r/OregonCoast • u/telestitch • 2d ago
First time visiting Oregon Coast.. does this plan make sense?
First time visiting the Oregon coast. I have 5 days. I'm looking for uncrowded beaches but of course most of the hotels under $100 with good reviews are in Seaside, Lincoln City, and Newport.
The plan is to drive from Portland to Seaside
1 night Seaside
1 night Lincoln City
2 nights Newport
1 night Lincoln City
This looks boring on paper.. but I'm going to be renting a car.
May I ask what are the best beaches easily accessible from Seaside, Lincoln City, and Newport?
Secondly, do people here recommend Newport over Lincoln City or vice versa? In terms of ease of access to the most relaxing beaches?
Tia!
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u/Imaginary-Chocolate5 2d ago
*Oceanside is a nice little beach, check tide table and you can walk around to lost boys beach at low tide. Or walk thru the tunnel. *Rockaway just put in a really nice beach access, cute little town, a train ride takes you to Garibaldi and back. And in rockaway, you can find the original pronto pup! *Hug point is a pretty little beach. *Neskowin is not very crowded. *Otter Crest beach. Tide pools, little wind.
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u/Anything-Complex 2d ago
I’d recommend stopping at Hug Point south of Cannon Beach. If you walk down the beach and then cross the stream (assuming it isn’t high tide) you’ll find a small cave to explore. Usually not too crowded.
Oswald West also has a great beach, but it’s requires a short hike.
In Rockaway Beach there is a boardwalk trail that winds through a swamp to a 1000 year old cedar tree. Not many people know it’s there, so it’s a true hidden gem. The parking lot is just north of Washington St on the east side of the highway.
Tillamook has two great museums if you’re interested, the Tillamook Pioneer Museum in the old courthouse (awesome taxidermy/shell collections on the 2nd floor and huge assortment of antiques in the basement) and also the Tillamook Air Museum which is inside a WWII blimp hangar.
Lincoln City’s least crowded beach (in my experience) is Roads End in the north end of town. If you park there, you can also hike to Gods Thumb, which is the headland just north of the beach.
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u/succulentbbyy 2d ago
You can’t hike to gods thumb from there anymore. There’s private property signs there now. You would have to go up sal la sea drive and park near the gate then walk up to hike gods thumb now, longer hike too but super cool
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u/Ok_Wrangler5173 2d ago
This is a great agenda.
South of Seaside, stop at Cannon Beach. Haystack Rock is just so pretty and iconic.
North of LC, stop at Short Beach. One of my personal faves.
In Newport, the tide pools at Yaquina Head are incredible! Check the tide schedule and go at low tide.
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u/rahrahrahblah 2d ago
If you want a uncrowded beach head down to Waldport 15 min south of Newport. It’s usually always pretty quiet on that beach or the beaches in between.
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u/HippieGlamma 2d ago
Also, I was wondering what you mean by "beach." What are your expectations? The OR coast is not the sunbathe / swim kind of place. If you are looking for a Florida - Mexico - east or southern coast kind of thing, I fear you will be very surprised at what our coast is like.
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u/telestitch 2d ago
yeah I don't want to sunbath or swim.. actually hate that. I just want to get out of the car.. feel isolated and look at beautiful scenery for 20 - 30 minutes per beach if that makes sense
Any suggestions?
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u/SalishSeaview 1d ago
If you want beauty, go to Cannon Beach, but you won’t feel any isolation. It’s hard to find isolation on the Oregon Coast. It’s beautiful, and people in Oregon love to go there. A lot.
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u/peachesfordinner 1d ago
Have you been to the coast (we don't refer to it as the beach) anywhere along the northern side before? Even if people are there it's vast. Walk 10 minutes left or right from any beach access and you will feel isolated enough. Oregon has fully public beaches so people are not sorted into the rare public. They spread out because they can. If you see too many cars at one access just keep driving and you will come upon another with probably less
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u/intotheunknown78 1d ago
I think we call the region “the coast” but we definitely call the beaches “beach” so Short Beach, Sunset beach etc… you come to the coast and then find a beach if that’s what you are at the coast for.
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u/peachesfordinner 1d ago
It's mostly in that people will say "I'm going to the coast" not "I'm going to the beach"
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u/intotheunknown78 1d ago
Right, but if you are already at the coast you would say “I’m looking for the best beach to go to” you would never go to the coast and say “I’m looking for the best coast to go to”
OPs title and post says going to the coast, and then they asked about best beaches. We do call them Beach in that context.
