Beginner’s Guide to the OR Coast

Most importantly, Astoria is not on the ocean. It is on the Columbia, although only a few miles from where the mouth of the river meets the ocean. Also most importantly, Astoria is one of my three favorite places in the state. (What are the other two, you may ask? I could tell you, but wouldn’t it be more fun to read all my posts and figure it out for yourselves?) See my detailed post for a lot more info, but Astoria has it all, from museums to forts to a big ol’ column to one of the top two breweries in the state, in my humble opinion. I consider Astoria to be a can’t miss but fair warning, it is not close to much except the other northern coast towns.

From a can’t miss to a can’t leave quickly enough. While it is both on HW101 and the coast, I’ve yet to find a redeeming quality about Seaside. I’ve never been to New Jersey, but I feel pretty confident in saying that Seaside is the Jersey Shore of Oregon. I guess if you’re visiting from there, you might like it? Or if you’re desperately trying to entertain kids with broken down arcades and a go-cart track? Seriously though, just don’t if you don’t have to.

Follow up note – I went back to Seaside just to be open minded and make sure I didn’t have the wrong opinion of it and guess what? I didn’t. It sucks.

Two things can be true at the same time. Cannon Beach is both a pretty decent place to go, and also the most overrated place on the Oregon Coast. Why it is overrated? Based on my exhaustive research, it is a combination of the movie the Goonies (which is mostly filmed in Astoria but does feature Haystack Rock at the end) as well as the fact that is the closest place on the coast to Portland. Since most people in Oregon either live in Portland or visit via flying into Portland, they tend to spend a lot of time at Cannon Beach and so it gets featured the most often. I kid a bit on the overrated part – Haystack Rock is pretty cool, and the downtown is cute. But there are better rocks and better downtowns. I’m not saying skip it, but try to make some other stops.

This is admittedly one of my few blind spots on the coast. I’ve driven through loads of time but have never stopped and looked around. I’ve heard it’s got a lot of good rental properties and a really nice beach, but I can’t vouch for that. Instead, I personally recommend…

Hidden gem is such an overused term. I’ve read lists that call Bend the “hidden gem of central Oregon” (and if you ever come across a website that says something that obvious, run away immediately). But I think it actually qualifies here. Be prepared to slow down and relax a little bit. The pristine beaches are usually empty. The cute little downtown has plenty of worthwhile food stops that you won’t have to wait a second for. Plus, the corndog was supposed invented there! I say supposedly, because what am I, an obsessive fact-checker? When we’re picking a place to stay on the coast and don’t have a reason to be somewhere specific, this is the place we always end up.

On 101 but extremely not on the coast. When you’re driving through, the cheese factory is recently upgraded and a great place for some free samples, fresh squeaky cheese curds, or a scoop of delicious ice cream. It also has deGarde, one of the best breweries in the state, featuring wild and sour ales. And maybe stop by the jerky outlet for some heavily discounted dried meats? Otherwise, I’m really not sure why Tillamook would be your destination. To me, it’s a stop on the drive but not a stay.

Not to be confused with Seaside, even though the similar naming is trying it’s best, Oceanside is tiny and wonderful. Don’t expect a ton of tourist attractions or food options, but if you are looking for a truly secluded, quiet, and relaxing beach stay, you can’t do much better than Oceanside. There are three rock arches close to shore that produce the best sunset scenery I’ve ever seen. Plus, you can go through a tunnel to a secret beach! How can you beat that? It’s not on HW101 so not necessarily an easy stop for a short weekend visitor, but perfect to spend a night or two. And you should definitely add on a hike in Cape Meares.

Another non HW101 place, city is really a misnomer here. It is basically one stoplight and one beach. But it’s a phenomenal beach. The best part is the Cape Kiwanda Sand Dune. It is a short but challenging hike to the top with great views, but my favorite part? Sprinting down after with almost no risk of injury. If you have a dog, they will go nuts here. Plus, I think it hosts the original location of Pelican Brewery (a coastal chain), which is a great spot for a cool beer after a few hot sprints.

Home to one of my favorite hikes at the coast and… not a ton else? The hike out to God’s Thumb is easily one of the best in the Oregon Coast and there is a really nice beach in close proximity to visit before or afterwards. The problem with Lincoln City? It has no walkable town center to easily explore. It isn’t a problem if you’re driving through, but if you wanted to stay? Not sure how that would go. It’s a car town and I’m not a car traveler if I can help it. One bonus, Devil’s Lake does have great camping but it is not on the ocean.

The prize for the smallest town on this list goes to either Oceanside or Depoe Bay. It is only 10 minutes north of Newport, which is also on this list. So why include it? Primarily because it is the whale watching capital of Oregon. You can tour in a big boat or a small one (or just use the free binoculars at the visitor center) but either way you’re extremely likely to see at least one. There are migration seasons when the whales are most prominent (January and May are the big months) but there are also local whales that live in the bay year-round. Also, Depoe has a good number of adorable places to stay. Sometimes, smaller is better.

