Every year, millions of people visit the Oregon Coast. It’s easy to see why. The coastal towns are charming and relaxing. The beaches with sea stacks and tidepools are both beautiful and fun. Whether you are into hunting for lighthouses, enjoying scenic drives, or having adventures, there is something for everyone.
I’m Cheryl. I live in Utah and have been writing travel guides on how to visit the West since 2020. Last year, my husband and I did an 8-day road trip along the coast. We made plenty of mistakes and learned a few things. Today, I want to share with you what we wish we had known before visiting the Oregon Coast.
The Oregon Coast is filled with great coastal towns, beaches, and activities. We started in Astoria, in the north, and ended in Brookings, in the south. They are all connected by HWY 101 and it takes around 8 hours to drive without stopping.
People rarely just drive HWY 101. They make a trip out of it by staying overnight in a few of the towns, making their way up or down the coast.
The northern part of the trip is more overcast and rainy, with more sunshine in the south. However, it’s super common for it to be overcast along the entire coast.
There are over 200 state parks in Oregon and national park sites, too. You’ll want to stop at many of these as you travel up and down the coast. Almost all of the state parks charge a day-use fee and you have to pay for it from a vending machine in the parking lot or at the visitor center.
What we learned is that you only need to pay at one state park per day. That pass is good for any other parks you visit day. Daily permits are now $10 (OR residents) / $12 (non‑residents) and 12‑month permits are $60 (resident) / $75 (non‑resident).
DON’T FORGET: There are also a few national park sites along the Oregon Coast. If you have a yearly America the Beautiful Pass, it covers your entrance fee.
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Businesses will be closed, activities will get cancelled, and the weather might be horrible… and you will still have a great trip. I had booked a whale-watching tour in Depoe Bay with a marine biologist months in advance and was super excited for it. The morning of our tour, we got a text informing us that our tour had been cancelled due to fog. We headed into town anyway. The weather cleared up in the afternoon, and we were able to book a last-minute tour with Dockside Charters. We saw whales and had a wonderful time.
We were also excited to explore Old Town in Bandon, but the night we arrived, it was so windy we ended up hanging out in our hotel. But… the next morning, the weather had cleared up and we had the opportunity to help create a labyrinth on the beach with the Circles in the Sand program. It was one of the most memorable things we did on our trip.
CIRCLES IN THE SAND is about sharing love and care. A labyrinth maker outlines an easy-to-follow maze along the beach, and volunteers help rake the paths. Anyone can walk the labyrinth. It’s really fun and special. It happens about once a month on Bandon Beach. If you want to help make the labyrinth, look up what days they are doing it and show up an hour before they open it. They will have rakes you can use and train you how to do it.
How a beach looks and the things you can do revolve around the tide. If you don’t live near an ocean (like me), you may not be familiar with tides. There are two high tides and two low tides every day on the Oregon Coast. Low tide is when the water goes out to sea and there is more beach exposed. It provides opportunities for tidepooling and biking on the beach. High tides are when the water returns and covers more of the beach. It’s good for viewing spouting rocks and whales. Plus, the crashing waves are fun to watch.
WHAT IS TIDEPOOLING? Tidepooling occurs when the tide recedes, leaving the sea creatures that were previously submerged exposed. Don’t worry, they are built to survive this, and it’s neat to be able to view sea stars, crabs, and anemones up close.
Use a tide chart when planning your day and make sure to visit the beach at the best time for what you want to do. You can obtain a tide chart at most visitor centers or find it online.
GOOD TO KNOW: Many businesses revolve around the tides as well, so their hours change regularly.
Many of the delightful things on the coast are not advertised or on Instagram. You may have an itinerary that has activities to keep you busy from sunup to sundown, but if you don’t stop for surprises, you’ll miss out.
When we visited Cannon Beach, we noticed that there were incredible flowers all around town. Instead of driving to Old Town, we chose to walk. We also noticed that several of the beaches we visited had volunteers who were there to both protect the beach and teach about the marine life. We’ll never forget the volunteer who taught us about the birds at Devils Punchbowl. She helped us see a family of black oystercatchers nesting on a sea stack. It was incredible when we saw the parents chase off an eagle to protect their chicks.
I was expecting beautiful scenery, but I had no idea the amount of wildlife we would see. Here’s the list of animals we saw on our trip.
PRO TIP: Bring your binoculars! They really help with viewing birds on the sea stacks. We like these binoculars.
If you are into nightlife, the Oregon Coast is NOT for you! We found that most state parks close by 5 pm, and the towns are generally closed by 8 pm. This includes the restaurants. When we travel, we often eat after 8 pm because we use all the sunlight we have to research new things to do. It was pretty hard to find anywhere to eat.
Also, expect very short hours. Many businesses don’t open until 10 am, and some are closed on certain weekdays (we visited during peak tourism season in July). Lastly, tours of lighthouses are usually only given from 11-3.