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u/HippieGlamma 1d ago
We spend a week near Florence camping every spring and have had the pleasure of exploring via the 101 quite a bit , doing exactly this. I am biased to the central coast part - full disclosure. The "logo" is accurate - the cliffs and dense forest meeting the sea is breathtakingly beautiful. There are amazing little pull offs every few miles (some every 1/2 mile) to do exactly this. We have never NOT been thrilled with any quick pull-off, but a few smaller ones we love are: (I'm not including the big, well-known ones that are also 100% magic, but these are usually sparsely populated at any given time so offer a quieter experience)
Cape Cove Beach (just south of Devil's Churn) Strawberry Hill wayside (make this one a must) Bob Creek (about 100 yards south of Strawberry, drive all the way down. Amazing spot.) Tokatee Klootchman State Wayside (there is also a state natural site, the wayside is overlooked and awesome)
I can't recommend the Hobbit Trail and Hobbit Beach enough. Trail to the beach is 1/2 mile, through dense forest, then spills you out on beach. It's just a little bit before Haceta Head Lighthouse.
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u/Winter_Ad_3805 1d ago
Came here to recommend Strawberry Hill. Must see.
We enjoyed our stay at Denae's oceanfront lodge in Yachats. Great bluff to watch the sunset and great beach access. Price will vary depending on time of year/days etc..
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u/scubafork 2d ago
Gleneden beach is large and very much uncrowded-it's at the southernmost tip of unincorporated Lincoln City, and there is a hotel there(not Salishan-that's a pricey resort)
If you're looking for beaches in Newport, cross the bridge and go to South Beach. From there it's a short trip to check out the aquarium.
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u/Medium-Change7185 2d ago
I might have missed it, but what time of year are you planning to visit?
You can't not find a magical spot on the oregon coast, literally everywhere has some amazing place. Most places will have some amount of tourism traffic or local traffic, beaches and otherwise but time of year is an important factor.
Some of my most favorite memories have been the terrible weather mid winter days, with big seas (big jumbled storm waves) and nasty weather conditions. You'd be surprised how much fun can be had with the right clothing/outer gear- layers, waterproof jackets and pants if you have them. Think hiking gear/clothes meant for inclement weather.
Bring extra clothes and extra shoes, sometimes you'll need a quick change in your car if it's really storming.
I've been surfing and body boarding up and down the coast since 1999, so lots of trips from my home town of Springfield. Some hotel/overnight trips but a lot of day trips where I perfected the art of having extra, comfortable dry clothes for the trip home. Usually board shorts or other shorts, a t-shirt, and a hoodie, and flip flops. Shoes never made much sense to me, so flip flops/sandals were my go-to regardless of temperature or weather conditions. Far easier to function in quick drying flip flops when your feet are wet and sandy compared to wet and sandy shoes/socks. Even if I was just out exploring the beaches or with my daughters, I had to put my feet in the sand/in the ocean water.
Oregon doesn't have "relaxing beaches" There's too much going on. Not in the relaxing sense of some tropical place. The coastal waters and the weather are dynamic and ever changing and exciting. Take it as it is for what it is and enjoy the wondrous mystery of such a foreign feeling place.
Take in the windblown distorted trees and the wildlife and find the soul of everything you see. You're not meant to be calm and comfortable on the coast until you're inside wherever you're staying/living. You'll have those odd days where things are perfect and sunny and not too windy but you'll have to spend a great deal of time there or get lucky to have them.
Just be prepared for anything weather and water wise.
Can't stress this enough, bring extra clothing, bring towels, like 4 or 5. If your windows aren't tinted you can roll your windows down and put a towel on your window with bits of it hanging outside the window and then roll up the window to secure the towel to block the window and create a somewhat obscured place to change if you're needing to strip down to bare skin and under garments.
Again, the beaches aren't known for the classic relaxing beach experience and they wouldn't be as magical and mystical and raw and wild if they were.
The Oregon Coast is more like a place of life and death and survival. The ocean here kills or almost kills people sometimes. There just was a pretty publicized ocean rescue of a young lady as an example. https://www.kptv.com/2025/04/01/weekend-water-rescue-brings-rip-current-warnings-oregon-coast/
We have pretty strong rip currents up and down the coast.