Because I live in Corvallis, Newport as the shortest drive is also by default the coast city I have been to the most times. So, I’m not sure if I have the least biased opinion about it. But my opinion is that it would be totally worth it no matter where you came from. It has two great but very different lighthouses (which you can walk between if you fancy a lengthy beach stroll). It has a bayfront that is both extremely local (fisheries that smell exactly like you’d expect, a pier packed with sea lions) but also has ridiculous tourist traps like a Ripley’s. It has one of the better aquariums I’ve ever been to for a town of this size, plus a marine science center which is cross between another aquarium and a museum). I rarely stay overnight here because it is so close, but I would recommend it for a visitor. Fun fact – my wife who works in accounting for Oregon State University has an exciting wave energy project here and also will soon have a brand new sea research vessel docked here – hurray for real world impacts! 

This one is a real mid. There is nothing exceptional about Waldport (the city) but there’s also nothing bad. It has pretty good beaches (especially the one out on the tip of the Bayshore area). It has a small but decent downtown. For me, it is typically a drive through, but I wouldn’t fault anybody who wanted to stay. The exception – Hilltop Café. Definitely get a meal here if you can. Amazing burgers and crab cakes.

Split between Waldport and Yachats as they are the closest cities to my favorite camping spot on the coast – Tillicum Beach. If you are extremely lucky or staying on a Tuesday you might even get a spot the overlooks the ocean. I almost didn’t include this because it is already hard to get a spot here and I don’t want any more competition, but now you know just how nice of a guy I am.

First off pronunciation. Officially it is “yah-hots”. I personally prefer “yeah-chets” because I’m a weirdo. But definitely do not say that or you will be thrown out of Oregon. This is a pretty small town that has a great seafood restaurant (Ona) and a bit of a beach (with dog park) but mostly it is known for its proximity to Cape Perpetua (see below). Yachats is absolutely worth staying in but only if you’re using it as a jumping off point.

One of only two non-cities in this beginner’s guide, and conveniently placed between Yachats and Florence (not just geographically but also in this guide) is Cape Perpetua, otherwise known as the absolute best place on the Oregon coast. This park has it all – tide pools, hiking, amazing crashing waves. Low tide is great. High tide is great. Walk up a mountain or along the coastline. Stop for info at not one but two very nice visitor centers. Come in the winter if you want to see the most epic waves crashing over rocks, but do be prepared to get wet. Come in the summer with a picnic and spend the entire day. If I was recommending one single place for a single day in Oregon, it would be here.

Another city that is not exactly on the coast but the downtown is on a beautiful river (Suislaw). I very much enjoy walking around the riverfront in Florance (Homegrown is a favorite restaurant and it’s almost mandatory to get ice cream while you walk). Having said that, the best thing about Florence is its proximity to the Dunes. Whether you want to walk or ATV, the Oregon Dunes are amazing and otherworldly (they apparently inspired the Frank Herbert books). Camping at Jessie Honeyman’s is also a great option if you want to save money but still be close. If you have the time, I absolutely would not skip exploring the Oregon Dunes.

I will be completely honest, I have been here once and it was only to get lunch. Lunch was great! (Shoutout to the Highwater). But based on my quick stop I felt like it would be worth a return visit. I don’t have a lot to base that on but I will update this entry if I do.

Known as the butthole of Oregon (that might just be me), Coos Bay has almost nothing going for it. It is not on the ocean. The downtown isn’t cute, in fact it is depressing AF. Most shops are closed and the river walk is dirty. I hate to trash a place this badly but I just do not understand why anybody would visit here, let alone stay here. Avoid like the plague.

This is the other non-city entry in this beginner’s guide, as I refuse to consider these parks a part of Coos Bay even thought it is the largest sizeable city nearby. Because they are completely different places. Shore Acres has an immaculately manicured garden. The beaches and viewpoints have a lot of sea stacks (i.e., tall rocks) to view. Definitely make this a day trip stop if you are in the area but stay somewhere better than Coos Bay such as…

I have only been here twice and stayed overnight once. And that was enough to consider it one my top three places on the Oregon coast. If I go more times, I might put it higher. What I most love about Bandon is the number of state parks on the coast here that feature some of the best sea stacks (large vertical rocks) that you can find in Oregon. The downtown is also super cute with great restaurants and an ancient lighthouse. Finally, Bandon has either the 1st or 2nd best cheeserie on the coast (depending on how you feel about Tillamook). You absolutely have to go get their fresh curds (which coming from someone born in Wisconsin is high praise).

Another southern Oregon coastal city that we have only even been to once is Port Orford, but it was special enough that I felt compelled to include it. This is almost entirely due to the place we stayed, which is not paying us, the Wildspring Guest Habitat. Amazing personal cabins with a huge shared hot tub overlooking the ocean, multiple hammocks to lounge and read in, and a delicious breakfast.

As far as I know, Brookings (or technically just outside) is the only place in Oregon where you can see redwoods trees in nature. And as far as I know, that’s the only thing I know about Brookings. Be warned, the road to said redwoods is really rough. Like truly terrible. Was it worth the drive to see the trees? Maybe?

I tried to include any sizable cities along the Oregon Coast or Highway 101 but there were lots of smaller towns that I skipped. If I didn’t specifically highlight a place, I probably don’t love it but at the same time if I didn’t specifically call out why a place sucks I probably don’t hate it either. There are so many beautiful beaches, viewpoints, and other on the Oregon coast. I can’t possible list every one which is why this is called the “Beginners Guide”. However, if you have any specific questions please contact me, I love talking about Oregon and debating what might be worthwhile or not.