12 Best Stops on the Oregon Coast: Must-See Towns, Beaches & Viewpoints

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Driving the Oregon Coast is one of the most scenic road trips in the U.S. The full route runs about 363 miles along Highway 101, from Astoria in the north (near the Washington border) to Brookings in the south (just above California). You can drive it in a single day, but to actually enjoy the stops, plan 3 to 5 days and longer if you want time for hikes, tide pooling, and beach walks.

The route is easy to follow. It’s a straight shot on U.S. Highway 101, with coastal viewpoints, small towns, and state parks every few miles. The northern section has the most famous sights, like Cannon Beach and Cape Kiwanda, while the central coast is known for sea caves and lighthouses, and the southern section is wild and remote with rugged cliffs and fewer crowds.

This guide highlights the best stops on the Oregon coast from north to south, with what to see, parking details, where to eat, and when to visit — everything you need to plan your Oregon Coast trip without missing a thing.

Astoria is the perfect place to start your Oregon Coast adventure. It’s the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies, sitting at the spot where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. This historic port town is full of character with Victorian homes on steep hills, a working waterfront, and views that stretch across the river to Washington.

View of Astoria / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast

The most popular viewpoint is the Astoria Column, a 125-foot tower built in 1926 that tells the story of the region through murals spiraling up its sides. Climb the 164 steps to the top for panoramic views of the river, Youngs Bay, and even Mount St. Helens on clear days.

Down by the waterfront, ride the Astoria Riverfront Trolley, a vintage streetcar that runs along the docks during summer. It’s just $1 per ride and a fun way to see the town.

You will love Fort Stevens State Park, located about 20 minutes west of downtown. It’s one of the largest state parks in Oregon, with miles of trails, camping, and the famous Peter Iredale shipwreck, still resting on the beach after more than 100 years. For more maritime history, stop by the Columbia River Maritime Museum, which covers everything from shipwrecks to the dangerous “Graveyard of the Pacific.”

Peter Iredale Shipwreck / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast

Astoria is also known for its food and beer scene. Grab fish and chips at Bowpicker Fish & Chips (served from an old boat), or stop at Buoy Beer Company, where you can watch sea lions lounging below the dock through glass panels in the floor.

There are several hotels and B&Bs downtown, plus riverfront lodgings like my favorite Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa, built on a restored pier over the Columbia River.

Cannery Pier in Astoria / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast

GOOD TO KNOW: For a guided tour of Astoria’s best sights, including the Astoria Column and the Goonies house, check out this tour of Astoria.

PRO TIP: If your time allows, do not miss a tour of Fort Clatsop, where Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1805–06.

Fort Clatsop / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast 

As you drive south from Astoria, one of the first major stops you’ll reach is Ecola State Park, perched just north of Cannon Beach. This is where the Oregon Coast really starts to show off with dramatic cliffs, forested headlands, and sweeping views of Haystack Rock, Crescent Beach, and Tillamook Head.

Ecola State Park / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast 

The park spans about nine miles of coastline, with several trails and picnic areas. The Ecola Point Trail (1.5 miles round trip) offers an easy walk to one of the park’s most scenic overlooks, while the Clatsop Loop Trail (2.8 miles) adds a bit more challenge and leads to a viewpoint of the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, built in 1881 on a rocky island just offshore.

Tillamook Rock Lighthouse / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast

For beach time, head down to Indian Beach, a smaller cove popular with surfers, tide-poolers, and families.

GOOD TO KNOW: There’s a $5 day-use fee (or you can use your Oregon State Parks Pass).

Just a few minutes south of Ecola State Park, you’ll reach Cannon Beach, one of the most famous and photographed destinations on the Oregon Coast.

The beach stretches for over three miles, with the 235-foot Haystack Rock rising just offshore. It is a part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. It’s a protected area, home to tide pools and nesting tufted puffins (usually from April to early August).

Cannon Beach / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast 

At low tide, you can walk right up to the base of the rock and see sea stars, anemones, and crabs. Volunteers from the Haystack Rock Awareness Program are often on the beach to answer questions and point out wildlife.

Haystack Rock / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast 

The town of Cannon Beach is small but full of charm, with art galleries, cafes, boutiques, and restaurants all within walking distance of the sand. Popular spots include Ecola Seafoods Market & Restaurant for fresh local fish and The Wayfarer Restaurant for an oceanfront meal. For something casual, grab a coffee and pastry at Insomnia Coffee Co. before a morning beach walk.

If you’re staying overnight, Cannon Beach has plenty of options from oceanfront hotels like Hallmark Resort & Spa and Surfsand Resort, both within walking distance of Haystack Rock, to cozy inns and vacation rentals tucked into town.

PRO TIP: If you are visiting in June, don’t miss the Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest, a 60-year tradition.