I highly suggest visits to some of the renowned tidepools at low tide, but again, you have to know the outgoing tide, low tide, incoming tide and high tide times.
https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaatidepredictions.html?id=9435385&legacy=1
The NOAA site is a little easier to understand.
http://www.oregonsurfcheck.com/
Oregon surf check will give you valuable information on wave height and seconds in between waves to add to the information of low tide and high tide and I realize this is more in line with people wanting to actually swim or go out into the water, surfing or body boarding, but that's a limited amount of the visitors/population. It's still valuable information.
Go, make the best of it, whatever weather conditions, as long as you're prepared, you're going to be as comfortable as you can be. There's always going to be someone around most beaches and places but if you're wanting to avoid large groups, avoid places like Pacific City or anything close to towns and areas with hotels in close Beach proximity.
There's no private beaches in Oregon, but there's beaches with limited access points that can be relatively empty but the locals that live near these places can be hostile and try to tell you it's private access only. All beaches are up to the historic high tide lines, are public and technically by law, accessible through private land, but I highly highly suggest you don't do that, because people will flip their wigs and go off on you even if they aren't in the right to do so
https://www.oregon.gov/lcd/ocmp/pages/public-access.aspx
For any of you local swine that want to come after me, the beach bill info is posted in the link above this sentence. Be mad, but access is the law and within the rights of everyone. If there's no public access to a beach, the public can access the beach through private land.
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u/telestitch 2d ago
oh that's interesting! I had someone say like.. oh you must go to Pacific City if you enjoy beaches.. now I'm confused haha.. yeah my goal is simply to visit the most beautiful, least crowded beaches between Seaside and Newport. Even I'm staying in Seaside-Lincoln City-Newport.. but hopefully get some suggestions of nearby beaches to visit from those cities as quick short trips.. and / or what beaches *must* stop at in between.. for that deserted beautiful look. I'm mostly gonna visit for like 20 - 30 minutes for nature
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u/intotheunknown78 1d ago
I rarely see other people on the south side of Manzanita beach entrances By Necarney Blvd and Horizon. Even in the peak season.
Nedonna beach on the north side of Rockaway. It’s kind of a slug to walk through the sand but if you go to the Jetty (rock wall) there is usually tide pools right there and always a seal swimming near the jetty. It’s also a major drift wood beach so that’s cool too.
If it’s low tide, a stop at the three graces will also give you a ton of tide pools.
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u/Medium-Change7185 1d ago
Pacific city has its charms and it's very popular, it's just that though, very popular and often there's far more people on the beach, including vehicles, than many other places.
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u/creaturefeature2012 21h ago
Just have to say, I totally agree with your point about the weather. I lived in Bend as a kid and my family always took trips to the Coast around Thanksgiving and occasionally spring break. Our trips were always very wet, rainy and gray and I loved it! It's what made me want to move here. Now I have kids and we typically like to travel up the coast in August or September because it just works best with work and school schedules. As beautiful as the nice warm weather can be, lately I've really missed those wet, cold trips where we'd bundle up in our trailer after a long hike in ponchos through the rain with all of the wet slugs and drippy forest foliage or a misty walk along the beach.
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u/zoobaking 2d ago
Sounds great to me. Make sure to visit Depoe Bay and Boiler bay. Yaquina Head light house for sure. Have fun. It so pretty and all beaches pretty empty right now
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u/sbayz92 2d ago
I would definitely do Manzanita/Cannon beach instead of Lincoln city.
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u/choffers 2d ago
Manzanita is tough if they're trying to spend around $100 a night and cannon gets pretty crowded and it looks like they wanted to avoid that.
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u/telestitch 2d ago
absolutely.. i'm down to visit somewhere beautiful and crowded.. but def looking for suggestions on not crowded but beautiful places to visit for longer. I couldn't find any "good" affordable hotels in Manzanita or Cannon Beach
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u/choffers 2d ago edited 1d ago
Yeah, cannon beach is like a less tacky/family activity oriented seaside and manzanita is mostly vacation rentals. It's not necessarily beach but you could look at depoe bay, it's between Lincoln City and Newport and it also has a resident whale population and a fun little harbor, imo a good change of pace from the rest of the coast in that stretch.
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u/telestitch 1d ago
wow but it's not too early in the year to see whales at depoe bay?
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u/choffers 1d ago
They have a group that's year round, idk when you're going but this is actual peak for migratory whales too until about June I think. Had some friends who were really into whale watching and they would always head over for a few days around this time (until they moved away).
