroom and shower so you will really want flipflops for a quick slip on and off in the middle of the night.

Bring a Plastic Bag

This tip relates to the soaking pool as well and is another lesson learned the hard way. Bring a plastic bag so you can pack up your bathing suits for your journey home. While you can hang your suit to dry in your room overnight, you should take advantage of the amazing soaking pool as much as possible. This means you likely will have a wet suit to bring home with you on the day of departure.

If you forget this tip, just ask a hotel or spa employee for an extra plastic bag and they are happy to help. That said, let’s all do our part to minimize single use plastic so bring a bag along if you can!

Request a Room on the Top Floor or in the Winery Wing

I have always been really honest that although McMenamins Edgefield has the number 1 stop on my ultimate ranking of every McMenamins hotel, it is a loud hotel! This is my biggest, and maybe only, complaint about this property. Due to the historic nature of the property, and the fact it all appears to be made of wood, it can be really loud. From the doors closing to people in the hallways, it is not the quietest McMenamins hotel.

My first tip to minimize the noise is request a room on the top floor of the hotel or the winery wing! While the hostels are located on the top floor, and those do not allow minors, you can also book a normal room on the top floor. In my experience, these rooms are much quieter. Not only do you avoid having someone above you walking around, but this hallways is usually only used by hotel guests.

The Winery Wing is located above the winery and has no rooms above it! While you could have an event above, you so definitely ask when booking, you also could have absolutely nothing above you as the space above the winery wing rooms is event space. I highly recommend the Winery Wing as not only are you likely to have no one stomping above you, but the hallway is relatively quiet as it is located through the Black Rabbit Restaurant or via outside doors. This limits the number of people walking by all day and night.

Go Wine Tasting

McMenamins Edgefield has a Winery Tasting Room nestled underground in the main building. You can see the wine barrels and vats, snuggle up with a glass of wine in the winery tasting room, and, my personal favorite, go wine tasting! Edgefield Winery also offers winery tours which are super fun. Edgefield Winery is where McMenamins has been crafting wine, and cider, for over 30 years.

Edgefield Winery Tasting Room offers a white flight, a red flight, and a “Classic Favorites” flight. You can also do a cider flight if wine is not really your thing. If you are not super familiar with McMenamins wine, I recommend the classic favorite flight so you can experience a little bit of the McMenamins staples. You will find everything from Pinot Noir to dessert wine.

Don’t forget if you have a McMenamins Passport there are stamps for trying a wine flight (and cider flight) and touring the winery! These are on top of the 10 Edgefield specific stamps.

Grab a Drink at the Bar on the Golf Course

Located on the McMenamins Edgefield Golf Course, which is actually two small par 3 courses, is the Distillery Bar. The Distillery Bar also doubles as the clubhouse and is located within the same building as the McMenamins Distillery. This bar dates back to prohibition and has a great atmosphere.

I have noticed so many people do not venture back to this bar, maybe because they are not aware it exists. You do not need to play a round, although its a super fun tiny course that anyone can play (and they rent clubs), but do not skip this bar! I highly recommend grabbing a cocktail at this one and bonus points if it has a fresh-squeezed juice in it.

Don’t forget to pick up your play a round stamp for your McMenamins Passport if you decide to take that drink with you on a quick round or your tour a distillery stamp if you time it right and catch a tour.

Book a Spa Appointment when you Book your Stay

McMenamins Edgefield is one of two McMenamins hotels with a Ruby’s Spa. Ruby’s Spa and Salon at McMenamins Edgefield is a full service spa and salon and is open for non-hotel guests. I cannot recommend the massages enough! I also love to do the add on scalp massage if I have the funds and time.

While it would be a great tip to say definitely go to Ruby’s Spa during your stay, that is not enough. You should book this early. I mean book it once you make your plan to go to McMenamins Edgefield and definitely by the time you book the room. Ruby’s Spa does not hold open slots for hotel guests so this means even as a hotel guest, you will be competing with locals and day visitors for a spot. So not only should you definitely get your relaxing on at Ruby’s Spa, you should book early!

Ruby’s Spa at McMenamins Edgefield is one of the two places you can pick up the relax with a spa treatment stamp for your McMenamins Passport.

Bring a Water Bottle

This might be obvious for most Pacific Northwesterners since most of us tend to carry a water bottle anywhere we go. I think it is even more important to bring a water bottle with you for stay at McMenamins Edgefield because this is a big property, with lots of bars, a soaking pool, and lots of booze. Bring a water bottle and don’t be scared to ask for a fill at any of the bars and restaurants on property.

It is highly recommended you stay hydrated when using the soaking pool so bring your water bottle along for your soak. Just remember, no glass in the soaking pool area so go for a metal or plastic water bottle.

Arrive Early and Depart Late

Technically McMenamins Edgefield has a check in time of 3 pm and a check out time of 11 am. But this just applies to your room, so go plan to arrive early and/or depart late. There is so much to do at Edgefield and you cannot realistically do it all between the hours of 3 pm and 11 am. If you are staying more than one night, this might not be necessary, but it’s still fun!

For a one night stay, I recommend arriving early afternoon on the first day and planning to depart in the late afternoon on the second. If you plan right, you can hit everything in those two days and also get sleep! Some great tips to fit it all in – book a spa appointment for a time after your check out so you can extend the hours you can use the soaking pool, play a round of golf in the afternoon before check in, and follow in our footsteps and always start out with a stop at the Winery Tasting Room.

Bring a Throw Blanket

McMenamins are known for many things and one is a good fire pit. You can find both covered and uncovered fire pits all over McMenamins properties and McMenamins Edgefield is no exception. While sitting at the fire pit is in itself a tip, it seems like an obvious one to me. So my tip – bring along a throw blanket to use at the fire at night.

