An Oregon Coast road trip is perfect for a long weekend getaway! The coastline is full of stunning viewpoints, nature, and trails. As with any road trip, it’s hard to do everything so here are my highlights. If you have more time, you can stretch it out to spend more time at each stop or make more stops. And believe me, you will want to stop often!
Lay of the Land
My boyfriend and I decided to spend Presidents’ Day Weekend navigating this Oregon Coast road trip. It was his first time in Oregon and I had only been to Portland once. So we were pretty excited to embark on this unfamiliar road trip together!
The Oregon Coast is also known as the People’s Coast because Oregon is one of the few states that has protected its coastal land. A legislation bill was passed to allow free and public access to the entire coastline – all 363 miles of it! The rugged coastline is absolutely gorgeous and to my surprise, quite diverse! Expect to encounter giant sand dunes, empty beaches, large rock formations, jaw-dropping lookout viewpoints, secret coves, and tons of wildlife especially at low tide. Microbreweries and delicious seafood will also delight the appetite of any foodie.
Throughout the 3 days of nature, we flew into Eugene, drove to Portland via the coast on US Highway 101, and then flew out from Portland. Our Oregon Coast road trip started from Eugene. Then, we drove west to Florence, then north up along the coast stopping at Lincoln City for a night. We then continued our Oregon Coast road trip up to Cannon Beach before finally driving east to Portland and spending our second night there. We drove roughly 300 miles in total over the 3 days and explored only about half of the entire state’s coastline.
There is one benefit to visiting in the winter during low season – relatively few tourists! At times, we had the entire road to ourselves. The weather cooperated most of the time. It only rained on and off on the first day. But remember to pack enough warm layers (unlike me!) since it was definitely a bit cold with the temperature ranging from 35°F at night to 45°F during the day.
Oregon Coast Road Trip from South to North
Follow along our Oregon Coast road trip itinerary from South to North for 3 days of nature. As with any road trip, a few places are must-stops. There are our highlights. I’ve also included additional stops that we would have liked to have visited if we had more time. But the winter sun had a different idea for us as it limited our daylight hours.
Day 1: Eugene to Lincoln City
Eugene
We didn’t spend too much time here. Our flight from San Francisco had been delayed so we got in really late around
Florence
The coast part of our Oregon Coast road trip started in Florence. The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is the largest stretch of coastal sand dunes in North America. You can go on giant sand dune buggy tours by riding ATVs or test your sandboarding skills. Florence is near the northern end of the dunes. If you want to explore more of the sand dunes, you can take a slight detour. From Eugene, you can drive south and then west to Reedsport before going up north to Florence rather than driving straight west like we did. It’s an extra 45 minute to an hour drive. Otherwise, you can still catch great views of the sand dunes near the northern end.
Into wildlife? Stop by the Sea Lion Caves. It is America’s largest sea cave and a year-round home to the Stellar sea lion. It’s a privately owned wildlife sanctuary so there’s a fee ($14/adult) to enter. Since it was winter, we were able to see hundreds of sea lions sheltering in the cave, which put the size of the cavernous cave to scale. In the spring and summer, they usually leave the cave and move to the rock ledges in front of the cave for breeding.
No need to go to New Zealand for your LOTR (Lord of the Ring) fantasies! The Hobbit Trail will make you feel like a hobbit as you walk down the path through gnarled trees covered in fuzzy green moss. I could imagine flower-carpeted nooks and crannies to hide in when the plants and trees bloom in the spring. The trailhead is located at Mile Marker 177 between Yachats and Florence. Look for a small parking lot on the side of the road since the trailhead can be easy to miss. It’s an easy 1-mile hike down to a sheltered beach or a slightly more difficult 2-mile hike to Heceta Head Lighthouse.
The Heceta Head Lighthouse is the most photographed lighthouse in Oregon. If you visit the Sea Lion Caves, you can see the lighthouse from there too.
Cape Perpetua
Cape Perpetua was one of the top highlights of the road trip for me. The coastline is absolutely breath-taking. You can visit Sprouting Horn, Cook’s Chasm, Thor’s Well, and Devil’s Churn. It is best to visit at high tide to witness the power of the ocean. With our impeccable timing, we arrived there just after low tide but still worth it.