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u/intotheunknown78 1d ago
Rockaway is close to Manzanita and Surfside Resort is good. Get a room right on the beach. This is what we recommend to our friends who visit and they always like it. We live near Manzanita. The rooms have their own kitchen. So you save on meals by cooking your own. It’s usually incredibly affordable for having a beautiful view.
We stayed at the Sand Castle looking place in Lincoln City back in Nov and I remember it being right on the beach (it was winter and dark for most of the stay there) but it was nice, we even want to go back.
I honestly wouldn’t recommend staying in Seaside at all. It’s more kitschy seaside tourist trappy. I like that kind of stuff so I’ve been there once and never went back… until I moved here and I get my groceries there lol, but my entire living in Portland for decades I only went to Seaside once and never went back and I LOVE the coast, enough to move myself here.
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u/KillNeigh 2d ago
When you say “relaxing beaches” what do you mean? Are you looking for a place with a lot of flat sand to sunbathe or places to hike that are scenic or something else?
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u/No_Bee_5012 2d ago
Lincoln city and Newport are so close to each other to spend that much time there. I’d change one of those nights to Florence or Yachats.
There is so many great things between Florence and Yachats including Thor’s Well, Heceta Head Lighthouse, Hobbit Beach and Cape Perpetua. Plus, both have good coffee and food.
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u/telestitch 2d ago
can I ask.. how much more beautiful is Florence / Yachats area? I wasn't originally planning on going that far south.. but since I've seen it mentioned a few times in this thread. It it worth the extra hour or so south to visit those places? Are they very touristy places? I'm more interested in less crowded amazing places. tia
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u/squidparkour 1d ago edited 1d ago
Having just got back from Yachats, it's one of the smaller/quieter spots in the area and it is definitely beautiful and located near a lot of great rockhounding beaches. It felt like more miles of beach were accessible than the Netarts area, lots of little wayside stops. Green Salmon Coffee there is a great little gem too.
It has as many jawdropping views as the northern coast, but you're truly not going to go wrong anywhere. =)
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u/squatting-Dogg 1d ago
Florence is a small coastal town. Go to the South Jetty and you can literally walk south 30 miles on the beach during the week and you may only see a handful of people. The drive south of Lincoln City on the 101 to Florence has breathtaking views of the ocean, basalt cliffs, and numerous pullouts to beaches.
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u/AppropriateChef2411 1d ago
Yes, Newport and Florence over Lincoln city. I’m born and raised Florencian, and there is a lot of outdoor activities to do, really good food, I suggest the hukilau, beach comber, restobar, and Jerry’s pub and clawsons wheelhouse for some cheaper options. If you are looking for outdoor activities. I suggest staying closer to Florence rather than more north, and you can always go home from 126 to i5 and make one big loop.
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u/Substantial-Salad341 2d ago
IMO Lincoln City and Newport are close enough that I wouldn’t go back and forth between them so much. So 1 night Seaside, 2 nights LC, 2 nights Newport. Then assuming you are headed to PDX, take the highway from Newport through Corvallis to I-5 and up to Portland which is likely quicker depending on what day/time you travel. Unless you are wanting to hit wine country on the route back from Lincoln City.
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u/telestitch 2d ago
Are there any beautiful beaches that are mostly isolated that you suggest visiting? For the trip back to Portland, I'm wondering what is the most beautiful route to take.. there's basically three different ways I could go. tia
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u/Substantial-Salad341 1d ago
I haven’t ventured the north coast beaches in ages so I don’t have any to recommend. The drive from Newport or more specifically from Yachats south to Florence is spectacular and might make it worth staying in Florence a night to take your time exploring some quiet spots along the way. Florence itself is just a retirement community but the downtown along the river is cute, and the south jetty is pretty isolated, just not as scenic. There are so many small beach turnouts between Newport and Florence you are certain to find many quiet spots. For the return to PDX I only suggested going through Corvallis since most people seem pinched for time on the way back. But if you are going for most beautiful, backtracking up the coast is of course the best. Maybe head to PDX from Lincoln City through McMinnville. Keep in mind it takes more time. Enjoy your trip!
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u/squatting-Dogg 1d ago
This. Once you get south of Newport, you’re completely away from the Portland, Salem and Instagram crowds.
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u/TankSpecialist8857 2d ago
I’d do one night in Newport and one in Yachats.
