We were on the Washington Coast two weeks ago - now, here we are on the Oregon Coast!
We want to share some of the places we visited along the Tillamook Coast, but we don't want to give away all of the amazing things you can see along the Coast. For many more ideas, see tillamookcoast.com. After all, half of the fun is discovering new places yourself! So, let's go!
We headed to Netarts, Oregon to do some crabbing, explore the area, and celebrate my birthday! Even though we've been to the Oregon Coast many times, we always find something new - and also enjoy revisiting places we know and love! Netarts is a small town of about 800 people in Tillamook County and is right on the beach. Netarts Bay is known for excellent crabbing, which is why we are here on this trip. We wanted to do some crabbing!
You will also find other outdoor activities such as fishing, clamming and scuba diving.
Our Airbnb, Alder Cove Cottage, was perfect for our long weekend. Since our host welcomes dogs, we brought McKenna to the beach. She is always ready for adventure and looks for new friends wherever we go! We arrived late Friday afternoon and checked into our Airbnb, just a couple blocks from the beach.
Hungry?
We headed to the Upstairs Bar & Grill for dinner - and went back a couple of other times for breakfast and lunch over the weekend. It was a block from where we were staying which made it very convenient. It was a relaxed atmosphere with lots of locals, plus with a great staff (Ashley, Julia, and others) and great food at reasonable prices, why wouldn't we go there?
You can also find delicious sea-to-table and farm-to-table meals at The Schooner Restaurant & Lounge. If you come during nice weather, there is outdoor seating with great views. We didn't eat there, but heard the food is good.
If you are interested in gourmet sea salt, visit Jacobsen Salt Company for a chance to buy gourmet sea salt from the source. When we stopped by, they were closed, but we could see the production in full swing!
Saturday Morning
First thing Saturday morning, it was time to head over to pick up our rental boat and pre-baited crab rings from Big Spruce Boat Rentals. Renting from Big Spruce was a fantastic experience! They provide you with a boat and outboard, 3 crab pots, enough bait to re-bait your crab pots several times, a bucket for your crabs and measuring devices to make sure you only keep crabs of legal size. The rental is for 3 hours, and you can extend the time for each additional hour for a small hourly charge. But with the number of crabs in this bay, 3 hours was enough!
Just make sure you have a license! You can get one online at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife before your trip, at Big Spruce Boat Rentals, or at many local businesses.
And McKenna decided she didn't want to get out of the boat when we docked!
Netarts Bay, known to be the cleanest bay on the West Coast, is a coastal estuary in northern Oregon, situated roughly 5 miles southwest of Tillamook. The small community of Netarts lies at the bay's northeastern edge, while the southern shore is home to the Netarts Bay Shellfish Preserve, overseen by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The western boundary features a sandy spit that forms part of Cape Lookout State Park. The bay is popular with crabbing and clamming enthusiasts.
Saturday Afternoon
After crabbing, we were ready for more adventures! It was a misty day and we weren't sure how much we could see but we still thought we'd head up to Cape Meares, only 5.4 miles north of Netarts.
On the way to Cape Meares is the small town of Oceanside, with a highly rated restaurant, Roseanna's, plus some small shops and a surfing beach! When you get to Oceanside, which is on a steep hill looking out over the Pacific Ocean, stop and go down to the beach, if you have time. If you walk along the beach, you'll discover a tunnel through one of the cliffs that leads to another beach! Surprise!
At Cape Meares, we hiked along a misty wooded walkway out to the lighthouse. Even though it may be the shortest lighthouse on the Oregon Coast, it has an impressive, kerosene-powered lens. The beach and the lighthouse were surrounded by mist, but the views were still stunning.
After hiking up the hill from the lighthouse, we thought we'd check out the Octopus tree, which is through a forested walkway accessed from the same parking lot as the Cape Meares Lighthouse.
The Octopus Tree is an unusually shaped Sitka spruce that is 300 years old and measures 46 feet in circumference. Its name comes from the long tendril-like branches extending horizontally before bending toward the sky and extending up to 105 feet. Because of its unusual characteristics, it was included in Ripley's Believe It or Not, as one of the Modern Wonders of the World. You need to see it for yourself to see how large this unusual tree is!
Also, near the Cape Meares Lighthouse stands the majestic "Big Spruce," Oregon's champion Sitka Spruce and the largest in the state. Towering at 144 feet with a circumference of 48 feet and a diameter of 15.5 feet, this ancient giant is estimated to be 800 years old. Recognized as the largest on the Oregon Coast and the 10th largest worldwide, Big Spruce spans an impressive 9,030 cubic feet.