Thor’s Well absolutely cannot be missed! Even at low tide, as the waves come in and out, the ocean water looks like it drains down the “well.” Be careful when getting close to the well since you don’t want to get swept out to sea. Wear waterproof gear to avoid getting wet from the ocean spray.
The Cape Perpetua Day Use area provides an incredible panoramic view of the coast. It is 800 feet above sea level, making it the highest viewpoint by car on the Oregon Coast.
Seal Rock
Seal Rock is a great place to stop and look at the sealife in the tidepools during low tide. As we walked along some “rocks,” I looked down to examine the rocks closer. Imagine my shock to see we were actually walking on top of mussels! The rocks were completely covered in mussels, only exposed during low tide. If you’re lucky, you may spot some harbor seals resting here as well.
Newport
Newport is a cute little coastal town with a historic bayfront. As the “Dungeness Crab Capital of the World”, definitely taste the shellfish here. Chowder Bowl, Local Ocean Seafoods, and Rogue Ales Brewery are all worth checking out. You can also visit the Yaquina Head Lighthouse, Oregon’s tallest lighthouse.
Otter Rock and Depoe Bay
Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area is worth visiting if you have the time. I would have liked to check this place out if the day was just a little bit longer. It is a rocky beach featuring a collapsed sea cave, where you look down into the “punch bowl” to see the ocean pour in and slosh around. A great place to go during low tide so you can go down to the beach.
We didn’t stop at Depoe Bay but this is the place to go for whale watching.
Day 2: Lincoln City to Portland
Lincoln City
Lincoln City is known as the town for “Seven Miles of Smiles” because there are seven miles of beaches from Roads End to Siletz Bay. It is famous for the Finder’s Keepers glass float treasure hunt. Every day throughout the year, people hide handcrafted glass floats on the beach for others to find and keep. We weren’t lucky enough to find any.
If you are into hiking, Drift Creek Falls Hike begins 13 miles west of Siletz Bay in the lush Siuslaw National Forest and takes you to a beautiful 75-foot tall waterfall. The
We stayed in Lincoln City overnight at the Surftides Lincoln City hotel. Every little detail throughout the hotel reflected its cute mermaid nautical theme. It was extremely comfortable and also has a pool and hot tub too. A beachfront view room provided an amazing opportunity to wake up to the sound of ocean waves and seagulls.
As I had mentioned earlier, the North Coast is full of foodie options. Use this map of the North Coast Food Trail to help you figure out where you want make some delicious stops like Nevør Shellfish farm for fresh oysters and the Jacobsen Salt Company, where you can do a salt tasting of the salt harvested from the bay. Chefs around the world use their salt, famous for its texture, pure taste, and appearance. They offer so many varieties of flavored salts such as truffle salt, black garlic salt, rosemary salt, and many many more.
Pacific City to Tillamook
The Three Capes Scenic Drive is one of the highlights of the trip and not to be missed! This is one drive that’s totally worth the side detour off the US Hwy 101. You can stop at Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge for some birdwatching and Bob Straub State Park for a quiet beach stroll.
The first cape is Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City. It has one of 3 Haystack Rocks found on the Oregon Coast. This Haystack Rock is taller than the famous one at Cannon Beach at 327 feet tall. But it’s further away from the coastline so it looks smaller.
There’s also a gigantic sand dune to work your glutes as you walk up to the peak for incredible coastline views. From a distance, people look like tiny ants crawling up the dune. If you happen to have a board with you, you can follow the kids sandboarding down the dune. Stop at Pelican Pub and Brewery for a bite to eat and drink their industry-leading craft beer.
Cape Lookout State Park is the second cape. This park has over 8 miles of hiking trails through the lush forest. Beachcombing is popular here and you can find more glass floats.
The third cape is Cape Meares. We stopped at Oceanside Beach to see the Three Arch Rocks on our way to Cape Meares Lighthouse and found a fun surprising adventure.