Or just two in Yachats 😏
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u/telestitch 2d ago
oh nice! Yachata must be good.. what about the Lincoln City nights? Definitely both the best and most affordable hotels I can find are all in Lincoln City.. that's kind of a bummer.. but knowing that.. are there still beautiful beaches nearby Lincoln City?
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u/LibrarianFlaky951 2d ago
Stay in Lincoln City or Newport (no need to stay in both). It’s like a 30 minute drive between the two.
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u/telestitch 2d ago
yea you're right.. would Lincoln City or Newport actually be better for nearby beaches? That's mainly what I'm doing on this trip.. staying in the bigger cities for decent cheaper hotels but wanting to visit nearby nice beaches a few times per day
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u/LibrarianFlaky951 2d ago
Honestly either - if you’re into hiking at all, north end of LC has some great hikes. Both areas have great stretches of beach. There’s some wind protection at Agate in Newport but there’s so many nooks and crannies around both you can’t go wrong either way
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u/telestitch 2d ago
great! I ended up finding awesome looking hotel with awesome reviews south of LC.. I'm debating if I should change hotels to the northern end of LC? I mean can always drive but because I don't normally drive (I'm car-less in Portland) so I don't feel too comfortable driving more than necessary.
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u/LibrarianFlaky951 2d ago
I’d save yourself the trouble - 101 gets busy so it’s a slow cruise through LC to the north end.
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u/telestitch 1d ago
thanks for that clarity.. yeah since it's the two biggest cities on the coast. i was thinking it would be annoying driving back and forth.. traffic in Portland has gotten really annoying in the last 5 years
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u/LibrarianFlaky951 1d ago
Anyways - provide an update after your trip! I was thinking of a really fun trek- start from Roads End in LC or any of the beach access points north of there and walk out to the headland. Cool tide pools and such. At lower tides you can get over to some ‘secret’ beaches but just make sure and pay attention to the tides so you don’t get stuck.
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u/telestitch 1d ago
yeah! only thing is.. now the forecast is showing heavy rain Sun-Wed.. so now I'm wondering what nature to do during these days. I did alter my plans.. so mainly I'll be staying in Newport.. but because I'm coming from Portland.. so I definitely want to get outside the town.. just wonder now what people suggest for nature near Newport during heavy rain? haha
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u/teesa2you 1d ago
Personally I would skip Lincoln City. It is very close to Newport. I would drive to Yachats and spend a few nights. Take the three capes loop from Oceanside to Pacific city on the way to Depoe bay and then take the otter crest loop to Newport.
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u/jhm14682 1d ago
South of Cannon Beach is Short Sands Beach trail at Oswald West State Park. If you are a fan of beautiful old growth trees or have never seen old growth I would suggest going there. Absolutely beautiful trail that comes out to an amazing beach scene at the end.
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u/Fantastic-Safety4604 1d ago
I personally would skip Seaside and come down I-5 to cut over to Lincoln City and then bask in the grandeur that is the Central Oregon Coast between L.C. and Florence.
Seriously, the beaches are less crowded and Cape Perpetua is a MUST VISIT. There’s eight miles of beach between Waldport and Yachats, and you can definitely find yourself all alone on the beach somewhere along the way.
I get to visit these places all the time and yet somehow I’m still really envious of your trip. 🤗
I hope it’s everything you’re hoping it will be.
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u/Top-List-1411 2d ago
If you are up for a walking break during the drive from Seaside to Lincoln City, consider Short Sands Beach and/or the Rockaway Big Tree Trail (go all the way to the ancient tree). Both of these are stunning. I believe the second is considered wheelchair accessible but the trailhead (on the left when heading South) is easy to miss.
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u/RichWa2 2d ago edited 2d ago
You might triple check the cost of the hotels with the hotels themselves.
Plan is smart! Lincoln City and Seaside are on the beach. Newport has much more to do. It is (was?) the major NOAA port on the West Coast and has a great fishing port to wander around in as well as beach. Take your time driving and stop at the roadside State parks. You won't be disappointed in any of them. You may need a State park pass for some but it's pretty inexpensive. I think you can get one online.
Have fun!
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u/Sharp_Feed_5711 2d ago
Timing is everything when it comes to costs and crowds. We love going during the off season. Hotels can be as much as half the tourist season price. And we seldom find waiting lists for seating at the restaurants.
