Exploring the Oregon Coast
Discover the piece of the Pacific Northwest that most people don’t, mixing wild beaches, whale-watching, wine, cheese, trees, explorers and arguably America’s hippest city
Oregon is perhaps the least well-known and least-visited corner of America’s dramatic Pacific Northwest. But don’t be fooled: it may be an enigma to most, but for wine, untamed beaches and good times Oregon is hard to beat. Especially on its wild west coast where giant dunes, endless surf, fresh seafood and deserted sands await.
The star of the state is Portland, rightly deserving of its reputation as one of the country’s coolest, greenest and most creative cities. It’s where most Oregon trips begin and end and it is, without doubt, one of the country’s best left-of-centre city breaks.
Soak it up, but don’t get stuck. Because just outside Portland, where crashing waves meet temperate rainforests and rocky headlands afford uninterrupted views of the Pacific Ocean, there are other stars too. Hop in a car, drive from the top of the state to the bottom, hugging the ocean the entire way, and you’ll find them. This is what roadtrip dreams are made of. This is Oregon’s spectacular Pacific coast. Here’s how to see it best.
Portland
The hit comedy series Portlandia, which parodies the city to hilarious effect, describes it as the place ‘where young people go to retire’. They’re joking, of course, but they’re also spot on. This is a place to have fun.
The Alberta Arts District is overflowing with vibrant craft shops, vintage boutiques and galleries while the east side is hipster heaven, with tattooed trendsetters dunking vegan doughnuts in their Fairtrade coffee. Portland also has one of the best food-truck scenes in America, with over 500 to choose from, and one of the largest farmers’ markets too. But more than that, there is a spark here. Those young so-called retirees are using their free time well, intersecting sustainable living with youthful idealism and bohemian creativity. It’s infectious. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to write a novel or join a band.
And it’s beautiful. Hundreds of miles of bike paths weave through leafy suburbs and along the banks of the Columbia River. Head up into the Japanese Garden, a Zen oasis in the heart of the city, and on a clear day you’ll see the pyramidal peak of Mount Hood in the distance, framing the city skyline.
Pacific Coast Scenic Byway
Tracing the entire Oregon seaboard, from the Columbia River in
the north down to the Californian border, 584 jaw-dropping
kilometres to the south, this is your route along the Pacific coast and it does not disappoint.
Leaving Portland, your first stop is Astoria, 150 kilometres north-west, a collection of colourful wooden houses overlooking the water like a storybook village. Founded in 1811 as a fur trading post – the first permanent settlement on the Pacific coast – this port at the mouth of the Columbia River has kept its historic fishing village charm. It’s a place to wander, slow down, eat some fresh seafood and then savour the ocean breeze.
An hour south is Cannon Beach, where galleries, restaurants and cute cottages line a 6.5km stretch of perfect white sand. Unlike much of Oregon’s coast, the water here is calm, perfect for swimming, building sandcastles and lazing in the sun. But what makes it unique is Haystack Rock, a 72m-high monolith jutting out of the shallows like a fortress of lush-green stone. Come at the right time and you’ll see it reflected in the retreating tide.
Winding south, the route hugs the shore through thick forests and along rocky headlands, pulling out at viewpoints, seaside towns and trailheads along the way. Stop at Cape Kiwanda, 100 kilometres from Cannon Beach, and climb the enormous sand dune for a panoramic view along the coast (and a fun run back down). Pause at nearby Depoe Bay for whale-watching – grey whales pass by on their way to their Alaskan feeding grounds between March and June, while resident whales might be seen from June-to-September. And visit the Sea Lion Caves at Florence, 160km further down the road, home of America’s largest sea cave – more than 300m long and 40m high – and to hundreds of basking seals.
The route finishes with its most striking section: the Samuel H Boardman State Scenic Corridor is 19km of wide-open coastal road with sea stacks, secret beaches and hiking trails on every bend.
Willamette Valley
Loop back north to Portland via the Willamette Valley wine region. Oregon’s pinot noir is among the best in the world and the Willamette (rhymes with ‘dammit’) is where to find the finest drops.
Fertile volcanic soil and mild, moist conditions have transformed these once rural dairy-lands into a pic-n-mix of more than 500 wineries, from world-renowned vineyards to small family-run operations – think of it like a down-to-earth Napa Valley, minus the designer clothes and large crowds. J Wrigley Vineyard, up a dirt road and barely signposted, is one of the best: expect to be welcomed like family and spoiled like an honoured guest (wrigleywines.com).
Along the way, stop off at the outdoorsy city of Eugene, state capital Salem and – if you have the time for one more short detour – Crater Lake National Park, which boasts one of the most beautiful lakes in the whole country.
Oregon’s
outdoor escapades
Ecola State Park
Giant Sitka spruces, soaring 60m high and cloaked in thick fur coats of moss, cluster in this pocket of lush old-growth rainforest, cut through with Native American hunting trails. It’s humbling in size and bursting with life and vitality from root to crown. The highlight is Indian Beach, where wild surf crashes into the forest and endless white sand disappears into the horizon, draped in fog and mist – perhaps the most breathtaking view of the entire coast.
Oregon Coast Trail
Skirting the state’s coastline for 580km, from the Columbia River Gorge to the Californian state line, this is one of the West Coast’s most eye-catching long-distance hikes. Taking around a month, the trail
mixes long, lonely beaches and empty forest paths with cute
seaside towns and busy state parks. The mixture of wilderness and peopled environments works well – in between the hard hiking you’ll be rewarded with cold beers, refreshing dips and some of the best seafood you’ll ever eat.
Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area
One of the largest areas of temperate coastal dunes in the world, this otherworldly expanse of rolling, shifting sand stretches almost 65km from Florence to Coos Bay, at the southern end of the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway. There is a mysterious aura here, as if you’ve stepped onto another planet – and in some ways, you have: it was this landscape that inspired Frank Herbert’s science-fiction masterpiece Dune, and it’s easy to see why. Although the dunes can be explored on foot, for the biggest thrill hire a high-speed ATV or off-road dune buggy from the small city of Reedsport nearby.
Oregon’s
must-see sites
Columbia River Maritime Museum
Located in Astoria, this world-class nautical museum is a must-see whether you’re a fan of maritime history or not. The enormous museum features multiple exhibits that tell the story of the Columbia River from the days of dugout canoes and sailing vessels to the skilled pilots of today who steer their craft through the Columbia Bar, one of the most dangerous and difficult sea passages in the world, which has claimed more than 2,000 ships and 700 souls since the late 18th century.
Tillamook Creamery
One of the state’s more bizarre attractions, this working cheese factory, which ships mass-market cheddar across the country, is one of the most popular stop-offs on the entire Scenic Byway, hosting upwards of one million visitors a year. Guests take a self-guided tour through the process of cheese-making, from dairy to tasting room, culminating in a gallery overlooking the factory floor. Be prepared to fight for viewing space as bright-orange bricks of cheddar are cut, wrapped and packaged, and hair-netted workers wave like rock stars from the assembly line below.
Fort Clatsop
This National Historical Park marks the final landing place of Lewis and Clark’s 1804-1806 expedition before they returned east – the epic journey that charted the territory west of the Mississippi and provided vital geographic, environmental and social information about these previously unmapped areas of the New World. Featuring historic reenactments, live musket demonstrations and a recreation of their winter camp, the fort and surrounding park offer a living museum of the time as well as hiking trails and paddling along the Netul River, just as those two explorers did more than 200 years ago.
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