© Lonely Planet Publications 288 Oregon Coast Driving along Oregon’s coast is a must-see highlight any time of year. Rocky headlands loom high above the ocean, providing astounding vistas, while craggy rocks lie scattered along the shoreline like oceanic sentinels. The Coast Range is deeply etched by great rivers and patched with forests, offering outdoor enthusiasts excellent boating, fishing and hiking opportunities. The Oregon Dunes – among the largest coastal dunes in the world – stretch for over 50 miles, and, offshore, gray whales migrate from Alaska to Mexico and back. Thanks to a far-sighted government in the 1910s, Oregon’s 362-mile Pacific Coast was set aside as public land and strung with over 70 state parks and protected areas. The northern Oregon coast has developed more quickly than the southern end, offering travelers a choice between bustling beach resorts and blissfully laid-back retreats. And everyone from campers to gourmet-lovers will find a plethora of opportunities to enjoy this exceptional region. HIGHLIGHTS Seaside Nibbling fish ‘n chips or crab cakes in a Cape Falcon & cheap shack or fine restaurant in towns like Neahkahnie Three Mountain Seaside ( p293 ) Capes Drive Spotting gray whales during their migrations up and down the coast from Depoe Bay Depoe Bay OREGON COAST ( p299 ) Newport Hiking the Cape Falcon and Neahkahnie Mountain Trails ( p295 ) for awesome views Oregon Dunes Checking out the jellyfish and sea otters at National Newport’s Oregon Coast Aquarium ( p299 ) Recreation Area Sticking to the coast when US 101 veers inland by taking the stunning Three Capes Drive ( p296 ) Camping and hiking among the towering sand dunes of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area ( p305 ) lonelyplanet.com NORTHERN OREGON COAST 289 Geography & Climate NORTHERN OREGON COAST Spectacular cliffs and rocky beaches charac- 030 km terize much of the region (the best are in the 0 20 miles 124º30'W 124º00'W 123º30'W stretches running between Yachats and Flor- ence and between Port Orford and Brookings), and the central coast boasts some impressive W a s h i n g t o n sand dunes. The Pacific Ocean’s moderating influence makes for mostly frost-free winters at lower elevations on the coast, with average 101 401 4 lows in around 35°F and highs around 50°F. ia R iver olumb Hammond C Astoria The barrier to the east formed by the Coast Fort Stevens State Park Warrenton 30 Range triggers a lot of winter precipitation, Fort Clatsop National Memorial Olney 26 though, and annual totals reach between about To Portland 46º00'N Gearhart Saddle Mountain (66mi) 55in and 110in, depending on the area. Sum- 46º00'N Seaside State Park mers are fairly dry, with high temperatures 202 Ecola State Park Saddle Clatsop averaging in the mid-to-upper 60s. Mountain (3283ft) State Cannon Beach Forest 53 r To Portland e (37mi) Getting There & Around v Oswald West State Park Neahkahnie i Mountain (1660ft) R 26 The entire Oregon coast – from the Washing- Cape Falcon m le Manzanita Nehalem ha ton border to the California line – is traversed Ne e Nehalem Bay State Park Wheeler g Tillamook n by US 101. It’s a mostly two-lane highway, and a State Forest in summer often gets clogged with traffic. Still, Garibaldi R Tillamook 45º30'N 6 t considering the public transportation gaps Bay s a 45º30'N and sometimes spotty bus schedules, your Cape Meares State Park o Oceanside Tillamook C best bet for conveniently seeing the whole Netarts Three Capes Dr Munson Creek coast is by car. Cape Lookout State Natural Site The coast is served by a patchwork of city State Park e r Ne iv Sandlake st ucc a R and county bus systems. Amtrak Thruway or P A C I F I C Cape Kiwanda O C E A N Cloverdale To McMinnville (5mi); Porter Stage Lines buses run between small Pacific City 22 Portland (43mi) St towns along the coast to major inland cities Siuslaw h National Y am ver 18 like Portland or Eugene, providing connec- Cascade Forest hil i Head l R 45º00'N 18 Sheridan tions to train stations. The only scheduled Otis iver Willamina 45º00'N Sal n R flights into the area are from Portland to the mo 22 south coast town of North Bend (Coos Bay), Lincoln City Gleneden Beach To Salem on Horizon Air. O r e g o n (11mi) OREGON COAST Depoe Bay Cape 223 Foulweather Beverly Beach r State Park e Yaquina Head v NORTHERN i Outstanding aqui n R Natural Area Y a Newport e Toledo 20 g OREGON COAST n Corvallis 44º30'N a Philomath 101 R Marys Peak 44º30'N Oregon’s northern coast stretches from the (4097ft) t s Alsea Waldport a mouth of the Columbia River south to Flor- o Bay ence. Here lie the state’s biggest and most Beachside C State 34 99W touristy beach towns – Seaside, Cannon Beach Yachats Park Siuslaw Cape Perpetua National Monroe and Lincoln City – while Depoe Bay is big on Forest whale-watching and Newport is famous for its See Southern Oregon Coast Map (p304) excellent aquarium. Carl G Washburne Because of its popularity, the northern Heceta Head State Park Devil's Elbow 36 To Eugene (8mi) coast tends to get clogged with weekend visi- State Park Mapleton 44º00'N 126 tors from Portland and the Willamette Valley. 44º00'N Florence w R iver sla Jessie M iu Traffic can slow to 20mph in sections, since Honeyman S State Park Siltcoos US 101 is mostly two-lane highway and there Lake To Reedsport are many RVs on the windy stretches. Also, (10mi); Coos expect to join the masses during summer Bay (38mi) 124º00'W 123º30'W.