Late-September through early-October is a great time to visit the Oregon Coast for outdoor recreation and wildlife spotting. With the large summer crowds gone, herds of Roosevelt Elk are frequently seen along the coast. If you’re interested in whale watching, I’d suggest Depoe Bay, where Oregon State Parks operates a Whale Watch Center, or Cape Foulweather, a prominent viewpoint also staffed by Parks personnel. Bird watching is always good on the Oregon Coast. You may want to read my Travel Oregon story, Hiking Tour of the Oregon Coast, for some of my favorite hiking areas.
September 24 is National Public Lands Day and National Parks, such as Lewis and Clark’s Fort Clatsop near Astoria, offer free admission in case that fits in with your itinerary. That day is also Oregon’s annual Beach Clean-up in case you want to join the thousands of other volunteers helping keep Oregon’s beaches clean. On October 1-2, the town of Charleston hosts its Octoberfish festival. That weekend, Lincoln City hosts its annual Fall Kite Festival. You can see more events at the VisitTheOregonCoast website
As for arts, there are some great galleries and live theater all along the Coast, but Cannon Beach in particular is known as an arts town and has been recognized as one the 100 Best Art Towns in America.
If you give me an idea of your itinerary or what part of the coast you will be visiting, I may be able to make some more specific recommendations.
Yes, there are plenty of mellow stretches of the Rogue River near Gold Beach that would be suitable for inner tubes. However you will need to be aware of other water crafts as this is a popular boating area.
In Southern Oregon you can find wonderful redwood groves by driving out the Redwood Highway (Highway 199) from Grants Pass to the Oregon Coast. Along the way you can access short hiking trails into the redwoods at several locations, as well as find redwoods along the Oregon Coast once you reach that point. From Crescent City, you’ll want to drive north a few miles back into Oregon. My favorite spot is the Redwood Nature Trail in Brookings. This trail is actually a trail network of multiple loops that wind upslope of the Chetco River. You see multiple redwoods and other pines, as well as a clear, cold creek. Be sure to pay attention to which turns you take in order to find your way back to the start, as it’s not as well marked as we would like.
Directions: from Highway 101, turn east at Constitution Way to North Bank Chetco Road. Go 7.5 miles to Alfred Loeb State Park. The trailhead is half a mile past the entrance.
The Hells Canyon Scenic Byway is a great drive for visitors! You get some great stops with amazing views. Did you know that Hells Canyon is the deepest gorge in North America?
The road itself is nice and well kept. I have a lot of folks come through with large vehicles and RVs. Parking at some of the view points could be tricky, but I wouldn’t be too worried. Road 39, by Halfway, is gravel and can have some small washboards during some parts of the year.
If you are needing more information on this, I recommend contacting the Wallowa Chamber of Commerce.
The best beaches for razor clamming on the Oregon Coast are about 90 minutes from Portland in the Seaside area and north toward Fort Stevens State Park. You’ll want to check with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife regarding licensing, limits and shellfish safety closures. The razor clam season is closed on these beaches between July 15 and September 30 to protect juvenile clams.
There is also a variety of bay clamming on the North Oregon Coast, most notably on Tillamook Bay, Nehalem Bay and Netarts Bay. Nehalem Bay is also a good spots for crabbing and local marinas offer rental gear and boats or you can crab off the docks, then have your catch cooked fresh just steps from where you caught it.
Happy exploring!
I happen to love local cheese, so I love that you are asking this question!
I am not aware of anyone offering a pre-set cheese tour of the valley. However, I would suggest you contact Black Tie Tours; they are based in the Dundee area and offer mainly wine tours but are very open to customization. The owner, Stefan Czarnecki, is very familiar with the food and drink scene in the Willamette Valley and I think would be able to set up a nice cheese-focused tour for your group!
Embrace Oregon Tours is another Willamette Valley based tour company that I’ve had good experiences with and might be interested in setting up a custom tour for you.
If you end up wanting to do a more self-guided tour, here are some places I’d highly recommend including in your visit:
I hope you have a delicious trip!
I’ve fielded quite a few difficult questions, but this might take the cake. My initial response is, “why not both?”
If you have time for both, obviously it’s a no-brainer.
If not, there is no ultramarine blue that comes close to Crater Lake. I wish I was kidding when I say this but the first time I saw Crater Lake in person, I cried. Seriously. It is so beautiful. And it’s history is so interesting. Can you imagine: a mountain, taller than Mt. Hood, standing in it’s place? Can you imagine it erupting, spewing lava and ash and smoke and debris and then just sitting empty for hundreds of years? Yeah. Me neither.
But also, can you imagine a giant hole in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by rich soil and a resilient ecosystem slowly coming back to life, one saved raindrop at a time? You probably can’t. At least I couldn’t anyway, until I saw it for myself.
