Pacific Coast Scenic Drive

This section of the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway takes you from the mighty river to the peaceful pasture.

The Oregon Coast Scenic Byway is not meant to be traveled in a single day. It expects you to stop and savor its stunning viewpoints. Explore the secluded beaches and bountiful state parks. And absorb the charming atmosphere and diverse activity of towns along the way. So put away your wristwatch, your itinerary, and your drive-thru mentality for a few days. And travel a road that’s in no hurry to get from point A (Astoria) to point B (Brookings.)

Waysides and state parks along the Coast make excellent vantage points for watching gray whales migrate between December and May.

The mouth of the Columbia River opens wide as the Scenic Byway begins in the shadow of the impressive Astoria-Megler Bridge. Shadows of the past are waiting to be explored in the city of Astoria, the oldest U.S. settlement west of the Rockies.

The area’s history is evidenced in many gracious Victorian homes scaling the hillside, as the living testaments to the harsh lives of early explorers and settlers. Don’t miss the 1883 Flavel House, the shipwreck of the Peter Iredale at Fort Stevens State Park, and The Fort Clatsop National Memorial, a life-size replica of Lewis and Clark’s 1805-06 winter outpost.

From here you can follow the Lewis and Clark trail to the resort town of Seaside, famous for its two-mile beachfront promenade. Next stop is Cannon Beach, a popular artist community highlighted by massive shoreline monoliths known as Haystack Rock and The Needles.

Continuing south, the Byway passes breathtaking Hug Point, Oswald West and Nehalem Bay State Parks before reaching the busy fishing port of Garibaldi on Tillamook Bay. Soon you’ll venture inland to pastoral valleys of rich dairyland, where the city of Tillamook features the West’s largest cheese factory. The Byway returns to the shore again at Neskowin Beach before climbing the forested ridge of Cascade Head.

The highest waterfall in the Coast Range is an easy side trip from the Byway. Seven miles south of Tillamook, watch for a small sign to Munson Creek Falls and follow the narrow road a mile-and-a-half to the parking area. A short stroll takes you to the base of this 266-foot cataract.

Additional information can be obtained by calling the Oregon Coast Visitors Association at 1-888-628-2101 or checking out the web at www.VisitTheOregonCoast.com

Central Coast: 62 miles. 2 days.

From dramatic capes to dynamic dunes.

Colorful kites and wind socks welcome you back to the ocean and the resort town of Lincoln City. With sprawling Devil’s Lake on the north side and Siletz Bay to the south, it’s virtually surrounded by water, wildlife and recreation.

Farther south, Depoe Bay is the site of the world’s smallest navigable harbor and Spouting Horns that shoot geysers above the seawall at high tide.

Farther on, keep your camera handy to capture the Coast’s most photographed seascape, Cape Foulweather and the churning waves at Devil’s Punch Bowl.

In the shelter of Yaquina Head, Newport is home of the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Hatfield Marine science Center. Yaquina Head features a 125-year-old lighthouse and two unique intertidal areas, one of which is the nation’s only wheelchair accessible tide pool.

The superb scenery continues through Waldport and Yachats to the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area. Here, you can watch the waves rush in and out of Devil’s Churn or hike on trails high above it. It’s not far to picturesque Heceta Head Lighthouse and Sea Lion Caves, the world’s only mainland viewing area for Steller sea lions.

As the rugged cliffs give way to graceful sand dunes, you’ll arrive in Florence, a city that explodes with wild rhododendrons in spring. Florence is the gateway to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, a 47-mil sandbox with areas designated for bird watching and dune riding. Honeyman State Park is a popular place to water-ski and camp. As you travel on through the dunes, take a side trip to the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area at Reedsport. Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area with more than 31,000 acres, the Oregon Dunes offer a place for everyone. You can camp, arrange a tour, take an exhilarating off-highway vehicle ride, walk along tranquil lakes, forest trails and beaches, and much more.

Additional information can be obtained by calling the Oregon Coast Visitors Association at 1-888-628-2101 or checking out the web at www.VisitTheOregonCoast.com You may also contact the Central Oregon Coast Association at 1-800-767-2064 or check out their web site at www.CoastVisitor.com

South Coast: 138 miles. 1 day.

From shifting sands to steadfast redwoods.

Tucked among some of the highest coastal dunes in the world, you’ll find plenty of fishing and boating in small communities like Winchester Bay and Lakeside. The dunes end near the cities of North Bend and Coos Bay, the Coast’s largest urban area. With Oregon’s deepest national harbor, Coos Bay has long been a major shipping port for the timber industry and a haven for sportfishing enthusiasts.

An unforgettable side trip for the senses begins in Charleston, near Coos Bay. The trip takes in three state parks, including the fragrant floral gardens at Shore Acres State Park, which are especially breathtaking during the Holiday Light Festival.

Next stop is Bandon, a charming town known for its lighthouse, cheese factory, quiet beaches with giant sea stacks, and terrific vantage points for winter storm watching.

South of town, the Byway passes through some of the richest cranberry bogs this side of New England.

The byway drifts away from the ocean at Cape Blanco, but returns to it at historic Battle Rock Park in Port Orford, one of Oregon’s oldest incorporated towns. From here, the Byway traces the coastline to Gold Beach, where the Rogue River meets the sea beneath the graceful Patterson Bridge.

The Rogue River offers salmon and steelhead runs in late summer, and equally exciting jet boat tours in the nationally recognized “Wild and Scenic” section.

The drive into Brookings saves some of the best scenery for last. Samuel Boardman State Park, for example, shows off nine miles of rocky viewpoints and quiet beaches at the base of the Siskiyou Mountains.

After crossing crystal blue Chetco River, the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway ends in redwood country at the California border.

For additional infomration Contact the Oregon Coast Visitors Association at 1-888-628-2101 or check us out on the web at www.VisitTheOregonCoast.com