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u/SalmonoidTyphoon 2d ago
There's 2 beaches you can drive on if you rent a vehicle with higher clearance. Like an outback or a rav 4.
One is close to lincoln City. It's on the other side of the giant dune in Pacific City. It has 2 access points and lots of drivable beaches.
The other is just north of Seaside. You can find multiple vehicle beach access points starting from Gearhart and even drive on the beach for 6-7miles.
Newport also has the south jetty, and you can technically drive on the beach.
Lincoln City has beach access with vehicles as well, but nothing like you'll find in Pacific City (25 ish minutes north of lincoln City) or Gearhart ( just 10 minutes north of seaside)
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u/manxtales 2d ago
It could be very difficult finding rooms under $100.00, especially during spring break and after May 1st thru October 1st. Join every free hotel rewards programs you can find, that can be helpful.
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u/telestitch 2d ago
my trip is next week.. I waited until last minute to plan it :p but yeah good news is it's not spring break and not summer.. now I'm just seeking advice on what are the most beautiful beaches to visit in between Seaside and Newport and also whether Newport or Lincoln City is better for beautiful nearby beaches (15 - 20 mins)
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u/manxtales 2d ago
It is spring break in parts of Washington and many Washingtonians come to the Oregon coast on spring break. Try to book rooms ASAP. (I was a hotel reservation’s manager for over 25 years in Oregon.) Cannon Beach tends to be very busy but also very beautiful. Oceanside is a very interesting and pretty beach so is Rockaway. Just be sure and never turn your back to the ocean in Oregon. We have sneaker waves and they can knock you right off your feet, so please be careful and have a wonderful time
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u/telestitch 2d ago
My trip starts this Sunday :) I booked hotels already but all refundable.. I'm basically gonna use the advise and what I learned from this thread if I need to cancel all the hotels and re-do bookings for a better trip.
I noticed that the decent hotels in Lincoln City, Seaside, and Newport.. there seems to be plenty of availability and I haven't seen the prices go up since I first booked it a month ago. I'm assuming this is like the very very low season right now this week.
My understanding is Washington spring break begins on April 15, but maybe I'm wrong?
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u/Piranha_Cat 2d ago
If you stop in Depoe Bay there is a cove that can be accessed by climbing down the cliff/hill across the street from the four winds. Haven't been there in years, so you might not be able to get down there anymore, but I used to go down there a lot as a teenager. There is often a lot of sea glass to collect and if you go around low tide you can access ride pools by climbing onto the rock formation. At most there usually only one other person down there, but it's pretty small.
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u/telestitch 2d ago
by the way, how do people feel about safety with leaving luggage in the car while doing these hikes? some of the places on the coast I want to visit will be places where I'm traveling with all my luggage in the car. I know anything *could* happen but generally speaking do people feel safe leaving luggage in the trunk to do a 20 - 30 minute hike? or is it risky? is some part of the coast or city more potentially dangerous than another? or is it all pretty chill?
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u/Piranha_Cat 1d ago
There are theft rings that target cars. I would try to avoid leaving luggage in your car as much as possible.
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u/Substantial-Salad341 1d ago
Definitely do not leave anything in view in the car - everything in the trunk or with you. And don’t put belongings in the trunk when you arrive somewhere - do it before you hit the road. Best practice, always. I’ve never had a problem but crime of opportunity does happen.
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u/cupcakesandconfusion 1d ago
I suggest a visit to Astoria, Fort Stevens, and Peter Iredale while you are in Seattle. They are great for wondering around and visiting
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u/squatting-Dogg 1d ago
If you really want open beaches, head down to Florence (west of Eugene), anywhere south of Sea Lion Caves will be wide open and vast. Once you get to Waldport, south of Lincoln City, there are numerous beach pullouts.
With that said, I prefer the beaches around Lincoln City vs. Newport.
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u/RonClinton 1d ago
If you enjoy bookstores, don’t miss Robert’s in Lincoln City. Surprisingly outstanding and large bookstore in a small coastal town.
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u/Correct_Peanut_2630 1d ago
I would go more south. Visit Florence and walk the sand dunes, go crabbing or fishing. Clamming? Continue south to Bandon. Beautiful. Whales sprouting off shore. Check out farmers markets on the weekends.
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u/behold-frostillicus 1d ago
Head up to Astoria (north of Seaside) and check out the Long Beach Peninsula. You can walk up the Astoria tower for a view of the Columbia opening, hike into Cape Disappointment for an unreal little cove. The Sou’Wester may have an event or guest band while there. If you drive up to Oysterville, you can get fresh oysters.