GOOD TO KNOW: Just a short drive south, Hug Point State Recreation Site has a small waterfall, sea caves, and remnants of a historic wagon road carved into the rock, but visit only at low tide, as the beach becomes inaccessible when the tide rises.

About 90 minutes south of Cannon Beach, Cape Kiwanda sits just north of Pacific City and is part of the Three Capes Scenic Route (along with Cape Meares and Cape Lookout).

It’s one of the most photographed sections of the Oregon Coast: golden sandstone cliffs, a giant sand dune, and waves crashing against the offshore Haystack Rock (no relation to the one in Cannon Beach).

Make sure to climb the 240-foot dune on the south side of the parking area. The climb is steep, but it’s short, about 10 minutes up if you take it slow. Once at the top, you will get the view that stretches across the ocean and north toward Cape Lookout with dramatic rock formations and blowholes carved by the surf below.

Cape Kiwanda / Best Stops of the Oregon Coast 

Cape Kiwanda / Best Stops of the Oregon Coast 

Down below, Pacific City Beach allows driving directly onto the sand (one of the few Oregon beaches where that’s legal), though a 4WD vehicle is recommended. It’s also one of the best places on the coast to watch dory boats launch straight into the surf. It’s a local fishing tradition that dates back over a century.

Right next to the beach is Pelican Brewing Company, one of Oregon’s best-known coastal breweries. Their patio faces the ocean, and it’s perfect for lunch or a beer after hiking the dune.

GOOD TO KNOW: There’s a $10 parking fee at the main lot by Pelican Brewing (cash or card).

PRO TIP: If you are staying in Pacific City, then check out Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa. It has the most beautiful beachfront rooms.

About 40 minutes south of Pacific City, you’ll reach Depoe Bay, a small coastal town known as the whale watching capital of Oregon.

The harbor here is famous for being the smallest navigable harbor in the world, just six acres in size, with fishing and whale watching boats slipping through a narrow channel that’s barely 50 feet wide.

Depoe Bay’s claim to fame is its resident gray whale population, which stays offshore almost year-round. From mid-December through May, thousands of migrating gray whales pass by, heading between Alaska and Baja, Mexico.

If you want to get out on the water, several local companies offer guided whale watching tours that leave right from the harbor.

Depoe Bay / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast 

Depoe Bay / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast 

Depoe Bay also has a few other must-see attractions. The spouting horns along the seawall shoot seawater high into the air during high tide. Park along Highway 101 and watch the show.

There are plenty of places to eat within walking distance, including Gracie’s Sea Hag, a local favorite for seafood and clam chowder, and Tidal Raves, which offers an ocean-view dining room overlooking the cliffs.

PRO TIP: If you are planning to spend a night here, then check out Inn at Arch Rock. It is a hidden gem with ocean-view balconies.

GOOD TO KNOW: Just a few miles north, check out Devil’s Punchbowl State Natural Area. It’s a collapsed sea cave where waves churn dramatically inside the rock bowl (a great photo stop at low tide).

About 25 minutes south of Depoe Bay, Newport is one of the best all-around stops on the Oregon Coast. It has everything in one place — two historic lighthouses, a working fishing harbor, beautiful beaches, and one of Oregon’s top aquariums.

Start at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, just north of town. It’s home to the Yaquina Head Lighthouse, built in 1873, which is the tallest lighthouse in Oregon at 93 feet. There’s a visitor center, easy trails, and a beach full of tide pools that are packed with starfish and anemones. The $7 entry fee (good for 3 days) covers parking.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast 

Yaquina Head Lighthouse / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast 

Back in town, stop at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, one of the best on the West Coast. It features underwater tunnels, sea otters, tufted puffins, and giant Pacific octopuses.

The Historic Bayfront District is the heart of Newport, lined with seafood restaurants, galleries, and working docks. You can watch sea lions lounging on the piers, grab a bowl of clam chowder at Mo’s Seafood & Chowder, or sample local beer at Rogue Ales Bayfront Public House.

PRO TIP: Check out Elizabeth Oceanfront Suites and Hallmark Resort if you are planning to spend the night in Newport. Both have ocean views and easy beach access.

About 25 minutes south of Newport, the coastline becomes steeper and wilder — this is Cape Perpetua, one of the most dramatic viewpoints on the Oregon Coast. It’s part of the Siuslaw National Forest, and the cliffs here rise more than 800 feet above the ocean, giving you some of the best panoramic views anywhere along Highway 101.

At the top, the Cape Perpetua Lookout (accessible by car) offers sweeping views of the coastline, and on a clear day, you can see nearly 40 miles in either direction.

Cape Perpetua / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast

From the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center, take the Captain Cook Trail. It is an easy 0.6-mile loop that connects many of the best viewpoints, including Thor’s Well, a natural saltwater sinkhole that appears to drain the ocean during high tide.

