Everyone talks about the beauty of the Oregon cost – its rocky cliffs, sandy beaches, and unbeatable viewpoints. It’s an infamous, must see west coast destination. Therefore, I made it a priority to visit when my work brought me to Portland for a few days in September.
In typical work-travel fashion, I tacked a weekend trip onto my already planned work travel. After spending the week working in Portland, I drove to Eugene to meet up with a close friend & Oregonian, Chong from Crazy Traveling Asian. Thankfully, he was free all weekend to hang out and show me Eugene’s best-kept secrets and the ins and outs of Oregon’s beautiful coastline.
Limited Time, Unlimited Possibilities
It was near impossible to decide what to do in such a short amount of time (2.5 days definitely isn’t enough!) but to fill the weekend we went hiking at Silver Falls State Park on Friday followed by some of the best, most fresh sushi I’ve ever had at Akira. Saturday we road tripped along the coast; then Sunday we hiked 1.7 miles up Spencer’s Butte and ate brunch at King Estate Winery before my flight back to Milwaukee at 3 PM. Overall it was an amazing, fun, and jam-packed weekend!
If you’re in Oregon for work (likely in Portland or Eugene) I highly recommend taking some personal time to explore – specifically the Oregon Coast. But if you choose to go to the mountains instead, you definitely won’t be disappointed either. On my next visit out, I plan to head that way myself!
Oregon Coast Road Trip Itinerary
The Oregon coastline is 360+ miles long; meaning there is a ton of opportunity for discovery & exploration! The most famous coastal attraction is likely Cannon Beach as most tourists visit as a day trip from Portland. However, an equal, if not more beautiful, section of coastline lies between the cities of Florence and Newport. This stretch is often overlooked by vacationers or weekend tourists as they tend to favor the northern section of coast. However, this is great news for you because that means less people, less traffic, and more opportunities to have some views all to yourself!
Without further ado, below is my day trip trip guide of things to do along Oregon’s Central Coast.
Total Miles: 50+
Total Time: 10+ Hours
Florence
Florence is a sleepy little town with a prime location along the Central Oregon Coast. There’s freshwater lakes, coastal sand dunes, historic landmarks, and a plethora of high adventure activities. It’s a great place to base a long weekend or to briefly stop in for coffee as you start your road trip.
Sea Lion Caves
As a privately owned wildlife reserve, the Sea Lion Cave provides a really unique opportunity to watch wild sea lions in their natural habitat.
For $14 an elevator will shuttle you down into America’s largest underground sea cave. There you can explore & observe wild sea lions who regularly take shelter inside the cave. We stopped by during the off season and decided to pass on the experience since no seals currently occupied the cave. However, if we visited in-season, we definitely would have stopped!
Heceta Head Scenic Viewpoint (Beach + Lighthouse Station)
Thirteen miles north of Florence, Heceta Head is a great stop to stretch your legs and explore a beautiful beach and classic lighthouse while taking in the dramatic coastal views. It was my favorite lighthouse of the two we saw & the scenery was top notch!
Cape Perpetua Scenic Area
Cape Perpetua is truly a hidden gem on the coast – if you’re not looking for it you’d definitely drive right past. At this overlook area you can see the infamous Thor’s Well, a mysteriously deep & circular hole amongst the tide pools, as well as Sprouting Horn, a mini geyser created from the force of the crashing waves.
If you visit at low tide you’ll be able to walk right up to the edge of Thor’s Well and see the water disappear into its deep abyss. But, if you go at high tide you’ll better be able to see the water shoot out of Sprouting Horn. Pick & choose whichever you’re interested in – but either way, it’s worth your time to stop!
Devil’s Churn
Devil’s Churn is a unique coastal feature that traps waves into a narrow inlet and creates a wave-pool effect into the shore. It’s a great place to hang out, explore, and watch the waves violently crash against the rocks and each other. Be careful along the edges and make sure you keep an eye out in the splash zones, chances are very high that you’ll get soaked by a rogue wave!
Newport
Newport is a scenic fishing town of 10,000 people with tons of things to do. From its cute port area, to its lighthouses, and viewpoints for spotting whales, eagles, and other wildlife, it’s a must-stop destination on the coast. As a bonus, the orca whale who starred in Free Willy actually lives in the Oregon Coast Aquarium if you’d like to visit!
Port of Newport
I loved exploring and hanging out in the Port of Newport! Its a cute, historic port area filled with boutique shops, restaurants, a brewery, fish packing facilities, and amazing views of the Yaquina Bay Bridge. Definitely plan to stop here for lunch or dinner and then explore before/afterwards! We ate at Local Ocean & would highly recommend it if you’re in the mood for seafood!
Local Ocean Seafood
Of the hundreds of seafood options along the Oregon coast, Chong’s absolute favorite restaurant is Local Ocean which is located in the aforementioned Port of Newport. We planned our entire day around eating a late lunch here and I am so glad we did!
We went a little crazy and ordered a variety of different seafood dishes to try & share including the Dungeness Crab chowder, Dungeness Crab cakes, salmon sliders, and a hearty seafood soup. I was impressed with absolutely every single thing we ate – especially the crab cakes – and can’t recommend this restaurant enough!
Local Ocean is a little on the pricier side, but the freshness, quality of ingredients, and their commitment to sustainable ocean practices made the cost 100% worth it in my opinion. Another bonus; Local Ocean is located in the port area, so you’re in a prime location to explore afterwards!
Devil’s Punchbowl State Natural Area
This is a great spot for panoramic views of the ocean and an up-close look at Devil’s Punchbowl – a now-collapsed sea cave along the coast. We spent a great deal of time here taking in the scenery, watching surfers, and looking for whales – and we actually saw a few! The recreational area also has picnic tables with a great view of the ocean, so plan on bringing a picnic lunch if you want to save some money dining in Newport!
Yaquina Head Lighthouse
Yaquina Head is another awesome stop along the highway for unbeatable views of the coast and Oregon’s tallest lighthouse. This is a great location to watch the sunset if you find yourself here at the end of the day like we did! This is also the access point for Cobble Beach if you want to explore some tide pools. Yaquina Head was one of the highlights of the entire day and definitely a must stop destination!
Cobble Beach
I can’t think of a better way to end an awesome day then at Cobble Beach – it was my favorite stop of the entire day! Instead of sand, the entire beach is made up of fist-sized, smooth grey rocks with sea stacks framing the view of the ocean.
The coolest part about the beach are its tide pools filled with a variety of marine creatures including starfish, barnacles, sea urchins, hermit crabs, small fish, sea anemones, and more. During our visit, the national park service also had rangers onsite to help find and identify the different animals and share fun facts about them. We spent over an hour observing the tide pools before settling in to watch one of the most amazing sunsets I have ever seen.
And that’s a wrap! If you wanted to see more sites in one day, you definitely could. However, I thought our pace was very fun and manageable. We took our time, never felt rushed, and simply focused on seeing what we thought seemed interesting and moving on whenever we were ready.
If you have more time or would prefer to cross more destinations off your list, definitely keep driving along the coast to incorporate more into your trip! On the map I created, you’ll find a few additional pins in purple to get you started!
Have you ever taken a trip along the Oregon coast? If so, tell me about it in the comments! If you haven’t yet, what destination is at the top of your list?!
omg . I loveeee all these photos! Looks like a great adventure.
thanks girl! It was such an amazing day – I highly recommend it! 🙂