It's difficult to list the highlights on the Oregon Coast. Every beach, town, and cliff-top viewpoint along Highway 101 is a treasure worth visiting. But there are many destinations simply not to be missed.
Coastal rain forest, rocky headland, sandy beaches . . . it's often crowded, but for good reasons. Nearby Haystack Rock is an icon of the Oregon Coast.
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This park too offers forests, headlands, and beaches, along with the unique ecosystem and amazing views of Neahkahnie Mountain.
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Cape Meares, Cape Lookout, Cape Kiwanda, and Sand Lake all deserve to be listed individually, but all of them lie along this amazing loop route in Tillamook County. Worth a few days' driving tour.
The north end is at milepost 64 on US 101, and the south end at milepost 90.
Rugged headland at the Tillamook/Lincoln county line, with Neskowin to the north and Lincoln City to the south. Great hiking through coastal rain forest and a headland meadow ecosystem; there are rare and endangered species found only here and at Neahkahnie Mountain to the north.
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From Rocky Creek State Scenic Viewpoint near milepost 129 on US 101, OR 182 leaves US 101 to a forgotten world of coastal scenery. There are turn-outs with scenic cliff-top views, and the Ben Jones Bridge. The road is a thin ribbon of twisting asphalt draped through a coastal rain forest clinging to steep slopes. Waves crash at the base of rocky cliffs far below. Otter Crest State Scenic Viewpoint, high on Cape Foulweather, offers sweeping views over the ocean far below, and indoor shelter from winter storms. There are The Inn at Otter Crest, and the picturesque tiny town of Otter Rock. The Devil's Punch Bowl State Natural Area offers a large collapsed sea cave, rocky shoreline with tidepools, and access to a long beach to the south stretching to Beverly Beach State Park and beyond.
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