For many, road tripping the Pacific Coast Highway in California is a must-do. But driving Highway 101 along the Oregon coast is often overlooked. Here’s why you should absolutely add this stretch of pavement to your road tripping bucket list!
The Oregon coast is filled with cute seaside towns where life is simple and time seems to slow down. Though a few hoppin’ cities are scattered throughout as well. It’s most known for its lighthouses, wildlife viewing, seafood joints, and coffee culture. You can find loads of opportunities to get outdoors too — whether hiking, camping, boating, or beach combing. Be on the lookout for bald eagles, roosevelt elk, and gray whales during migration times. Below is a more comprehensive list of highlights for road tripping the Oregon coast!
Astoria
At the mouth of the Columbia River sits what was once the economic hub of the Pacific Northwest. An economy of fish canneries and lumber has been replaced with a vibrant arts scene, light manufacturing, and the growth of microbreweries. Movie buffs will love this town, as it was the setting of The Goonies. Astoria was also featured in Free Willy, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, The Ring Two, Into The Wild, and many more.
Visit The Goonies house or take in the city from above at the Astoria column. Grab lunch at Bridgewater Bistro, Blue Scorcher Bakery Cafe, Bowpicker Fish & Chips, or my personal favorite — T Paul’s Urban Cafe. Check out the beached shipwreck at Fort Stevens State Park or wander the shops downtown in search of cool art.
Ecola State Park
Stretching 9 miles of coastline, Ecola State Park covers a lot of iconic scenery. Probably the most iconic being Haystack Rock and Cannon Beach. For just $5 per vehicle, you can access all areas of this beautiful park and enjoy picnicking, surfing, tide pooling, and wildlife viewing. There are plenty of cliffside views and hidden coves to be discovered and photographed. Visit Indian Beach or hike the interpretive 2 ½ mile Clatsop Loop Trail.
Tillamook Cheese Factory
Who doesn’t love cheese or ice cream?! Make a pit stop at the Tillamook Cheese Factory for a free and self guided tour. Witness the cheesemaking process and then indulge in what you really came for — the free samples! And don’t miss out on a visit to the ice cream counter while you’re there! The factory is also a great place to stock up on other Northwest treats such as smoked salmon, fudge, and marionberry jam.
Depoe Bay & Devil’s Punchbowl
Depoe Bay is a great town to stop in if you want to go on a whale watching tour. In fact, it’s been dubbed as the “Whale Watching Capital of the Oregon Coast“! Gray whales can be seen here almost year-round, as they migrate and feed. And 1-hour tours are typically only $20/adult! The best time to witness these gentle giants would be December to February or March to May. There are plenty of reputable whale watching tour companies in town, though I’ve heard great things about Tradewinds Charters! Stop by the Whale Watching Center and the Whale, Sea Life, and Sharks Museum after your tour.
Devil’s Punchbowl is a short pit stop about 10 minutes south of Depoe Bay. A hollow rock formation shaped like a huge punchbowl is filled with waves in high tide and winter storms. The water churns and swirls in the punchbowl when it’s full. This neat geological formation was likely caused by the roof of two sea caves collapsing. The Punchbowl is a lot less exciting in low tide, but the beach views are beautiful and there is a picnic spot nearby. Tide pooling in this area is also excellent!
Yaquina Head Lighthouse & Newport
The Yaquina Head Lighthouse has the tallest tower on the Oregon Coast! Its been fully restored and is now open to the public. Yaquina also has another lighthouse in the area, called Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, which is also worth a view. Once you’ve officially exhausted your Instagram feed of lighthouse photos, head to Newport for the stellar food! Local Ocean Seafoods or Chowder Bowl at Nye Beach are top choices, but if you’re not into seafood try Nana’s Irish Pub or Cafe Stephanie.
Heceta Head Lighthouse Station B&B
Stay in one of the last remaining Lightkeeper’s cottages on the Pacific coast! The Heceta Head Lighthouse also happens to be a bed & breakfast! Each of the 6 rooms are decorated with unique antiques and a whole lot of charm. Rates start as low as $125/night — a price well worth the starry walk you can take around the lighthouse at night! The seven course breakfast is also a major highlight.
Oregon Sea Lion Caves
Not far from the Heceta Head Lighthouse is the Oregon Sea Lion Caves, America’s largest sea cave. Walk down a long staircase and into a viewing area of this sea-level grotto that is typically filled with Stellar Sea Lions. Hundreds of them gather in this cave in the winter months! Their loud bellowing calls echo off the walls and drown out the sounds of the crashing waves and noisy sea birds. If your road trip is in a different season, you might still get to see a few sea lions swimming in and out of the cave, and you can also enjoy the gift shop or informational displays.
Oregon Dunes National Recreation Site
As you drive along the Oregon coast, you’ll see a lot of rugged cliffside’s and rock formations on the beaches. And almost out of nowhere comes a vast area of coastline that is piled high with sand dunes! Suddenly you feel as if you’ve been transported into the deserts of Egypt or Peru or some other far-off country! The landscape in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Site is perfect for a little adrenaline-pumping adventure! Head to Spinreel for dune buggy or ATV rentals, and Sand Master Park for sand boarding or sledding rentals.
