The Oregon Coast has gained quite the reputation for it’s beauty and diversity, and this coastal road trip is packed full of surprises that more than live up to all of the hype! From secret beaches and moody coastlines to lush rainforests and abundant wildlife – there is something for everyone along the Oregon Coast Highway.
The only downside? Many of the scenic stops aren’t visible directly from the road, making it hard to see everything unless you already know where you’re going. And being that much of Highway 101 winds around seaside cliffs, it can be difficult to turn around if you miss something!
So pull up your Google Maps and get ready to mark these 14 Oregon Coast stops. And remember, don’t be an itinerary Nazi. If you see something cool you hadn’t planned on stopping for – take the time to stop! Often, the best sights are the ones you hadn’t planned on seeing.
RELATED: THE 10 BEST HIKING TRAILS ALONG THE OREGON COAST
*NOTE: There is a map embedded at the bottom of this post, for your convenience 🙂
1. Ecola State Park
If your road trip takes you north to south on Highway 101, Ecola State Park is the perfect first stop to kick off your coastal journey! The beautiful Indian Beach is only a few minutes by car from the entrance, and the drive there winds through the lush rainforest that this park is so famous for.
If you’d rather explore the rainforest by foot, there is a trail near the entrance. It is on the right-hand side on route to Indian Beach and is blocked off to vehicles by a rusted, metal gate.
COST: $5 if entering by vehicle.
TIME: 30-40 minutes. More, if hiking the trail.
2. Cannon Beach
Just a quick jaunt from Ecola State Park, Cannon Beach is a worthwhile (however densely populated) stop along the Oregon Coast. The beach is nice enough but the real draw is the impressive, and famous, Haystack Rock that lies just off shore.
At low tide, you can walk out to the rock but climbing is prohibited as Haystack is home to a variety of fragile wildlife.
COST: Free when off-street parking is available.
TIME: 15-20 minutes.
3. Cape Kiwanda
This is my favorite stop on Highway 101 and I spent hours photographing it’s natural beauty. Some of it’s most impressive landmarks are the colorful rust-hued sandstone, the massive sand dunes, and Haystack Rock.
Wait, didn’t we just see Haystack Rock near Cannon Beach?
Yep. Just to confuse us, Oregon is home to not one, not two, but three Haystack Rocks. The tallest, however, is in Cape Kiwanda.
COST: Free.
TIME: About 1 hour.
4. Drift Creek Falls Trail
This isn’t exactly a quick stop – but I promise it is well worth the extra time! This famous Oregon trail leads you to a 250-foot long suspension bridge, overlooking an 80-foot waterfall. The hike is only 2.6 miles total and takes you through gorgeous and lush forests – so there’s plenty to see along the way, too!
COST: $5
TIME: About 1.5 hours
FIND MY FULL DRIFT CREEK FALLS TRAIL GUIDE (plus info on the EASY way to get to the base of the falls) HERE!
5. Devil’s Punchbowl
While it’s certainly cool to view from up-top, Devil’s Punchbowl is even cooler from the inside! Of course you’ll have to check tide tables before visiting, but if you can work your schedule around it you’ll have front row seats to this gorgeous sea cave. Just be sure to take the beach trail to the North. If you start heading down a staircase, you’re going the wrong way. There is no access to the Punchbowl from the southerly beach.
You can check the tide tables, here!
COST: Free.
TIME: 20 – 30 minutes.
6. Seal Rock
Seal Rock was one of the “surprise stops” on our Oregon Coast road trip. When I saw a line of jagged rocks jutting out from the ocean, I couldn’t resist the calling for an impromptu photoshoot. And I got more than I bargained for when I stumbled on the cool, yet incredibly dangerous, wave tunnel pictured above. Talk about photogenic!
COST: Free
TIME: About 30 minutes.
7. Thor’s Well & Spouting Horn
If you’re a fan of geysers this place will not disappoint! Every time a sizable wave rolls in, Spouting Horn shoots salt water out of the rock and into the sky.
What I loved most about this location was that it wasn’t fenced off at all. You can get nice and close to the action. But please be careful as most of the rock is wet and slippery.
NOTE: The parking lot for this attraction looks as though it’s only a scenic overlook along the Oregon Coast highway and can be easy to miss.
COST: Free.
TIME: 30 minutes or so – mostly to get the timing right for photos.
8. The Hobbit Trail
You’ll totally feel like a Baggins as you wind through this magical forest, all the way to the secluded Hobbit Beach. The trail is easy and the payoff is beautiful. Be sure to take your time on the trail and enjoy photographing and sightseeing. We found a lot of cool little mushrooms next to the path!
COST: Free (parking is right off the Highway)
TIME: 45 minutes – 1 hour
NOTE: You need to cross the Oregon Coast Highway to get to the beach
9. Sea Lion Caves
Wildlife lovers, rejoice! Sea Lion Caves is your surest way to see these beautiful creatures up close (and learn a lot about them in the process!).
Located in a protected area, the cave provides a natural place for the sea lions to rest during the colder months, while the rookery outside of the cave is used to breed and raise their young in the spring. Hundreds of sea lions congregate in the large sea cave for the winter and their iconic “barking” can often be heard even from above at the designated overlooks.
While we may be observing the animals as you would in a zoo, they are wild and come and go as they please. The best time to visit is in the winter, as you’ll see a lot more action inside of the cave, but you can always call ahead and the staff would be more than willing to tell you if the sea lions are visible or not!
Click here to learn more about Sea Lion Caves. Or even check to see if the sea lions are home via the live webcam!