Thor’s Well / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast

Thor’s Well / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast

Nearby, you’ll also find the Spouting Horn, a blowhole that shoots seawater high into the air, and the Devil’s Churn, a narrow volcanic channel where waves crash and surge dramatically. There’s a $5 day-use fee, or entry is covered with a Northwest Forest Pass.

PRO TIP: For Thor’s Well and Spouting Horn, visit during high tide.

Continuing south from Cape Perpetua, you’ll find two of the most iconic stops on the Oregon Coast within a few miles of each other: the Heceta Head Lighthouse and the Sea Lion Caves.

The Heceta Head Lighthouse dates back to 1894 and is one of the most photographed lighthouses in Oregon. It sits 205 feet above the ocean on a forested headland and is still active today, sending its beam 21 miles out to sea. You can reach it via a short, 0.5-mile uphill trail from the parking area at Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint.

GOOD TO KNOW: Parking is $5 day-use fee at the lighthouse lot

Heceta Head Lighthouse / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast 

A few minutes north on Highway 101, the Sea Lion Caves offer a completely different experience. This privately operated wildlife preserve is home to Steller sea lions, which gather in a massive natural cave.

An elevator takes you down 208 feet to viewing platforms where you can watch hundreds of sea lions (most active in winter and early spring). Admission is around $18 for adults and $12 for kids, and tickets can be purchased on-site or online.

Sea Lion Caves / Best Stops On the Oregon Coast 

About 15 minutes south of the Heceta Head Lighthouse, the cliffs begin to give way to wide beaches and rolling sand hills. Welcome to Florence and the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

Stretching roughly 40 miles between Florence and Coos Bay, Oregon Dunes is the largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in North America, with some rising up to 500 feet above sea level.

Several outfitters in Florence offer guided dune buggy and ATV tours that take you across miles of shifting sand.

If you’d rather explore on foot, the John Dellenback Dunes Trail near Lakeside is one of the most scenic hikes. It’s a 5.4-mile round-trip across open sand and coastal forest that ends at the beach.

The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast 

The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast 

GOOD TO KNOW: Dune access points are managed by the U.S. Forest Service; most require a $5 day-use fee or Northwest Forest Pass.

Back in Florence, grab coffee at River Roasters or try the Bridgewater Fish House & Zebra Bar for seafood and cocktails with a view of the historic Siuslaw River Bridge.

PRO TIP: Florence has a mix of hotels and motels; Driftwood Shores Resort sits right on the beach, and it’s definitely a great place to stay.

About an hour south of Florence, Bandon Beach is one of the most photogenic places on the Oregon Coast. The beach is known for its dramatic sea stacks, wide sandy shoreline, and spectacular sunsets.

The most famous viewpoint is Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint, where you can see the “face” profile in the rock just offshore, along with other formations like Cat and Kittens Rocks and Wizard’s Hat.

Beach access is easy; from the parking area at Face Rock Viewpoint, a short trail and staircase lead right down to the sand. The best time to explore is at low tide, when you can walk among the rocks.

Bandon Beach / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast 

Bandon Beach / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast 

GOOD TO KNOW: Old Town Bandon sits right along the Coquille River and has galleries, gift shops, and small restaurants. Try Tony’s Crab Shack for local seafood or Bandon Fish Market for fish and chips by the water. You can also tour the Washed Ashore Gallery, where artists create huge sculptures from ocean plastics.

Next stop on the Oregon coast is the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, a 12-mile stretch of pure coastal beauty: rugged cliffs, sea stacks, forested trails, and hidden beaches. It’s often called the most scenic section of the entire Oregon Coast.

The corridor runs between Arch Rock and House Rock Viewpoint, with Highway 101 right next to the coastline and pullouts appearing every few minutes.

Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast 

Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast 

Start at the Arch Rock Viewpoint, where a short path leads to a dramatic overlook of rock arches just offshore. A few miles south, the Natural Bridges Viewpoint is one of Oregon’s most photographed spots with three massive rock arches connected by narrow land bridges.

Farther south, stop at Secret Beach, which isn’t much of a secret anymore but is still stunning. The trailhead is unmarked but located just north of the Natural Bridges parking area; a 0.5-mile hike will take you through the forest and down to a cove with sea stacks and small waterfalls.

Your final stop on this Oregon Coast journey is Brookings, a small town just 6 miles north of the California border. Brookings is to end your road trip or to linger for a few extra days.

One of the best spots to visit is Harris Beach State Park, located just north of town. It’s home to wide sandy beaches, striking sea stacks, and Bird Island (also called Goat Island), which is a protected wildlife sanctuary.

Harris Beach in Brookings / Best Stops on the Oregon Coast

Your final stop on this Oregon Coast journey is Brookings, a small town just 6 miles north of the California border. Brookings is to end your road trip or to linger for a few extra days.

One of the best spots to visit is Harris Beach State Park, located just north of town. It’s home to wide sandy beaches, striking sea stacks, and Bird Island (also called Goat Island), which is a protected wildlife sanctuary.