For a longer visit in this unique area, reserve a yurt or log cabin at the nearby Umpqua Lighthouse State Park.
Coos Bay & Bandon
If you’re in need of a sugar rush energy on your Oregon coast road trip, stop in either Coos Bay or Bandon. Both towns have great sweets spots. Try Cranberry Sweets in Coos Bay for chocolates, brittles, caramels, or candies and Bandon’s Baking Co. and Deli for cookies or pastries. For another tasty snack, tour the Merritt Lavender Farm in Bandon and sample gourmet lavender treats! If you’ve had enough sweets for one day, both towns also offer state parks, cute shops, and a few local art galleries. They are ideal places to pull over if you’re craving a peaceful small-town setting.
BONUS : Cave Junction
Once you’ve reached the end of your Oregon coast road trip, consider driving East to Cave Junction, near the Oregon and California border. It’s worth the drive to be able to stay in a treehouse at the Out ‘n’ About Treehouse Treesort! You also won’t want to miss a visit to the Oregon Caves National Monument since you’re in the area!
The Oregon coast is crawling with campgrounds, RV sites, and plenty of seaside lodging options. Stunning views are taken in as you drive along a road that practically hugs the Pacific ocean. Beach towns are filled with friendly people, mouth watering seafood, and abundant coffee shops. For all of these reasons and more, the Oregon coast is the ideal road tripping adventure!
For another epic Oregon road trip, see my post on Road Tripping Through Central Oregon : Cowboys & Indians Style!
For more US road trip inspiration, see The Daily Adventures Of Me.
Have you driven the Oregon coast?
What was your favorite stop?
And if not, what looks like fun here?
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Comments
This is great!! I really want to do this. My dad lives in Portland but I’ve been traveling so much that I haven’t been able to visit. My goal is to road trip and travel the entire NW coast while he’s there :) I pinned this to save and remember it!
Awesome! It’s such an incredibly gorgeous coast.
Totally jealous your dad lives in Portland. It’s one of my favorite cities! So much excellent food is there! I’m thinking about doing a few posts on Portland soon, too! You’ll have to tell me about any of the places you stop at once you do this road trip!
You’re right, I always think of PCH for road trips but now you have me convinced to do this instead. I would love to go to the Sea Lions Cave.
Glad I could bring attention to another noteworthy and gorgeous road trip! The sea lion cave is incredible in the winter! Especially for wildlife lovers and marine fanatics!
This is a great list. Too often, my road trips are unplanned and haphazard. i miss a lot of great things on the way because I didn’t do my research and drive right past. I’m pinning this one.
I sometimes think I over-research if that’s a thing haha. Thanks for the pin!
Wow – these are some beautiful places! I wouldn’t have known about these places, thanks for sharing! ??
Thanks for the comment! Wishing I had taken a lot more photos when I did this road trip!
You read my mind with this post! The upper west coast of the US has been next on my road trip list for ages (living over in Europe, I don’t make it back to North America so often). Do you suggest a particular time of year to visit?
Sweet! Well if you want to see the sea lion caves, definitely visit in winter since that’s when hundreds of them gather in the cave and you’ll have prime viewing and the best photos. Any other season, you might see a few stragglers but it’s not guaranteed. My boyfriend and I did this trip in February and though that’s not exactly beach weather, we liked being mostly the only travelers around and seeing these parks and towns without the huge crowds. Although, if the sea lions aren’t a top priority, any season would be great for this road trip!
I’m currently road tripping around Norway and this is making me want to do a road trip around Oregon! It looks spectacular.
Ahgg! Norway! That country is in my top 3 MUST see’s! It looks beyond surreal and incredible! Definitely do a road trip around Oregon if you get the chance! I’ll be adding another post soon about my road trip through Central Oregon next so be on the lookout for that one too!
I love my home state! Thanks for showcasing its beauty :)
Lucky you, getting to live there! I LOVE Oregon! My boyfriend and I used to live in Chinook, WA right on the border so we would often go into Astoria, OR for groceries and dining. Almost felt like we lived in both states. I miss road tripping through Oregon and I definitely hope to be back and explore more!
Thanks Joy-Tom and I might be in this area next June or July (Seattle/Portland/Columbia River Gorge/Olympic NP…I’ve been researching!!)…you have some nice ideas here!
Oh, awesome! Those are some of my favorite areas in all the world haha! I have a lot more ideas for Portland as far as food places too. Just outside of Portland, you two should treat yourself and check out the Amadeus Manor, a fancy beautiful restaurant that overlooks the Willamette River. The food and the view and the atmosphere is SO great! Hoping to write a blog post on that area soon, actually.
This definitely looks like a worthwhile extension of the traditional “Cali-only” west-coast road trip. I visited Portland and Seattle last year and swore I would go back to explore the Pacific Northwest a little more. I love lighthouses and caves (and there’s a super creepy podcast I listen to about the PNW) enc even though we have them over her eon the east coast, the overall landscape is so different. Need to plan my trip back soon!! Thanks for the ideas~
No problem! Oregon is definitely one of my favorite states to road trip in. It just has so much to offer!