Beautiful Oregon Coast Destinations
With these unique Oregon coast destinations, this part of the world becomes a fabulous spot to visit year-round. We visited at the end of June. The temperature is cool even at that time of the year along the Oregon Coast, it's not shorts and tank top weather but the landscapes all down the coast are just stunning. Whether you are visiting in spring, summer, winter, or fall, you can enjoy all that this beautiful part of the world has to offer. From sea lions in winter to barefoot beach walks in summer, here are seven awesome spots to visit on the Oregon Coast plus tips for each one.
Oregon Coast Vacation Destinations
Cannon Beach
Cannon Beach is easily one of the most amazing beaches in the world — in fact, it was named one of the top 100 most beautiful places by National Geographic. My husband and I have been to Cannon Beach and Seaside several times in the past but the last time we were there our daughter was quite young so we were excited to take her there as a young adult. This was our first stop on our road trip down the Oregon & California coasts, we also travelled with our good friends another couple, for them it was their first time in Cannon Beach & Seaside.
The beach is four miles long and is perfect for long walks or runs. The water often laps up across the smooth sand creating an amazing reflection of a seemingly endless sky. At low tide, you can walk out to the famous Haystack Rock.
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This is a sea stack that is the third-tallest of its kind in the world. Starting about an hour before the lowest tide you can also see the Haystack Rock Cannon Beach tidepools which form around its base. These pools are home to a variety of colorful sea creatures such as crabs, starfish, and sea slugs.
Of course, beyond the beach is the sleepy seaside village of Cannon Beach. This is the perfect place to stay where you can wake up to stunning views of the waves crashing on the shore.
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The day we were leaving blue skies were finally coming through, unfortunately, before that it was grey skies and clouds so no sunsets which I had hoped to get some photos of the sun setting over Haystack Rock. Oh well, it's a beautiful area no matter the weather.
Seaside
North along the coast, close to the border with Washington, is the picturesque coastal town of Seaside. One of the best things to do in Seaside is to simply head to the beach. Along with the wide, sandy expanse of beach there is an easily walkable promenade.
We stayed in Seaside not in Cannon Beach for our trip in 2023, there were more accommodations to select from. It can be very pricey at that time of the year (end of June), we stayed at the Holiday Inn with river views and a short walk to the promenade. We were fortunately able to use points for our room which included a decent breakfast.
The ocean here is also one of the best spots in the Pacific Northwest for surfing along with stand-up paddleboarding. If you go inland you can also find great spots for kayaking or canoeing such as on the calmer waters of Cullaby Lake and Slough. Seaside is also where the Lewis and Clark trail ended which is marked by a statue of them which you can see above.
If you want to get a nice little sweet taste of the region, make sure to try the local saltwater taffy. Stop in for a taste at one of the most famous Seaside saltwater taffy shops — the Seaside Candyman — which has a whopping 172 flavors. You don't want to miss out the saltwater taffy, our friends bought a few bags and gave us a bag and let's just say we definitely enjoyed trying all the flavors.
The Oregon Film Trail
The Oregon Film Trail is actually spread out all across the state, but there are several Oregon Film Trail locations near Seaside and Cannon Beach as well as elsewhere along the coast. The trail markers show TV and movie filming locations. For example, in Cannon Beach you can stop by Goonies Filming Locations. Or farther south in Wheeler you can see where Point Break was filmed.
There are locations all throughout the state which are conveniently mapped here.
Thor's Well
Thor’s Well is a fantastic natural phenomenon which sits just off the coast near Cape Perpetua. The ocean appears to drain into the depths of the well. This is not what is happening, it is rather just a 20-foot drop — an incredibly dangerous one.
While you can walk out towards the well, only do so with extreme caution, it's very uneven and rocky of course so it's not for those with major mobility issues. I have bad knees and had to walk very slowly with good hiking shoes on. Also sneaker waves can easily pull you out to sea (as they can also do up and down the coast) while stand too close to Thor's Well.
While getting up close is a more dramatic view, you can also stay up top and look at it from above.
Sea Lion Caves
Located north of Florence, the sea lion caves are an interconnected system, the biggest cave of them is the largest naturally formed basalt caves in the country. And it is full of sea lions. You can see them here in their natural habitat year round, though winter is the best time of year to visit Oregon Coast and spot them.
The ceiling in the main cave is around 125 feet high and the total floor area is nearly two acres. To visit the cave you’ll hop into an elevator for the descent. You may be able to see sea lions along the coast before you access the cave, but inside is definitely your best bet to see a large number of them.
Heceta Head Lighthouse
Just north of the Sea Lion Caves, between Yachat and Florence, is the epic Heceta Head Lighthouse. The lighthouse dates back to the end of the 19th century and stands 1,000 feet tall.
The parking lot is an easy pull-off, and is free to park in. From there it’s about a half mile along the trail to reach the lighthouse. If a quick visit isn’t enough for you, you can hike the Heceta Lighthouse Trail — this brings you down along the coast. It is steep but you’ll get amazing ocean views and may be able to spot sea lions along the way.
Also, if you want to really stay and enjoy this idyllic setting, you can actually book a night’s stay in the assistant lightkeeper’s house.
Lincoln City
Just west of Salem, Lincoln City is a colorful coastal city with plenty to do. Of course, there is the beach and there is the charming little downtown area, but going beyond that you can find more to do in Lincoln City. We took our daughter here when she was young as well and we did some kite flying on the beach. Lincoln City is also known for being a great place to fly kites.
If you’re up for a day in nature, try hiking Cascade Head. The trail is moderately difficult and has three sections. The lower trail is 4.2 miles while the top, to Harts Cove, is 5.4 miles. The trailheads for all three sections can be accessed by car.