COST:
Adults $14
Seniors: $13
Children 5-12: $8
Children 4 and under: Free.
TIME: About 1 hour.
10. Coos Bay
Clamming is a true locals sport and there’s no better place to do it than Coos Bay. All you need is a bucket, a shovel, a shellfishing license, and a whole lot of patience (because learning how to do it is mostly just trial and error).
Right off Cape Arago Highway near Mystic Mobile RV Park is a great spot for clamming! We found cockles, butter clams and giant gapers that were bigger than both of my fists put together.
And if you spot a local out clamming, don’t be too shy to ask for tips. We wouldn’t have found the gapers if it wasn’t for a helpful man and his daughter showing us how it’s done.
NOTE: Be sure to check the tide schedule before going out. You’ll want to head out about an hour before low tide
COST: Free (park on one of the pull-outs).
TIME: 1-2 hours.
11. Bandon Dunes
The city of Bandon is a popular stop on most coastal road trip itineraries – so why not check out the beach, too? This gorgeous natural area is mostly flat, with great views of stack rocks submerging from the sea and a ridge of sand dunes lining the beach.
It was pretty foggy, windy and, some might say, miserable when we visited – but it actually worked to our advantage! Streams of loose sand blew across the flat ground in snakelike patterns as we walked along, making for some pretty cool video footage!
COST: Free (parking is right off the beach).
TIME: 30-45 minutes.
12. Sisters Rocks
This short but sweet hike takes you closer to the 2 sisters – giant mounds of earth stretching out to the sea. They can be seen from the parking lot, but it’s well worth the 1 mile walk to get a closer look. We discovered a hidden sea cave, a private beach and several Iceland-esque photo opportunities.
COST: Free.
TIME: 15-20 minutes.
PRO TIP: Visit at sunrise for the best photos!
13. Pistol River Beach
Pistol River was an unexpected sunset stop that ended up being way too much fun. This was Tuna’s first-ever ocean visit (at least as far as we know – he’s adopted) and he couldn’t get enough. The rocks jutting up from the sand and the light reflecting off the flat water made for some beautiful dusk photos.
COST: Free.
TIME: About 30 minutes.
14. Samuel H. Boardman State Park
This park stretches across quite a few miles of coastline and encompasses some beautiful locations including Arch Rock, Natural Bridges and the famous, and maybe not-so-secret, Secret Beach.
What I love about this park is how short and accessible the trails are. Minimal energy exertion with a huge payoff? I’ll take it.
Dreaming of an Oregon coast road trip? Which spot would you most like to visit? Let me know!
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Hi, I am a female in my 60s. I am going on a hiking/rafting trip to Rouge River next June. It will be my first time to Oregon. I would like to spend 3-5 days after my trip seeing the Oregon Coast. Our trip will end at the Medford Airport, but rather than flying back to Atlanta I would want to fly to Portland or Eugene. Which would you suggest so that I can see the most in those few days. I plan to rent a car and stay at a hotel or airbnb. Can you suggest what towns I might stay overnight in. If their is a good central location I can stay at the same place the whole time, but I do not mind moving to other locations some. Thanks in advance for your help.
Hi Janet! That sounds like an awesome trip – have to say I’m a little bit jealous ;P
I would suggest flying into Portland – it’s likely much cheaper and its also much closer to Ecola State Park, which is where I’d recommend starting your coastal road trip. But Eugene IS more central, if that’s what you’re looking for.
Depending on what you’d like to see, staying in the same place each night might be difficult. From the start of our road trip to the end of it was about 8 hours driving. However, most of the stops can be seen fairly quickly, so if you’re really wanting to cover some ground you could probably see the Northern half (from Ecola State Park to maybe Florence, OR) in a day. Then stop and get a hotel in Florence (there’s lots of options there for reasonable prices), then start with Sea Lion Caves in the morning (but double check with their front desk to see if there have been any sightings first) and drive down to Brookings, OR – making all the stops along the way. Both days should be about 3-4 hours of driving, so definitely doable!
The morning of the 3rd day you could finish up with some hiking at Samuel H. Boardman State Park – lots of cool places to walk around there! – and then make your way back up to the airport. Hope this helps!!
Amazed n surprising! Newport, O is not mentioned as a #1 stop on the coast!!! You MUST stop and relax in wonder in Quarry Cove @ the Yaq Lighthouse turn, at 51 st NW!
Hi Kristin! This is a great itinerary to follow for a road trip, I’m planning on following this for my own road trip. Do you know if it’s allowed or prohibited to overnight park at a roadside pull of viewpoint? I’m car camping and plan to sleep in my car most of the nights of my road trip.
Any tips you can share about overnight parking for any of the locations you listed would be much appreciated!
Hi Linh! Unfortunately, I believe all the locations have signs posted that state “no overnight parking”. When I did the road trip, I mostly looked at freecampsites.net to find nearby campsites. Also, sometimes I slept inside my car in Walmart parking lots – definitely not ideal, but it’s a good idea for when there are no other options! Freecampsites.net normally shows you parking lots you can overnight park in, too 🙂 The bummer is that since this route is so popular, there really aren’t too many free campsites that are in a convenient location. But if you’re willing to pay, you’ll have no trouble finding a campsite.
You can pull off the road anywhere along 101 and stay for up to 12 hrs
Thank you very much for creating the map I’m taking my first solo RV trip up the coast and this is been very helpful appreciate it
Oh that sounds so fun!! I’ve been wanting to take a solo trip (well.. solo, plus my dog probably lol). I hope you have the BEST time and enjoy all the beautiful stops 🙂
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