I vote Crater Lake. The water is cold, crisp and refreshing if you’re up for cliff jumping. The views are jaw-dropping if you’re into sunset or killer views, or both. The hiking is rewarding if you’re up for old fire lookout vista picnics. The food is decent, I’d bring a few snacks. But Crater Lake wine is something you won’t want to leave without trying.
Novice tip for you: fill up your gas tank before you get to the park. There are no stations and people run out ALL THE TIME. Don’t be one of them.
My choices would be Cannon Beach, Newport, Yachats, Bandon and Gold Beach for the following reasons:
Cannon Beach is a good base for nearby attractions like Haystack Rock, Ecola State Park, Oswald West State Park, Hug Point and towns like Seaside, Astoria and Manzanita. Follow the Three Capes Scenic Route (Cape Meares, Cape Lookout and cape Kiwanda) as you drive south to Newport.
Newport has many local attractions like Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, the historic bay front, Oregon Coast Aquarium and easy day trips to Devil’s Punchbowl at Otter Rock, Cape Foulweather (Otter Crest State Scenic Viewpoint) and the town of Depoe Bay. Visit Seal Rock State Recreation Site as you drive south to Yachats.
Yachats is not far from Newport, but it offers the best access to the many attractions of the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area including hiking trails, Devil’s Churn, Spouting Horn, Thor’s Well and panoramic views from the top of the Cape. Heceta Head Lighthouse makes an easy day trip. Explore the town of Florence and the Oregon Dunes as you drive south to Bandon.
Bandon offers a spectacular beach with interesting rock formations, a nice Old Town area and the Coquille River Lighthouse. The three State Parks on Cape Arago make a great day trip from Bandon if you don’t have time to visit them as you travel between Yachats and Bandon. The Cape Blanco Lighthouse is an easy day trip to the south of Bandon. Explore the town of Port Orford, Port Orford Heads State Park and Battle Rock Park as you travel south to Gold Beach.
Gold Beach is a great base for exploring the wild and scenic Rogue River, the stunning Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor to the south and other great stops include Meyers Beach and Cape Sebastian. Otter Point State Recreation Site is a nice short trip north of Gold Beach.
For gold panning, the Rogue River is a great place. We’ve seen many people panning for gold along the lower Rogue around Grave Creek (just past the little town of Galice…take the Merlin Exit of I-5 north of Grants Pass). You can pan on any public land stretch of river, and 1/4 a mile up any tributary. Further south, what’s known as the Gold Nugget site is on the Rogue by Gold Hill in Highway 234. People also pan in the Applegate River (take Highway 138 outside of Jacksonville). This BLM pdf gives you more specific information.
My top pick would be the Eugene area for cycling to wineries. You’ll find a higher concentration of wineries in the Dundee/Newberg area, but the roads are more highly trafficked with very minimal shoulders, and not as good for cyclists. In the Eugene area there are a couple of different routes that will take you to several wineries within 15-20 miles.
The Territorial Wine Trail is the name for the main Eugene-area wine tasting route. You could do either the north section or the south, but the whole thing might be pretty ambitious on bikes.
North section:
If you look at the map for the north section, you’ll see it lists five different wineries. If you’re looking for only 15-20 miles, I’d suggest leaving off Domaine Meriwether and Novelle, and instead starting off with Pfeiffer Vineyard. Then head to Brigadoon and Benton-Lane. Another nearby winery you could add in that’s not shown on that map is High Pass Winery, just a couple miles from Pfeiffer. (High Pass is small, and only open on weekends, so you’d have to leave it off if you’re planning a weekday ride). All of these wineries are smallish, family-owned, and in a very pretty area.
South section:
The south section takes you to some beautiful wineries as well. As with the northern route, I’d suggest paring down the wineries a little bit to make it easier for cycling. I’d say start at Sweet Cheeks Winery, then head to Sarver (right across the street!). From there, a pretty 6-mile ride south to Iris Vineyards. After Iris, it’s about 2 miles further south to King Estate. This route offers more of a contrast of different types of wineries–King Estate is larger, while the others offer a smaller, more intimate experience. They’re all lovely, and King Estate also has an amazing restaurant on-site. The perfect place to reward yourself after a ride!
Another option: book a winery ride with The Bike Concierge, a bike tourism service based in the northern Willamette Valley. They offer a guided winery ride that includes several wineries, including Villa Catalana Cellars, one of the most beautiful wineries I’ve ever visited! They will also help you do a cycle route in any area you have in mind–they can drop you and your bikes off at one end and pick you up at the other, so you don’t have to plan for your return route. I’ve ridden with them before and they’re extremely nice people with tons of cycling expertise. They’ll give you as much or as little support as you need.
Happy cycling!