DID YOU KNOW: The Oregon Coast has several lighthouses. We saw 13 on our trip! You can’t go into all of them, but they make for wonderful photos and usually have a great view of the ocean, if they aren’t surrounded by fog.
You’ll see plenty of happy dogs and their owners enjoying the beach. Leashes aren’t required and it’s fun to watch the dogs run across the shore and play in the water.
In the beach towns, leashed dogs are welcome and there is plenty of outdoor seating where you and your doggo can enjoy a meal. We also noticed that most of the hotels we stayed at allowed pets, for an extra fee.
Lastly, the state parks also allow leashed dogs. If you enjoy traveling with your fur baby, the Oregon Coast is a good trip.
Did you know that the Oregon Coast has 363 miles of public beaches? Most beaches require short (and sometimes steep) walks down stairs to get to them, and… the views are often similar. We wrote an article, 10 Best Beaches on the Oregon Coast (+ the Ones You Can Skip), that you should really check out. But if you don’t read it, make sure to visit Cannon Beach and Bandon Beach. Those are our favorites.
WHY ARE THERE SO MANY BEACHES? Oswald West was a governor of Oregon who fought to make all of Oregon’s beaches public land. He succeeded and that is why there are so many public beaches along the Oregon Coast. I just have to say, the state of Oregon does an incredible job caring for its beaches. They are always clean and I often see volunteers protecting the wildlife and teaching the public about the birds and marine life.
13 road trip ideas across the West so you know where to go, how long to stay, and what to see
*Sample routes from 4–31 days across national parks and hidden gems
*Driving times + best stops so you don’t miss the good stuff
*Season + weather notes to avoid closed roads and peak‑crowd days
*Lodging ideas in the right spots so you cut backtracking
I packed my bathing suit, but never once put it on the entire 8-day trip. It was rare to see people in the water, though we did see a few surfers at Short Sand Beach. The water temperature averages between 50-55°F, and daily temperatures rarely get over 65°F. Plus, it is often overcast and rainy. Add in dangerous sneaker waves (these are big waves that come from nowhere and knock people over), and it’s just not ideal for swimming. Instead of packing your bathing suit, bring your rain jacket, hoodie, and an extra pair of shoes and socks.
GOOD TO KNOW: Plan on having a bad hair day every day of your trip. Between the wind and the frequent (but brief) rain, it’s hard to win this battle with Mother Nature. Don’t worry, everyone else will be having a bad hair day too!
Seafood is the star of the show here, but there are plenty of other great things to eat! I’ve written a whole article about the best places to eat on the Oregon Coast, but here is a quick list to get you started.
| Tony’s Crab Shack (Bandon) | Tiny, casual shack on the dock, fresh off-the-boat seafood. We loved their crab sandwich |
| Thai Port (Newport) | Authentic Thai food right on the coast with views of the water. It was a nice change if you’ve had your fill of seafood |
| Tillamook Creamery (Tillamook) | Awesome cheese and ice cream (they serve regular food too) |
| Pronto Pup (Rockaway Beach) | Huge corn dogs and yummy fries. Home of the world’s largest corn dog (it’s on the roof!) |
| Mo’s Seafood and Chowder (most Oregon Coast Towns) | People love to hate on this place, but there are always great views of the ocean and we thought their clam chowder was great! |
| Sea Star Gelato (Seaside) | Homemade gelato and the best we’ve ever had (and we’ve been to Italy!) We love their unique flavors |
| Bowpicker Fish and Chips (Astoria) | Albacore tuna, secret recipe for the batter, and served out of a retired fishing boat. Fun and delicious. |
| Tom’s Fish and Chips (Cannon Beach) | Inexpensive and had amazing fish tacos |
| Pizza a’fetta (Cannon Beach and Seaside) | Ranked in the top 50 pizza places in the country! Crust is perfect- soft and crunchy at the same time. Buy a whole pie or by the slice. |
GOOD TO KNOW: The food on the Oregon Coast is less expensive than in many tourist towns. You can usually grab lunch for less than $15. Pizza a’fetta sells pizza by the slice for $5.
Some common advice I heard before visiting the Oregon Coast was that all the hotels and motels were dumpy. There are strict laws limiting development on the beaches, which means that there are very few new hotels. Most are older, small, family-run, and… expensive.
On our trip along the coast, we switched hotels five times. We found all of them to be clean and adequate, but not great. We particularly enjoyed the Sandy Cove Inn (book here) in Seaside and appreciated that it was only ~$160 a night instead of being $200+ that we paid at other places.
PRO TIP: Take the time to talk to the owners. They will often tip you off to some local hidden gems, like great places to eat. Also, remember to be considerate and call if you will be arriving late. These aren’t big box hotels that have someone at the front desk 24/7.
Most beach towns feature a historic downtown area or shopping district, complete with local restaurants, shops, and galleries. Some are on the waterfront and others aren’t. We think you should visit a few of them because it’s a great way to break up the driving and beaches.