Oregon nights get chilly almost all year round and in the winter it can be downright cold. Rooms at McMenamins Edgefield do not come with throw blankets, just standard bedding. I recommend bringing along a throw blanket from home so you can cozy up by the fire even if the temp drops.

Take Full Advantage of Drink Mobility

You can drink alcohol everywhere on the McMenamins Edgefield property. This means your drink is always mobile! Take full advantage of this awesome rule.

Since you can take your drink with you anywhere on property, you can always have a drink in hand while you participate in all of the activities at Edgefield. It also means you don’t need to stay in a bar if you’d rather be outside or just want to move around more freely. You can request a plastic cup if you know are you grabbing a drink on the go and this is a must if you want to bring the drink into the soaking pool area.

Don’t worry if you have a glass, you can walk around with those too, but be sure to drop it back off at a bar or restaurant. I always see people leave the glasses on the porch or on the trash cans, but this is not cool so don’t do that.

Take an Art Tour

McMenamins Edgefield is full of so much art! On the walls, the floors, the ceilings, the fixtures, the furniture, you name it. You can also find sculptures all around the property. Like I said, take advantage of the drink mobility when at Edgefield and grab a drink and go on an art walk!

Be sure to check out the gardens, walk through the vineyard, and make your way to the Distillery Bar before (or after) you check out the main building, hotel hallways, and Power Station. There are so many great Instagramable spots! If you want to learn more, use your phone and take a self guided walking tour using the McMenamins Edgefield Art website. You can find the pieces around the property and read more about the pieces, and artists, as you go.

Bring a Game

McMenamins Edgefield has so many bars and restaurants so you will probably spend quite a bit of time visiting them all. Bring along a small table game to play. We love Bananagrams, cribbage, travel size games like Sequence, and the obvious, a deck of cards. This is a great way to get off your phone and enjoy whoever you are visiting Edgefield with.

If you prefer to play a game, head over to Lucky Staehly’s Pool Hall and play some pool. Don’t forget your play a game stamp if you do.

Use the Adult Only Soaking Pool Hours

McMenamins Edgefield soaking pool is open only to hotel and spa guests so it is already somewhat limited. I still think it can get a bit crowded during the standard hours and it can definitely fill up with kids.  I recommend using the adult only soaking pool hours if you can!

From 8 pm until 11 pm the soaking pool at Edgefield is open only for hotel guests 21+. This is the time to use it! It usually is much quieter, relaxing, and less crowded. Grab your drink at the Tea Bar and soak away in peace! Don’t forget the flipflops for the walk back to the hotel in the dark.

Bring Earplugs

McMenamins Edgefield is loud. I know I already said that, but it’s still true. The rooms at McMenamins Edgefield do not come with earplugs, so I recommend bringing some along. If you prefer noise canceling ear pods, that works too. Even if you are not someone who normally sleeps with earplugs, I really do recommend you have them your stay.

Take Time for the Shed

One of the best spots at McMenamins Edgefield is the Little Red Shed. This is a small free-standing building located to the east of the main hotel. During the cool and colder months you will find a roaring fire across from the bar and you can sit inside the tiny space or outside next to a covered firepit.

You can pick up a cigar at the Little Red Shed along with a drink and cup of peanuts. The firepits outside make the perfect spot to enjoy your cigar and snuggle up with your throw blanket too!

Not sure what to drink during your McMenamins Edgefield adventure? Check out the 10 Best McMenamins Blends!

Stop at the Glashaus

McMenamins Edgefield has a few shopping options, even a few non-McMenamins ones. Located on the Edgefield property is the Gorge Glashaus where you can watch glassblowing demonstrations and shop for beautiful handblown glass. The Gorge Glashaus closes at 5 pm so if you want to see the demonstrations, be sure to head over before happy hour.

If you want a second shopping stop, check out EarthArt Claywork if you go Thursday through Monday. If you miss the demonstrations, you can still check out, and purchase, the glass-blown masterpieces at the McMenamins Edgefield Gift Shop.

Do a Low Brow Dinner and a High End Brunch

When it comes to dining, McMenamins Edgefield has the full spectrum of options. As you may know, McMenamins has various menu types that are used at their properties all around the Pacific Northwest. These menus vary in how fancy they are and how expensive the food is – they are basically tiered. McMenamins Edgefield has all of the tiers!

You will find pub food and pizza at the Power Station Pub, burgers and sandwiches at the Loading Dock Grill, and fancy dining at Black Rabbit Restaurant and Bar (think steak). While it might seem obvious to go to Black Rabbit for a fancy dinner, I say don’t do this. Head to one of the more casual spots for dinner and grab a pizza or burger and go to Black Rabbit for brunch!

Black Rabbit brunch is delicious and by going for brunch, instead of dinner, you will save a bunch of money. Plus, who wants to eat a huge expensive meal and then put on a bathing suit and sit in a soaking pool?

Visit the Library

Nestled between the Black Rabbit Restaurant and the Winery indoor stairs (and Winery Wing) is the Library. It is super quiet and cute area where you can relax with a book, a glass of wine, or a few friends. This area tends to be overlooked by many visitors as it is located in an area you rarely walk through, unless you’re staying in the Winery Wing. But you should really check it out.

You can grab a drink at the Black Rabbit Bar and bring it over to the Library. There are two “sides” of the Library, divided by the hallway, and the art work on both sides is worth checking out.

Now you are ready for your stay at McMenamins Edgefield! You’re going to have a great time. I hope these McMenamins Edgefield tips will help you be more prepared and have a great trip. What is your favorite spot at McMenamins Edgefield? Do you have a great Edgefield tip? Let me know in the Comments!