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Oregon Coast day trips

45 places worth the drive along the Oregon Coast, from Astoria to Brookings. Want to know which are within 2 hours of home?

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Oregon North Coast 20 spots

Town · Clatsop County

Astoria

An old river port with Victorian houses, the Astoria Column and the Columbia River Maritime Museum.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Museum admission; Column parking fee
  • The Column's 164 steps are steep and narrow. Climbing the Column is free; the parking fee buys a one-year pass.

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Town · Clatsop County

Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock

A walkable beach town with the 235-foot Haystack Rock and tide pools at low tide.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Year-round
  • No pass or fee needed
  • Tide pools around the rock are protected: look, don't climb or take anything. Parking fills on summer weekends.

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Viewpoint · Tillamook County

Cape Kiwanda and Pacific City

A giant sand dune above a sandstone cape, with dories launching off the beach.

  • 2 hrs · Easy to moderate
  • Year-round
  • Tillamook County parking pass
  • Stay behind the fences on the cape; people have fallen from the edges. Sinkholes have opened on the dune, so keep out of fenced areas.

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State park · Tillamook County

Cape Lookout State Park

A trail through old forest out to the tip of a long headland, with whale watching in season.

  • 2-3 hrs · Moderate
  • Year-round
  • Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit
  • The Cape Trail is muddy much of the year. The campground and day-use area are closed for construction into spring 2027; the Cape Trailhead lot and Cape Trail are open.

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Viewpoint · Tillamook County

Cape Meares

A short lighthouse on a cliff and the strange Octopus Tree.

  • 1 hr · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit
  • The lighthouse is open daily late May through September only; the grounds stay open in winter.

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State park · Clatsop County

Ecola State Park

Forested headland trails with big views of the coast and Haystack Rock, plus Indian Beach for surfers.

  • 2-3 hrs · Easy to moderate
  • Year-round
  • Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit
  • Landslides have closed parts of the park before; the west section of the Clatsop Loop Trail has been closed since April 2026 by an active slide. Check the park page before you go.

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History · Clatsop County

Fort Clatsop

A replica of the fort where Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1805-06.

  • 2 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • NPS entrance fee
  • Card only; no cash.

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State park · Clatsop County

Fort Stevens State Park

The Peter Iredale shipwreck on the beach, old gun batteries and miles of bike paths.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit

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Beach · Clatsop County

Hug Point

A beach with a waterfall, sea caves and an old wagon road cut into the rock.

  • 1-2 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • No pass or fee needed
  • Only walk around the point at low tide; the tide comes in fast.

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Wildlife · Clatsop County

Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area

Roosevelt elk graze in the meadows, best seen in fall and winter.

  • 1 hr · Easy
  • Late fall-spring
  • Wildlife area parking permit
  • The main meadow is closed to the public; watch from the viewing areas. Winter elk feeding tours need a reservation.

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Town · Tillamook County

Manzanita

A quiet beach town with a long, uncrowded beach under Neahkahnie Mountain.

  • 2-3 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • No pass or fee needed

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Waterfall · Tillamook County

Munson Creek Falls

The tallest waterfall in the Coast Range, a short walk from the parking area.

  • 1 hr · Easy
  • Year-round
  • No pass or fee needed
  • The access road is narrow; no trailers.

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Trail · Tillamook County

Neahkahnie Mountain

A steep climb to one of the best views on the north coast.

  • 2-3 hrs · Moderate to hard
  • Year-round
  • Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit may apply (check)

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State park · Tillamook County

Nehalem Bay State Park

A sand spit between the bay and the ocean, good for biking, crabbing and watching seals.

  • 2-3 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit
  • Dogs and bikes are not allowed in the snowy plover area on the spit from March 15 to September 15.

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State park · Tillamook County

Oswald West State Park

A short forest walk to Short Sand Beach, a sheltered cove loved by surfers.

  • 1-2 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit
  • Parking along US 101 fills fast on sunny days.

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Trail · Clatsop County

Saddle Mountain

A steep summit hike with wildflowers and a view from the Pacific to the Cascades.

  • 3-4 hrs · Hard
  • Spring-fall
  • No pass or fee needed
  • The top section is steep and rocky. Snow or fallen trees can close the park in winter.

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Town · Clatsop County

Seaside

A classic boardwalk town with the Prom, an aquarium and a wide sandy beach.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Year-round
  • No pass or fee needed
  • Busy on summer weekends and spring break.

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Scenic drive · Tillamook County

Three Capes Scenic Route

A slow coastal loop past Cape Meares, Cape Lookout and the dune at Cape Kiwanda.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit at Cape Meares and Cape Lookout; Tillamook County parking pass at Cape Kiwanda
  • Cape Lookout's day-use area is closed for construction into spring 2027; the Cape Trailhead lot stays open.

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Museum · Tillamook County

Tillamook Air Museum

Historic aircraft inside a giant wooden blimp hangar from World War II.

  • 1-2 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round (check days)
  • Admission
  • The museum closed after the hangar was damaged in a December 2025 storm; it was reported to reopen in late October 2026 under new owners. Confirm hours before you go.

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Food · Tillamook County

Tillamook Creamery

The big cheese and ice cream factory, with a self-guided tour and tastings.

  • 1-2 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Free; food extra
  • Lines for ice cream get long in summer.

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Oregon Central and South Coast 25 spots

Town · Coos County

Bandon

Sea stacks on the beach, an old town on the harbor and cranberry bogs inland.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Year-round
  • No pass or fee needed

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State park · Coos County

Cape Arago and Sunset Bay

A sheltered swimming cove and, down the road, seals and sea lions on the offshore rocks.

  • 2 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit
  • The North Cove trail at Cape Arago is closed March 1 to June 30 for seal pups.