At the end of Oceanside Beach, we noticed people going into a tunnel and not coming back out. Curious where they disappeared to, we ventured to investigate further. The tunnel turned out to be Maxwell Point Tunnel that led you to Tunnel Beach. Recent rain had partially flooded the tunnel so we had to step carefully on the few rocks that weren’t submerged in water to avoid wet feet. The empty beach on the other side was totally worth it though
The Lost Boy Cave and Lost Boy Beach can only be visited during super low tide (-1.5 or lower so check the tide charts before going). There are three points of entry with the easiest and safest from Short Beach. According to legend, it’s named Lost Boy Cave because a boy drowned here. From the cave, you can also see Three Arch Rocks and Lost Boy Beach. It’s supposed to be worth it if you can catch it at the right time. The tide wasn’t low enough when we went so we didn’t stop here.
After exploring the capes, you can satisfy your hunger at the Tillamook Creamery Cheese Factory. It’s definitely a must stop if you love cheese, especially cheddar! Avoid peak mealtime hours to avoid the crowds. You can order dishes like fried cheese curds, grilled cheese sandwiches, mac and cheese, tomato soup with cheese curds, pizzas, ice cream, and anything else that would feature cheese or dairy! Above the food court and market hall, there’s a self-guided tour of the factory where you can learn about the whole cheesemaking process from cow to supermarket shelf, complete with a cheese tasting.
Munson Creek Falls could be worth a visit since it is the highest waterfall along the Oregon coast. It’s an easy 0.6 mi hike to the three-tiered 319-foot tall waterfall. However, it’s not located on the Three Capes Scenic Drive, so you would have to double back.
Some potential additional stops
After Tillamook Creamery, we wanted to make it to Cannon Beach for sunset so we didn’t stop at any other places along the way. But here are a few other options you can consider if you have the time.
In Garibaldi, Pier’s End is Oregon’s longest pier at 700 feet long. If you’re a big fan of trains, you can also board the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad, an authentic
Oswald West State Park has a few hikes that may be worth checking out like hiking the Neahkahnie Mountain Loop (moderately difficult 8 mile lollipop loop), hiking to the Summit Viewpoint (moderate 3 mile roundtrip), or hiking to Short Sand Beach (easy 1.2 mile roundtrip) where you can see a suspension bridge along the way. Hug Point State Recreation Site also has great views of the coast. Hug Point Hike is an easy
Cannon Beach
Cannon Beach marks the end of the coastal part of our Oregon Coast road trip. It is home to one of Oregon’s most recognizable landmarks. None other than the most famous and most photographed Haystack Rock. It is 235 feet tall with a few smaller rocks known as the Needles. We got there just in time for sunset. I wish we had more time to walk along the beach to see the rock formations from every angle. But it got very cold very quickly after the sun set. There’s just enough water in the sand on the beach to create beautiful reflections. Definitely a must stop!
Ecola State Park near the northern end of Cannon Beach is worth a visit if you have time. I would have loved to visit this park and hike a few trails if the day had been just a little bit longer. Ecola Point, Indian Beach, and Crescent Beach are worth a visit for beautiful views of Cannon Beach and the Haystack Rock.
Day 3: Portland and Multnomah Falls
Portland
Portland was our final stop of the road trip. We didn’t spend too much time in the city itself since we knew we would be back another time. There’s such an amazing food and bar scene there. It’s the p
Before our early evening flight the next day, we did visit Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge just outside the city and hiked all the way to the top of waterfalls. Since it had snowed the week before, parts of the trail were still covered in snow. Once we reached the top, you were literally on top of the waterfall and looking down over it. It’s 2.4 miles roundtrip and moderately difficult with some steep uphill climbs.
We had about an hour to kill before driving to the airport, so we stopped at Cape Horn Lookout. As we drove from Multnomah Falls to the lookout point, we drove over the Bridge of Gods. Surprisingly, Google Maps announced “Welcome to Washington.” It had totally slipped our minds that the scenic Columbia River serves as the state border between Oregon and Washington.
What a wonderful nature-filled long weekend! We would have loved to have had more time to check out more places. But we don’t feel like we missed anything that we really wanted to visit. Instead of driving the coastal section in 2 days as we did, taking 3 days would have given us a little more time to leisurely explore. We definitely plan to visit again to see the rest of the North Coast from Cannon Beach to Astoria as well as driving south from Florence to the California state border. An Oregon Coast road trip is definitely worth the drive for all the beautiful scenic landscapes and good food!
