Oregon Coast...Take The Tour

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Oregon Coast Tour...As we previously mentioned on other pages, we developed a Tour Company specializing in tours throughout the Northwest. We created this mile-by-mile guide to help you on your way along the Oregon Coast.

Your tour begins on the Northern Coast of Oregon, Astoria and ends some 360 miles later at the Oregon-California border. We encourage you to sit back, relax and enjoy your tour.Highway 101, along the Coast is now a part of our National Scenic Heritage. It was designated as a scenic byway, The Pacific Coast Scenic Byway.

You'll follow Highway 101 all the way along the tour. (We're continually updating the Mile-by-Mile Tour, be sure to check back periodically.)

Mile 0 - Astoria is the oldest settlement in the Northwest along the Oregon Coast. Here you have access to a lot of history about Lewis & Clark. Just outside Astoria is Fort Stevens State Park , on the Oregon Coast. This park is ideal for camping and has more campsites than any along the Oregon Coast.

Mile 7 - Fort Clatsop National Memorial, Oregon Coast. You'll have to turn off Highway 101 on to Old 101 and head east about 3 miles to Clatsop Road. There you will see signs to Fort Clatsop National Memorial. This is the location where Lewis & Clark spent the winter of 1805. This is great for the Northwest History buffs or if you have kids, it will give them some insights into Northwest History.

Mile 20 - Seaside Factory Outlet Stores, Oregon Coast. You've got to stop at the outlet stores if you want some bargains...remember, there's no sales tax in Oregon so an added bargain for those traveling in Oregon. You've also just entered into

Mile 28 - Ecola State Park, Oregon Coast. Here you'll get spectacular views of the Oregon Coast and if you time it right, the whale migration.

There are several picnic areas, and hiking trails, sorry no camping, . You can even see some Old Growth trees!

Mile 30 - Cannon Beach, Oregon Coast. If you want to relax, this is the place. Take a view of the privately owned Tillamook Rock Light House. It's located about a mile out to sea. It was once a public light house but now someone else has the honor of owning it. You can look but don't touch.

Mile 34 - Hug Point State Recreational Site, Oregon Coast. This area was an old wagon road, the drivers had to "hug" the point to get around it. It's pretty interesting and if you take the hike from Cannon Beach, this is where you'll end up.

Mile 40 - Oswald West State Park. This is about 2500 acres of rain forests, view points and tucked away beaches. If you want some solitude here, bring your tent.

You can hike in to some tent only campsites. There is not a lot of amenities so be prepared. There are some who surf in this area...if you do...enjoy. At the beach you'll find some caves and tide pools. The kids love it...so do we.

Mile 43 - Neahkahnie Beach. Apparently this is the location where a Spanish Ship was beached. The crew carried its cargo of "Treasure" ashore and buried it. Well, my wife from Spain is always excited about the possibilities of finding this treasure...so far we haven't found it. So, you have a fighting chance. Perhaps we'll see you there looking too.

Mile 44 - Nehalem Bay State Park. This is a wonderful State Park nestled around the communities of Manzanita, Nehalem and Wheeler. It's a very diverse park with some 280 campsites, 9 yurts, a horse camp, a hiker/biker camp and a an airplane fly-in camp. There's some 890 acres with trails for hikers and bikers alike. The park is close to some of the best clamming and crabbing areas. Also, windsurfers take note...the waves just north of the Nehalem Spit at Manzanita, are
spectacular! Check 'em out.

Mile 50 - Rockaway Beach. The beach known for 7 miles of an uninterrupted sand beach. It was initially built as a resort town in the 1920's. It's a true getaway.

Mile 54 - Barview Jetty Park. This is a county park with some pretty good campsites. Take a break along here for a nice picnic too and check out the jetty.

Mile 56 - Garibaldi is a little fishing community off the Oregon Coast. It offers fun for all ages. Both sport and commercial fishing are on-going within this community of 1000. Every March is the annual crab race, in July it's Garibaldi Days and during the Christmas season it's the Christmas Tree Express to Sparks, Nevada. While here, try your hand at fishing for some trout on the Miami River.

Mile 64 - Tillamook Cheese Factory is located on the Northern part of Tillamook City, Oregon Coast. You've got to stop here and take the self-guided tour of Tillamook Cheese. The Tillamook Cheese factory is on the top 10 list of sites visited within the State. It's an education for both young and old. Once the tour is finished, visit the gift shop and by all means buy some of that famous Tillamook Ice Cream. You can eat it right there.

Tillamook is the center for the dairy industry along the Oregon Coast. The annual Dairy Parade is a big hit in June. In the late 90's this entire area was under water due to extensive flooding. I had the opportunity to help in the clean-up. That was a huge clean-up. I hope this doesn't happen again in the near future...must be one of those 100 year floods.

Mile 65 - Three Capes Scenic Loop, Oregon Coast. It's time for a little detour and get off Highway 101. The Three Capes Loops is one of the Oregon Coast's 38-mile thrilling yet scenic driving experiences. The loop will wind along the coast between the towns of Tillamook and Pacific City. You'll pass three prominent headlands: Cape Meares, Cape Lookout, and Cape Kiwanda.

To begin you excursion, note your odometer reading and head west from Tillamook on Third Street. You'll pass what was the thriving ocean resort town of Bay Ocean. It's gone now, more than 30 years ago Bay Ocean washed into the Pacific Ocean; houses, businesses, everything...gone during a raging Pacific storm.

Arriving at Cape Meares State Park along the Oregon Coast, on the northern tip of Three Capes Loop, visit Cape Meares Light House. You'll also get some sweeping views of the caves and Sea Lion Rock. While there, take a picture of theOctopus Tree. You'll know what we mean, it's an old spruce with many legs.

