Northern Oregon Coast

The Northern Oregon Coast is a region of Oregon made up of the northern Oregon Coast as well as Columbia County along the Columbia River.

Cities

Coastal Cities

• 1 Astoria — A historic fishing town at the mouth of the Columbia River, boasting many shipwrecks in the area.
• 2 Seaside — Beach town with family attractions and plenty of accommodation options.
• 3 Cannon Beach — Popular stopping point and vacation area with miles of sandy beach and Haystack Rock, the third largest monolith in the world.
• 4 Manzanita — Beach village that is a popular getaway for Portlanders who want to be away from the hubbub of Cannon Beach and Seaside.
• 5 Rockaway Beach —
• 6 Tillamook — Small town probably best known for its cheese factory with interactive exhibits and large cheese (and dairy) shop. There are also a couple of small museums in town. The surrounding area is definitely worth exploring.
• 7 Pacific City — Small coastal town with a famous dory (flat-bottom beach launched boat) fleet and the towering dune at Cape Kiwanda.

Along the Columbia River

• 8 St. Helens — Small city on the Columbia River near Portland.
• 9 Rainier —

Other destinations

• 1 Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
• 2 Tillamook State Forest
• 3 Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area
• 4 Saddle Mountain State Natural Area

Get in

By car

The northern coast is easily accessible from Portland via U.S. Route 26, U.S. Route 30, or OR-6 depending on which area you plan to go to. Note that driving conditions on OR-6 are often marginal during the stormy winter months. Darkness, fog, heavy rain, and snow can even make the trip treacherous, so use caution or use an alternate route if necessary.

If heading toward Pacific City or Tillamook from Salem or somewhere else from the south, you can also take OR-22.

By bus

Oregon Point serves Seaside and Astoria.

The Tillamook County Transportation District has a bus route from Portland to Tillamook.

Get around

By car

serves as the main north-south highway to access all main coastal destinations in the region. Other towns and cities are connected by highways.

By bus

The Tillamook County Transportation District runs buses from Tillamook north to Manzanita and Cannon Beach, south to Lincoln City, and west to the coastal towns of Netarts and Oceanside. There's one main stop in each town along these routes, but you can stand on the side of the road anywhere along the route and flag the bus down, and ask the driver to drop you off anywhere else along the route.

The fare is $1.50 per zone traveled. There are three zones in Tillamook County.

• Zone 1 is between Hobsonville Point (south of Garibaldi) and Sandlake Road (north of Hemlock), and includes Bay City, Tillamook, and Pleasant Valley.
• Zone 2 is between Hobsonville Point and the Clatsop County line, and includes Garibaldi, Rockaway Beach, Wheeler, Nehalem, and Manzanita.
• Zone 3 is between Sandlake Road to the Lincoln County line, and includes Beaver, Hebo, Cloverdale, Pacific City, and Neskowin.
• Zone Cannon Beach includes travel in Clatsop County.
• Zone Lincoln City includes travel in Lincoln County.

See

There are many State Parks along the rugged coastline including the popular Ecola and Cape Lookout State Parks that provide sweeping views of the surroundings. Fort Stevens and other Lewis and Clark National Historical Park sites provide history into the exploration and military activities of the region.

There are two lighthouses along the northern coast: Cape Meares near Oceanside, and Tillamook Rock which is offshore but visible from Ecola State Park. Some would also say that the Lightship Columbia at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria counts as well.

Pacific City, Oceanside, Manzanita, and Cannon Beach are known for their scenic sandy beaches, though lounging-appropriate weather can be extremely difficult to find outside of the summer months.

Eat

The region is known for its fresh high quality seafood, particularly Dungeness Crab, but fish, clams, and oysters can also be readily found. You can buy seafood at both markets and restaraunts, or go out and catch them yourself!

Drink

The award winning Pelican Brewery has its original location in Pacific City, and a new expansion location in Tillamook. Astoria has two regionally renowned breweries: Fort George and Buoy.