A great example is comparing the towns of Cannon Beach and Seaside. They are only about 10 minutes apart and have a totally different feel. Cannon Beach is charming and classy. Beautiful homes, a relaxed atmosphere, and a small community. Its beach is very scenic, home to Haystack Rock!
Seaside has tons of resorts and a really happening shopping district. We loved exploring Funland, their old-school arcade, and playing some retro games like air hockey and pinball. They even had a unique game called Fascination, which is a combination of skeeball and bingo, and you compete against other players. Their beach has no sea stacks but has tons of sand to lounge on, a playground, volleyball nets, and even showers.
Depoe Bay is known for its whale-watching, and Bandon is known for its sea lions. Read up on the towns along the coast and pick which ones are the most interesting to you.
This is not an exaggeration, but it is possible for the weather to change from sunny to foggy, to windy, to rainy, and back to sunny again in just a few hours. As we drove along the coast, it was always a guessing game on what the weather would be like at our next destination because the weather would change a couple of times, just on a 30-minute drive.
It’s common to get sunburned, windblasted, and rained on all in an afternoon. The good news is that since the weather is so fleeting, it’s possible that if a viewpoint is obstructed by fog, it could easily pass within the hour.
PRO TIP: There is no such thing as bad weather… just bad clothing! Even if you are visiting in the summer, bring a rain jacket, sweatshirt, beanie, gloves, and a change of shoes and socks- just in case your feet get wet. You may even want to pack a puffer coat if you plan to go out on the ocean.
We got obsessed with seeing as many lighthouses as we could along the coast. They each have their own look and history and it’s really fun to discover a new one. Plus, they almost always have amazing views of the ocean and surrounding areas.
Something unfortunate about lighthouses is that it’s common for them to be engulfed in fog. It makes sense since their main purpose is to keep ships safe in areas of poor visibility. It’s just no fun for us tourists!
Just for fun, here is a list of lighthouses we were able to visit on our last trip,
with a quick take on each of them.
North Head Lighthouse– First lighthouse we visited and it was one of the nicest.
Cape Disappointment– In Washington. Cool spot but the lighthouse is a little run down.
Lightship Columbia– This is actually a moving lighthouse that is on a boat and
it’s at the Columbia River Maritime Museum.
Tillamook Rock– Known as Terrible Tilly because of the harsh conditions of the island it’s on.
Very cool but can’t visit it since it’s in the ocean.
It has an interesting history and is said to be haunted.
Yaquina Head-is the quintessential lighthouse on the Oregon Coast, and offers
easy access, a robust visitor center, perfect photo ops,
bird sightings, and ocean access.
Heceta Head– Hike to it was very pretty, with views of the bridge by the beach.
Umpqua River– Cool mainly because it was the only one we visited
while they were doing tours. So we learned a lot!
Cape Blanco– Loved the walking path to the lighthouse, the cliffs, and
the grasslands surrounding the lighthouse.
Coquille River– Short but had a different look than the others.
Cape Meares– Shortest lighthouse on the coast.
Cape Arago– It’s on a small island in the ocean and can’t be visited.
It can be seen from a roadside viewpoint at
Shore Acres State Park, which is a great place to visit to
check out the impressive manicured gardens or play at Sunset Beach.
Battery Point Lighthouse– Unique because you have to wait until low tide to visit!
(tide was too high for our visit).
Also, the only one with the light on when we visited.
We were pleasantly surprised to find that there were many awesome things to do that didn’t break the bank. A couple of activities that were particularly a bargain were our dune buggy ride on the sand dunes (~$20) and our whale watching tour at Depoe Bay (~$25). We also went crabbing and did an amazing tour of the Rogue River, where we zoomed around on jet boats going 40 mph AND saw great wildlife.
I wrote an article, 13 Absolute Best Things To Do On An Oregon Coast Road Trip, you can check out if you want to learn more.
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When is the best time of year to visit? July through September is when you are most likely to get some sunshine and less rain. It’s also the most crowded.
How bad are the crowds? Not too bad at all! We were pleasantly surprised and rarely felt like somewhere we visited was too crowded to have a good time. We traveled in July, which is also peak tourist season. The most crowded place we visited was the Tillamook Creamery, but we still enjoyed it.
What should I do if it’s rainy? If it doesn’t rain while you are visiting, you are a rare four-leaf clover! Plan on rain by bringing a rain jacket, an umbrella, and a spare pair of shoes. The good news is that the weather changes frequently. The clouds may roll through, or it might rain in one town but not the next.
Will I have cell service? Cell reception is spotty. Count on having it in the towns but not on the roads between them.
How many days does it take to visit the Oregon Coast? We visited for 8 days and were able to see pretty much everything. You could easily shorten this trip to 3-5 days by only doing portions of the coast or skipping some of the activities. You could also extend it a few more days and explore at a more leisurely pace.
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Click the PNW Bundle to see all the amazing things you can do. If you’re only visiting the Oregon Coast, you can also grab just the Oregon Coast guide.
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