The Oregon coast stretches for over 360 miles (580 km) facing the mighty Pacific Ocean. To drive along the coast non-stop would take approximately seven hours on U.S. Route 101. Of course, stops are likely and recommended to plan well! We did the top third on one day, and the remaining on a second day.
Background on Oregon’s coast
The Oregon coast, as much of the Pacific coast of the United States, was first explored by the Spanish. Soon, thereafter the British (like Cook or Vancouver) also explored the Pacific Northwest coast. Most notably, the Lewis and Clark expedition got to the northwest corner of Oregon near Astoria.
The entire coast of Oregon is public land. Some technical terms define exactly how far from the water but the point is that all waterfront is public land and available for public use (while allowing for easements for coast-facing property owners).
This means that one can uninterruptedly explore the coast with its many features: beaches, rocky terrain, lighthouses, capes, historical sites, etc. There is a great variety of features dotting the coast allowing for a good number of activities for every taste (beach, hiking, small-town exploring, kite flying, water sports, fishing, and on and on).
There are different characteristics of the coast.
- The northern segment is more likely to have longer, uninterrupted beaches. Cannon Beach and Tillamook would fall under this northern segment.
- As you move further south, more small cliffs and terraces appear. Small neat towns like Yachats are part of this central coast adding more charm.
- The southern part is more hilly so the cliffs and capes are taller. There are also beaches but they did not seem as vast as the northern ones. And sand dunes make their appearance in this section. Bandon and Coos Bay are some of the towns in this area.
Rocky outcrops dote the entire coastline, making it reminiscent of the Great Ocean Road in Australia near Melbourne. Sunset along the coast, needless to say, offers spectacular scenes and great photo opportunities.
What to see along Oregon’s coast
Here are some key spots to not miss among the many available. The list is presented in a north-to-south order, not in an order of preference!
#1 Cannon Beach
As expanded upon in a separate post in this blog, Cannon Beach is a must-see. It is expansive and easy to access from the town (steps away, literally!). Check out the blog post for a suggestion of what to do intown other than the beach that everyone checks out!
#2 Tillamook
Tillamook is a town near the coast. While it is on the water, it is actually a bay. It is a town of about 5,000 sporting an air museum and the Tillamook Creamery which can be visited. We did not make these stops as we had landed on the west coast around noon and had spent time in Cannon Beach and still had a long drive to get to the Willamette Valley for the evening.
#3 Munson Creek Falls
Right after passing Tillamook, for those wanting a little non-beach activity and beautiful nature, the Munson Creek Falls are easily accessible from U.S. Route 101 and a quarter mile short walk to get to them. The dense greenery makes a lot of sense given the high level of moisture of a coastal region. The trail to the waterfall starts at a small parking lot but the final bit of the trail happened to be close so we were not able to get up close-and-personal with the waterfall. Still, a nice break with lots of fresh air for our first travel day.
#4 Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint
There are many places to pull off the road or official viewpoints. The Boiler Bay stop, just north of Devil’s Punch Bowl, is one of the nicest in terms of the views it offers up the coast, but also because it is expansive, has tons of parking, and has restroom facilities. A nice place to stop and have lunch, stretch the legs, or shoot some good photos.
#5 Devil’s Punch Bowl at Otter Rock
This amazing rock feature is easily reached but on a busy weekend day, good luck finding parking! The parking not only serves visitors who want to see the bowl but also those wanting to visit the local shops or head down to the amazing beach. Still it is worth the trouble. You can admire the bowl and follow a short trail that sort of is an overlook onto the beach right south of it. At the right time of the year (March/April, I understand), whale-watching may also be possible from there.
#6 Yaquina Head Lighthouse
Continuing on south, the Yaquina Head Lighthouse (the tallest on the coast) is a great spot to stop and explore. When we went, we were not able to drive up to the parking area by the lighthouse itself but had to park up the road and undertake a walk that was not unpleasant.
By the lighthouse you can walk to decks along the cliff to get closer to the water. Access to the ‘beach’ was closed, not sure why (Covid gives a great cover to change a few things…). But we were close enough at the lowest deck while also getting a better look at the birds nesting on the rocks. I also recommend reading the signs explaining a few topics, especially how looking at the cliff-side and the rocks shows you how much time a particular level spends underwater as the tide comes and goes.
The lighthouse was off limits but I don’t think that was Covid but, rather, repairs that were underway. Again, signs explain how the area and life there were in its very early days. Really interesting life those folks led! As with many lighthouses, they are now automated and the full-time lighthouse operator is no longer the human who tended to live a very isolated life in those locales.
#7 Yachats
The small town of Yachats is one of the more picturesque of the towns I got to see along the coast. It is a great stop to have lunch near the water (even if not facing it) and perhaps shop around at the local market (can’t quite call it a supermarket though it has just about everything one needs) or the stores around the heart of the town. Yachats is the entry point (at least in this direction) to the next area worth exploring….
#8 Cape Perpetua
Cape Perpetua (visited and named by James Cook in 1778) is not just a cape point but a broader area. The day use area offers great views. The beaches around are expansive. Thor’s Well is one of the many interesting features to explore. Campgrounds and walking/hiking trails offer more than just views. In other words, plenty of things to see and places to soak the beauty of the Oregon coast in. Before my trip I read somewhere that is the quintessential coast of Oregon everyone thinks of when they talk about how beautiful the Pacific coast is. Agreed!
#9 Oregon Sand Dunes
I never fully figured out the best spot(s) to view and enjoy the sand dunes of Oregon but everything I had read spoke about the amazing dunes of Oregon. Clearly, I needed to have done more research – or have better luck on the road! I had supposed it was one park with a nice brown sign along the road pointing to where to go. Well, it seems the area is so expansive that it is not just “one” spot. In any case, do your homework on these if you are interested. Know that you will see some sand dunes along the way all the way into California though perhaps not the most impressive part.
#10 Cape Sebastian
Cape Sebastian has multiple places to explore but the south parking offered, in my opinion, one of the best vantage points to see up and down the coast. I read it was just about 50 miles up and down of views from about 200 feet high! Truly stunning.
We were running behind schedule so we limited our walk on the trail off the parking lot but it was a fun, vegetation-covered trail on the segment we did.
#11 Myers Creek Beach
Right after getting down from Cape Sebastian and hopping on the 101, there are a couple of viewpoint stops to admire the beach and rock formations and, in our visit, the setting sun and its great light for photos. We stopped at the second one, the Myers Creek Beach viewpoint, closer down to the beach level though not quite there. The sand looked like small sand dunes with the shadows they cast. I figure whichever stop along the coast you make while the sun is setting may be your favorite stop. I think Cape Sebastian and this stop, therefore, may be my favorite of the entire coast!
Hope you get to explore the Oregon coast someday and certainly do not limit yourself to this list – there is more than I could cover and more for every taste / preference!