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Viewpoint · Curry County

Cape Blanco

The westernmost point in Oregon, with a lighthouse and wild, windy beaches.

  • 2 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round; lighthouse greeting center open April through October
  • Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit
  • The lighthouse road is closed to cars, so walk about a quarter mile from the gate.

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Viewpoint · Lincoln County

Cape Perpetua

Thor's Well, the Spouting Horn and a stone shelter view from the highest point on the coast road.

  • 2-3 hrs · Easy to moderate
  • Year-round
  • Recreation pass
  • Stay well back from Thor's Well; sneaker waves are deadly.

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Wildlife · Lane County

Darlingtonia State Natural Site

A boardwalk through a bog of carnivorous cobra lilies.

  • 30 min · Easy
  • Spring-summer
  • No pass or fee needed

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Town · Lincoln County

Depoe Bay

The "world's smallest harbor" and a town known for whale watching from shore and boat.

  • 2 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round; gray whales Dec-Jan and Mar-May
  • None; whale tours extra

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Viewpoint · Lincoln County

Devils Punchbowl

A collapsed sea cave where waves churn at high tide.

  • 1 hr · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit
  • Park only in marked stalls.

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Trail · Lincoln County

Drift Creek Falls

A forest trail to a suspension bridge right over a 75-foot falls.

  • 2 hrs · Moderate
  • Year-round
  • NW Forest Pass or other recreation pass
  • The trail climbs on the way back. The trailhead is a long drive in on Forest Road 17.

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Town · Lane County

Florence

An old town on the Siuslaw River at the north end of the big dunes.

  • 2-3 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • No pass or fee needed

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Town · Curry County

Gold Beach and the Rogue River

Jet boat trips up the wild Rogue River from the coast.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Spring-fall for jet boats
  • Jet boat ticket
  • Reserve jet boat trips ahead.

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Waterfall · Coos County

Golden and Silver Falls

Two tall falls deep in a coastal canyon east of Coos Bay.

  • 2 hrs · Easy to moderate
  • Year-round
  • No pass or fee needed
  • The road in is long and partly gravel. The last 3 miles are a narrow one-lane gravel road.

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State park · Curry County

Harris Beach State Park

Sea stacks, tide pools and Oregon's largest coastal island near Brookings.

  • 2 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit

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Museum · Lincoln County

Hatfield Marine Science Center

Oregon State's visitor center with touch tanks and a giant Pacific octopus.

  • 1 hr · Easy
  • Year-round; open daily in summer, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays after Labor Day
  • Admission
  • Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

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Viewpoint · Lane County

Heceta Head Lighthouse

A much-photographed lighthouse on a headland above a sandy cove.

  • 1-2 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit
  • The lighthouse is up a half-mile trail that climbs about 150 feet. The ground floor is open most days, depending on weather and staff.

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Town · Lincoln County

Lincoln City

A long beach town known for glass floats hidden on the sand and the D River wayside.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Year-round
  • No pass or fee needed

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Town · Lincoln County

Newport and the Oregon Coast Aquarium

A working bayfront with sea lions, and one of the best aquariums on the West Coast.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Aquarium admission

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Viewpoint · Douglas County

Oregon Dunes

Sand dunes up to 500 feet tall, with an overlook and trails to the ocean.

  • 2-4 hrs · Moderate
  • Year-round
  • Recreation pass
  • Walking in deep sand is slow; carry water. From March 15 to September 15, beach access is limited to protect snowy plovers. Restrooms and water at the overlook are currently out of service.

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Town · Curry County

Port Orford and Battle Rock

A tiny harbor town where boats are lifted in and out of the water by crane.

  • 2 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • No pass or fee needed

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Scenic drive · Curry County

Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor

Twelve miles of arches, coves and Natural Bridges viewpoints on the south coast.

  • Half day · Easy to moderate
  • Year-round
  • No pass or fee needed
  • Some side trails are steep and slick.

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Wildlife · Lane County

Sea Lion Caves

An elevator down into a huge sea cave where Steller sea lions gather.

  • 1 hr · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Admission
  • Sea lion numbers inside the cave vary by season.

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Beach · Lincoln County

Seal Rock

A short walk to a rocky beach with tide pools and harbor seals.

  • 1 hr · Easy
  • Year-round
  • No pass or fee needed

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State park · Coos County

Shore Acres State Park

Big waves on sandstone cliffs and a formal garden that's lit up for the holidays.

  • 2 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit
  • Dogs aren't allowed anywhere in the park, including the gardens, so leave them home. Holiday Lights (Nov 26 to Dec 31, 2026) require a timed-entry reservation, and you must buy parking ahead of time.

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Trail · Lane County

Sweet Creek Falls

A creekside trail on catwalks to a series of falls in the Coast Range.

  • 2 hrs · Easy to moderate
  • Year-round
  • No pass or fee needed
  • The trail section from the Homestead trailhead is closed through March 31, 2027 for boardwalk damage. Start at the Sweet Creek Falls trailhead.

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Viewpoint · Douglas County

Umpqua River Lighthouse

A working lighthouse with a red-and-white beam and a small museum.

  • 1 hr · Easy
  • Year-round; daily lighthouse tours
  • Museum admission (covers the lighthouse tour, check); Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit in the state park

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Viewpoint · Lincoln County

Yaquina Head

Oregon's tallest lighthouse, tide pools and seabird colonies.

  • 2 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • BLM site fee
  • Tide pool access depends on the tide. Dogs are allowed on leash on trails, but not near the lighthouse or in the tide pools. Lighthouse tours are limited while restoration work goes on.

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Facts checked against official sites; each spot shows when. Passes and hours change, so check before you go.