On the loop, stop by the Whiskey Creek Fish Hatchery. It's a good education about salmon for both young and old.

If you are looking to camp here's the spot, Cape Lookout State Park. It's south of the beach towns Oceanside and Netarts. You'll have 1974 acres to explore in this wildlife park. There are 215 paved campsites and yurts and cabins are available too. Make reservations though.

You'll arrive at Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area. Here the huge waves pound the sandstone cliffs and caves.
Just to the south the 327 foot Haystack Rock juts from the ocean here awaiting for you to take a picture. It's much photographed. Surfers are able to ride some of the longest waves along the Oregon Coast, right here. All the while, look up and you may spot a hang-glider catching some of the wind currents off the rock cliffs.

A little over a mile, south of Cape Kiwanda is Pacific City , along the Oregon Coast. This is pretty neat. This is one of the only places along the Oregon Coast where flat-bottom fishing dories are launched directly into the surf. During the salmon season, late summer you may have an opportunity to watch this event. Also, don't be shy if you want to buy some salmon. Just walk up to one of the local fishermen and ask if they'd sell you one. They are fresh and good!

Just outside of Pacific City is Robert Straub State Park. Take a walk along the white sand beach towards the mouth of the Nestucca River. This is considered by many, the best fishing river on the Northern Oregon Coast. The park is a day-use only park...sorry, no camping.

About 38 miles on your odometer you'll be meeting up with Highway 101 again.

Mile 68 - To the south of Tillamook is the Tillamook Naval Air Museum, Oregon Coast. Just drive along 101 and you can't miss it on the left as you head south. Turn left on Long Prairie Road and right on Blimp Blvd. If you like airplanes, like I do, you'll love this museum.

Mile 98 - Neskowin, there's not much here, a grocery store, restaurant and some
accommodations. Pretty good place to relax, so if you have some time try out one of their 2 golf courses.

Mile 112 - The 45th Parallel. If you have studied about the earth's rotation and wind patterns you will quickly notice that along the 45th parallel is a convergence of wind, commonly referred to as the trade winds. This area ultimately makes for great kite flying opportunities.

Mile 113 - Lincoln City, Oregon Coast, is a relatively "new" city. It was formed in 1965, combining the cities of: Oceanlake, Delake, Taft and the communities of Cutler City and Nelscott to form the present day Lincoln City. The trademark for Lincoln City are the miles of sandy beaches. A total of some 7.5 miles of sandy beaches.

Mile 115 - Devils Lake, Oregon Coast, here you can enjoy camping, boating, take a kayak tour or bring your own kayaks along. You will also find the D River, connecting Devils Lake to the Pacific Ocean. D River is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's shortest river, all 200 yards of it.

Mile 116 - Factory Outlet Stores, shop till you drop with the 65 stores along the Oregon Coast

Mile 123 - Gleneden Beach area is just south of Lincoln City offering the coast's most prestigious resort. You'll also find some of Oregon's finest art galleries right here.

Mile 125 - Fogarty Creek State Recreation Area has, you'll find a wonderful little cove, great to get out of the wind and sun-bathe. The cove has basalt cliffs on one side of the beach and a creek flowing across the creek. Great place for the kids.

Mile 126 - Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint, a great location to look for the gray whales. There's also tide pools among the rocks and small coves. The beach is not accessible here, you'll need to get access at Fogarty Creek, a mile north. In 1910 a small freighter, J. Marhoffer sank along the coast here. At low tides the boiler of the freighter isvisible, look over towards the sandbar.

Mile 128 - Depoe Bay, known as the world's smallest harbor. Aside from watching the boats move in and out of the smallest harbor you can also see the spouting horns. Directly across Hwy 101 from Depoe Bay's Souvenir shop, you will see these horns in action. Spouting horns are merely blasts of water shot through basalt holes from the ocean's surge. They are
spectacular here at Depoe Bay, perhaps more so than any other part on the coast. For the movie buffs, Depoe Bay is the scene in the movie, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. This is the place that Jack Nicholson took the escapees out on a charter boat for a day of salmon fishing. Rent the movie, you'll see.

Mile 131 - Cape Foulweather, named by Captain James Cook in 1778 was the first glimpse of land after leaving the Hawaiian Islands. The Cape lives up to it's name with gusting winds over 100 miles per hour. The views are awesome. Lookout for the sea lions off the rocks.

Mile 132 - Devils Punch Bowl State Natural Area overlooks a collapsed sea cave that during high tide the seas churn themselves into a punchbowl of foam. Pretty impressive site to see. Just next to the Punchbowl is the Marine Gardens. At low tide you can explore the numerous tide pools and even take a look into the Devils Punchbowl too. Watch the tide though!

Mile 134 - Beverly Beach State Park, wow, a wonderful and beautiful park. It's the State's second-busiest campground next to Fort Stevens. There's 140 acres to stroll around in with 257 campsites.

Mile 138 - Yaquina Head Light House, just north of Newport, is this well photographed light house. It's considered the oldest building in Newport. The light was first turned on November 3, 1871 serving as a light source for the harbor entrance.

As a working light house, it did not last long, the light was invisible to ships approaching from the north. That was a great engineering mistake. In August, 1873 another light house took Yaquina's place. But, this light house was also built in the wrong place. It should have been built at Otter Crest, several miles to the north. Instead it was built on Yaquina Head now known as the Yaquina Head Light.

Mile 141 - Newport is considered by most, Oregon's premier resort destinations. There's plenty of sandy beaches, shops, restaurants, fishing and a host of other outdoor activities. While in Newport you have to see the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Marine Science Center. Newport is becoming a year-round resort town.

To continue on with your Oregon Coast Tour click here...

Craig Dahl - Senior Editor & The Editorial Staff
Senior Editor

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