In Oregon the beach is truly for everyone. Every inch of Oregon’s 363-mile coastline is publicly accessible, a unique right secured by the state’s landmark 1967 Beach Bill, which earned the region its nickname, the People’s Coast.
“We are one of the only states where the entire coastline is public property,” says Elise Newman, executive director of the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition. She’s such a devoted fan of the Oregon Coast that she got married at Arch Cape, a North Coast beach famous for a natural bridge framing slate-blue waters. “The beaches are for all of us, so we should all try to be good stewards of them.”
In warmer months, popular stretches of coastline become crowded with families on summer break. During fall, winter and spring, fewer visitors mean more opportunities to experience wide-open beaches, thundering surf and charming coastal communities. While fall and winter can bring powerful storms, the Oregon Coast’s year-round mild weather means it’s rarely truly cold — plus, watching the clouds roll in and the waves lash the shoreline from a cozy perch somewhere is a pleasure all its own.
Whether you’re on the hunt for hikes and surf spots or just quiet places to take in the solitude, here’s your north-to-south guide to some of Oregon’s most beloved beaches. For planning your trip, check out these road-trip options to the Oregon Coast from inland cities like Portland, Eugene and Roseburg.
Wide Sands, Iconic Views and Surf Spots on the North Coast
Start at Fort Stevens State Park, which sits at the confluence of the Columbia River and the Pacific. Reserve a campsite or visit for the day to walk 15 miles of trails to river- and ocean-front beaches, including the long, windswept Delaura Beach, where the wreck of the Peter Iredale looms photogenically in the surf.
To the south you’ll find family destination Seaside, with its bustling downtown leading to a long sandy beach and boardwalk known as The Prom. Cannon Beach and its immense sea stack, Haystack Rock, has graced generations’ worth of coastal postcards. Low tide reveals tide pools filled with sea stars and urchins, and among the shorebirds you’ll see all year, tufted puffins nest here every April.
One highlight for photographers is Ecola State Park, a string of jewel-like beaches connected by a twisty, photogenic road. Highlights include Indian Beach, where wetsuit-clad surfers catch waves, and miles of hiking trails through misty forests to sweeping views, including glimpses of Terrible Tilly, a decommissioned lighthouse improbably perched on a rock offshore.
South of Cannon Beach you’ll find Hug Point State Recreation Site, where wagon-wheel ruts from the early 1900s are etched into the sandstone headland as a reminder of when the beach was the highway. Short Sands Beach in Oswald West State Park is another surfer hot spot, while Kelly’s Brighton Marina and Jetty Fishery on Nehalem Bay offer opportunities to catch your own Dungeness crab dinner.
Near Pacific City you’ll find one of Oregon’s newest state recreation areas, Sitka Sedge State Natural Area, which features tidal flats, marshes and forests — all in a half-mile stroll to a gorgeous sandy beach. Nearby there’s a giant dune at Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area for climbing (be sure to observe all safety notices about staying on the trail, of course). On the beach below, Pacific City dory boats launch directly into the ocean; book a charter to catch rockfish, crab and more. A few miles farther south, the Neskowin Ghost Forest — ancient stumps preserved by centuries of sand — appears and disappears with the tides.
Whale Watching, Hiking and Fresh Fish on the Central Coast
Depoe Bay is one of the best places in the state to spot whales. In summer and fall, resident gray whales often feed so close to shore, you can hear them breathing. From mid-December to mid-January, thousands of migrating whales also pass by on their way to Mexico, and you can learn about them all year long at the Whale Watching Center in town. Just south from there is Beverly Beach State Park, a coastal campground where you can book a yurt and spend the day beachcombing for fossils and agates, then take advantage of the beach’s sheltered location to build a sunset campfire.
Newman particularly loves the beaches around the lively commercial fishing hub of Newport, with their wide, sandy expanse of beaches where you can walk your dog or ride a beach bike. They’re close to the Oregon Coast Aquarium and local seafood, too — dine on fresh-caught fish at Local Ocean or stroll the bayfront to the sound of sea lions.
At Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, where basalt cliffs plunge into cobbly beaches, you’ll find interpretive trails that wind past nesting seabirds, including one of the West Coast’s largest nesting colonies of common murres.
South of the charming town of Yachats, you’ll find Cape Perpetua Scenic Area — the highest point on the Oregon Coast — and the Devils Churn Day-Use Area, where a rocky inlet formed by a collapsed cave can send ocean spray hundreds of feet high. Farther south you can climb the stairs of the 56-foot-tall Heceta Head Lighthouse for a commanding view of the ocean and the chance to imagine being a 19th-century lighthouse keeper.
Sand Dunes, Rugged Beaches and Storm Watching on the South Coast
Oregon’s South Coast is remote, rugged and dramatic. There you’ll find sea stacks rising majestically over the waves, small towns where fishing is still a way of life, and windswept beaches without a single footprint.
Between Reedsport and Coos Bay, you’ll find the southern portion of the otherworldly Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, one of the largest stretches of temperate coastal sand dunes in the world. Here you can explore the hills of sand in an all-terrain vehicle, slide down the dunes on a sled or choose from one of many trails that travel through this stark landscape.
Southwest of Coos Bay, the former home of a timber baron is now Shore Acres State Park near Charleston. Walk through formal gardens to an overlook above Simpson Beach, an incredible place for storm watching and photography.
In Bandon a maze of sea stacks just offshore makes sunsets especially epic. Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint, which really does look like a face, lends its name to a local creamery making award-winning cheddar. Small communities south of Bandon each have their own spectacular beaches and forested ocean overlooks, like Langlois — also home of a deli hot dog that claims to be world-famous — and Port Orford, with its hub of art galleries and fresh seafood right off the dock.
Between Brookings and Gold Beach, the 12-mile Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor dishes up one jaw-dropping view after another from a series of overlooks. Brookings, the southernmost town on the Oregon Coast, is also home to the northernmost grove of redwoods. Walk a short trail from Alfred A. Loeb State Park to see these awe-inspiring giants, which absorb much of their water directly from the mist that rises off the ocean. Just like you, they too belong at the Oregon Coast.
If You Go:
- No matter where your trips take you, follow Leave No Trace principles and pack in what you pack out. If you’re feeling inspired, follow Newman’s lead and take it to the next level by picking up any litter you see. “Even one-day visitors can do something as simple as bringing an extra bag of trash off the beach as they leave,” says Newman.
- Many Oregon Coast beaches are dog-friendly, so bring your pup (and a leash) and prepare for zoomies. Be sure to check rules at the beaches you visit, and be aware that some areas are closed to dogs completely during western snowy plover nesting season, March 15 to September 15.
