Making Memories

There are many scenic byways in the U.S. The Pacific Coast Scenic Byway isn’t one to be missed. The road winds by marshes and seaside cliffs, brushes against wind-sculpted dunes, provides the most amazing coastal scenery. Along the way, you’ll pass by charming small towns, museum, state parks, historic bridges and lighthouses. Come along as I take you on a road-trip along the Oregon Coast.

Airport

Oregon coast can be divided into: North coast, Central coast and South coast. Depending on which part of the coast you want to cover, then you choose the airport most convenient for you.

You can choose from Portland International Airport (PDX), North Bend Airport (OTH), Eugene Airport (EUG) or Rogue Valley International–Medford Airport (MFR).

We wanted to start from the south and make our way up north, so we chose MFR airport. It’s a smaller airport so there are only a few non-stop flights to MFR. There’s an advantage and disadvantage to fly into smaller airports. There is only 1 baggage carousel, so there’s no need to look around much, but that also means the baggage from all the flights are combined in one place! Everything is in close proximity, saving you the hassle for long walks. Car rental counters are also very few and the lines are long if you arrive during peak time. Car selection is also limited; we rented an SUV but was offered a van (at no additional cost since it was available), in which we declined and waited for 2 hours to get an SUV.

Accommodations

Hotels or house rentals are more limited in small towns. You will most likely find inns and motels, rather than fancy hotels, and options are few. As this is a road-trip, expect to move around often. Our road-trip was planned for one week, so we literally moved every 1 or 2 days. Since these are smaller inns, laundry service (full or self-service) typically is not available. Look for outside laundromat, or larger trailer parks should have laundry service (you don’t need to stay at the trailer park to use).

Medford is a larger town comparing to the others along the coast, so if you need to do your groceries shopping, this would be the place to do it. The larger groceries stores also have a wide range of ready-to-eat or made-to-order food. Our first lunch on the trip was actually at a groceries store in Medford!!

With restrained food options, it would be a plus if you can find an accommodation with a kitchen. When dining out, it would be best to stick with local cuisine. We once tried a Chinese restaurant in Bandon, and it was the worst choice ever!

Car Rental

Unless you plan to drive a roundtrip, be sure to rent from a company that allows you to pick up that car in one city and return in another. Most car rental companies do not charge additional fee if returned within the same state, but do note this when you make car reservation. For example, renting a car from Turo would not work in this case, obviously.

The Road Trip

Our journey started from the south in Medford and made our way up north to Portland with stops in Brookings, Bandon, Waldport and Cannon Beach. The are many attractions. We wanted a more relaxed trip, so we only picked the most popular ones to visit.

Harris Beach State Park

Located in Brookings city, the park offers sandy beaches interspersed with rocky outcroppings. At low tide, the rocky areas become perfect for tide pooling. It is also known for sea stacks, just off the shore.

Harris Beach offers a splendid seascape for sightseers, several trails, and miles of sandy beaches and rocky outcroppings to explore.

There’s a largest island off the Oregon coast: Bird Island (Goat Island) is a National Wildlife Sanctuary and breeding site for rare birds. The island is great for wildlife viewing. In the winter, whale-watching is a popular activity. In the spring, you can watch migrations of seals, sea lions and sea birds.

Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor

Also located in Brookings, this corridor is a 12-mile, forested coastline with small sand beaches. One of the most popular ones is Secret Beach, whose trail entrance is about 1/3 south of milepost 345 on U.S. 101. Hike the 3/4-mile hike to reach Secret Beach, and best done at low tide.

Another amazing viewing pleasure is of the Arch Rock and the Natural Bridges. Arch Rock is a massive natural rock standing alone in the Pacific Ocean. There’s a parking lot and picnic tables for you to stop to have a picnic while admiring the view.

Pistol River State Scenic Viewpoint

The dunes and the river system here are what make this area unique. In the summer and spring, the dunes actually grow. The pothole ponds attract waterfowl and shorebirds, so it’s an excellent spot for bird-watching.

Bandon Beach

The beaches are the most popular destination in Bandon, Oregon. The beaches are public with many access points. There are many interesting things to see here: the sandy landscapes are reshaped by the weather and the tides depending on the season; sea stacks and tide pools are home to varieties of wildlife.

Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint is an awesome place to watch the sunset. As pictured below, the sunset sky offers a stunning silhouette view of the sea stacks.

Heceta Head Lighthouse

Sitting on top of the 1,000-foot-high Heceta Head, it is one of the most photographed lighthouse on the coast. You can walk to the lighthouse through a half-mile trail that begins from the parking area.

Cape Perpetua

It’s part of the Siuslaw National Forest, and is a great place to see coastal fog, frothy surf crashing upon jagged shores. Cape Perpetua is located 2 miles from Yachats and has a visitor center that offers an amazing view of the ocean from inside and from the deck.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse (New Port)

The lighthouse stands at 93 feet tall, and is the tallest lighthouse in Oregon. What else is significant about this lighthouse? It is the only existing Oregon lighthouse with the living quarters attached, and the only historic wooden Oregon lighthouse still standing. 

The park surrounding the lighthouse provides views of the Yaquina Bay and the Yaquina Bay Bridge. You can also hike down to the beach below. There is a fee to enter the park.

Otter Rock

Situated between Depoe Bay and Yaquina Head, Otter Rock takes its name from a rock located about 1⁄2 mile offshore where sea otters formerly lived prior to their extirpation in the early twentieth century. Today, it is still used by other marine mammals including California sea lions and harbor seals.

The Otter Crest State Scenic Viewpoint is a popular whale watching spot (we actually saw whales here), which also provides a good view of the Devil’s Punchbowl.

Cape Kiwanda

This is a sandstone head north of Pacific City, the smallest and one of the Three Capes Scenic Route. It offers some of the best viewpoints on the coast for witnessing the ocean’s powers.

Cannon Beach

The small coastal town is known for its long and sandy shore. The beach is famous for its stunning coastline, which features the iconic 235-foot Haystack Rock standing tall in the ocean. There are trails in Ecola State Park that offer phenomenal views of the ocean.

Cannon Beach is our last stop along the Oregon Coast. From there, we proceeded to Portland and spent our day at the Washington Park. This is an ideal route as you can take the flight home from Portland International Airport (PDX). We combined this trip with a cruise to Alaska and a half-day stop in Seattle.

Other places to visit

As mentioned, there are many scenic spots along the coast and surrounding areas. Because of time constraints, we only visited the coastal towns. If you have time, you can add the following famous places to your itinerary.

Redwood National Park

When driving from Medford airport to Brookings (to the first hotel), we passed by this famous national park, but didn’t have time to visit. In this park there are ancient trees that can be said to be the tallest on Earth!! These giant trees can live up to 2000 years and can grow over 300 feet tall. Not only that, the forests, rivers and coastline here harmoniously create a diverse picture of life; it is home to elks, whales, seals and seasonal wildflowers such as Lupins and Rhododendrons. The scenic drive through the park is like entering a forest in a fairy tale!!

Crater Lake

Widely known for its deep blue color and extreme clarity, with an average depth of about 31 meters, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the U.S. This is one of the ten deepest lakes in the world. The lake’s clarity is explained by the lack of nutrients commonly used to grow algae and plants. Crater Lake is so named because it was created about 6,500 years ago by a volcanic eruption (as you can see in the photo below).

Home to beautiful dunes, pristine state parks, isolated beaches, rugged cliffs with breathtaking views of the Pacific, driving along the Oregon coast is the scenic drive not to be missed. Each season has its charms; we visited in July when the temperatures are warm and cozy. So, what are you waiting for?!