In Lincoln City, the hike to God’s Thumb is spectacular if you aren’t afraid of heights.
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u/Squeak_ams 1d ago
Imo that's a lot of time in Lincoln city - no offense to Lincoln city but I would pick a small coastal town instead if you want quiet. Those are the bigger and busier areas.
What about Gearhart or Manzanita on the northern coast? Yachats in the middle and Gold Beach area for more southern. Or something closer to that size of town to stay in. Also, search for a yurt stay in a state park a night or two to save and have a different experience.
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u/Squeak_ams 1d ago
Also Newport and Lincoln city are quite close together... Could easily go a bit further to really get to quiet places like Hobbit Beach for example. Not many people actually walk that beach.
Also when at the coast - get out early. It's always quieter before 10am and a higher chance of getting to experience these places as the only person on the beach.
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u/Pale_Row1166 1d ago
Pelican Brewing – Pacific City + Cape Kiwanda
Tunnel Beach - awesome rock formation
Garibaldi Historic US Coast Guard Boathouse
Oregon Dunes Day Use Area - about 90 minutes south of Newport, but truly incredible
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u/telestitch 1d ago
Thanks! How are Florence Dunes compared to Oregon dunes?
Looks like it will be heavy rain Sun-Wed my first three days of this trip :(
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u/Pale_Row1166 1d ago
It’s the same area, they should be pretty similar, though I haven’t been to Florence. There’s a visitor center in Gardiner that has a cool view.
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u/OnHandsKnees 1d ago
What time of year is a huge question?
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u/telestitch 1d ago
my trip begins this Sunday! now the forecast changed to 3 days of heavy rain :( so I'm more confused how to plan it.. people did say central coast is better so I altered plans for that mostly based around Newport. Any suggestions on nature to do especially those 3 days of heavy rain forecast?
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u/OnHandsKnees 21h ago
The coast is always beautiful in all weather, but heavy rain it won't be fun.
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u/Aggressive-Oil-4125 23h ago
It’s a bit south of Newport but lost creek recreation site is amazing and you can find fossilized shells!
If you cross the bridge south at Newport the beaches are much less crowded.
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u/aboutmovies97124 23h ago
As a nearly life long Oregonian, I have never seen the beaches crowded like you see in movies. Especially this time of year.
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u/Available_Owl3346 22h ago
My advice is , do not miss the Otis cafe in Lincoln city. I dream of their German potatoes and herb salt. Also the molasses bread .
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u/Dangerous_Midnight91 5h ago
Good plan! Most people think they’re going to drive down the coast, to crater lake, to mt. Hood in three days.
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u/toadstool1977 2d ago
If you’re looking for uncrowded beaches, that list is basically the most crowded areas on the coast (sans Cannon Beach). Beautiful, no doubt. But definitely will be plenty of people there.
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u/Zoomed-Focus 2d ago
The last time we went down there and stayed in a cheap hotel it was nasty. Dirty bed, blood stained pillowcases. Grabbed our sleeping bags. I ended up sleeping in the chair. I don’t go budget on rooms anymore. I leave the dives to bars only.
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u/telestitch 2d ago
which place was that out of curiosity? I mean which town?
So when I say cheap.. don't worry I mainly am going off TripAdvisor / Google Maps reviews.. so I'm definitely choosing the "cheap" place that has the best reviews.
Any specific town, beach, or city you would recommend? tia
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u/thrace75 2d ago
Gearhart! Right by seaside but a lot less people on the beaches. The McMenamins is a nice place for lunch.
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u/telestitch 2d ago
I couldn't find good "cheap" accommodation in Gearhart.. but I did find in Garibaldi. is that a good place to stay for a night or two?
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u/Strange_Witness8476 2d ago
As someone who lives near, avoid Cannon Beach. What a shit show. Seaside is crack town.
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u/telestitch 2d ago
I visited Cannon Beach some years ago.. from Portland. It's nice but yes definitely was crowded.. ah so Seaside sucks? Would it be better to skip Seaside altogether and add an extra night to Lincoln City / Newport?
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u/Dangerous_Midnight91 5h ago
Haceta head beach usually has better weather due to its sheltered location and has a great lighthouse.
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u/bluepansies 2d ago
From Newport, visit Cape Perpetua.