Sunday Morning
Sunday morning, we decided to complete the Three Capes Scenic Loop, after going to Cape Meares the previous afternoon. We were looking forward to a scenic drive with amazing views of the Tillamook Coast - and we were not disappointed. We started in Netarts and went south on Netarts Bay/Whiskey Creek Road, staying close to the coast.
If you complete the loop in one drive, it will take you to three capes - Cape Meares, Cape Lookout and Cape Kiwanda. You can start anywhere along the route and make a true loop with the newly opened road along Bayshore Drive between Tillamook and Cape Meares, eliminating the need to use Highway 131 between Tillamook and Netarts. North of Cape Meares just off the new road is Bayocean Peninsula Park, the remnants of the "Atlantic City of the West" destroyed in the 1930s and 1940s by wind and tide due to its unstable sand foundation. The road between Cape Meares and Tillamook is so new, the mapping software didn't recognize it at the time of our trip!
We started our trip so early on Sunday morning that we missed Cape Lookout - the park wasn't open yet, so we continued on to Cape Kiwanda!
After we started our adventure, planning to stop at Cape Lookout and Cape Kiwanda - we decided to extend our route and include Lincoln City for the last day of the kite festival.
The route we ended up taking down the coast:
The road down the coast leads you across the Sandlake Dunes to Pacific City, where Haystack Rock rises from the Pacific Ocean at Cape Kiwanda. Behold the breathtaking sight of this renowned coastal monolith!
The beach at Cape Kiwanda:
Be sure to get out of your car as you travel along this route. With just a short walk, you will see outstanding views of the Oregon coastline.
Another stop along our route was the town of Neskowin. The wide three-mile beach at Neskowin was not crowded like some of the other beaches along the coast. And if you're there at low tide, the beach also has a "ghost forest" of 2,000-year-old tree trunks along the shoreline.
We fell in love with the town of Neskowin and decided to come back on one of our next visits and sit on the beach to enjoy the beautiful coast like this couple!
We also smiled at the homemade signs on corner fences in Neskowin - and we want to stop next time for ice cream at the ice cream trolley!
Continuing on to Lincoln City, we caught the end of the kite festival, where there were hundreds, or maybe thousands, of people watching professional kite flyers. The skill with which they maneuver the kites is impressive - but you really need to be there to appreciate how they can make their kites dance in the wind!
After Lincoln City, we headed back up the shoreline towards Tillamook.
A visit to Tillamook's Munson Creek Falls is another great stop on your way to Tillamook. Turning off Highway 101 towards Munson Creek Falls, you might question your direction but continue past the farmhouses to discover a quaint State Park. Here lies the Oregon Coast's tallest waterfall, with Munson Creek Falls cascading down three tiers, culminating in a stunning 319-foot drop.
Tillamook is in the middle of the Oregon Coast, at the confluence of three rivers - the Tillamook, Trask and Wilson rivers. Did anyone say kayaker's delight?
In Tillamook, we stopped at the Blue Heron French Cheese Company, hoping to get a tour, but there was only a gift shop and deli which included cheeses from other factories in the area. We did, however, see quite a collection of old equipment around the parking lot area.
You will find the Tillamook Cheese Factory on the northern end Tillamook, where they offer tastings and a tour of the factory. We've been many times and decided not to take the tour on this trip. We are, however, big fans of Tillamook cheese and ice cream!
We also didn't stop this year at the Tillamook Air Museum, an aviation museum south of Tillamook. The museum is in a former U.S. Navy Air Station blimp hangar, which is the largest clear span wooden structure in the world. This structure was originally built to house blimps which were deployed to spot enemy submarines along the Oregon Coast during WWII.
After our stop in Tillamook, we decided to revisit Cape Meares since it was now a beautiful, sunny day!
What a Difference a Day Makes!
This time, Cape Meares provided an amazing view of the area! The Oregon Coast is incredible, whether it is misty or drenched in sunshine!
This was yet another fantastic trip to the Oregon Coast!
How Do I Get There?
STARTING POINT: We came from Boise, but this is a fairly quick trip if you're coming from the Portland area. All distances are measured to Netarts, Oregon
DISTANCE FROM PORTLAND: One way is approximately 83 miles
TIME TO REACH: Approximately 1.5 hours
DISTANCE FROM BOISE: One way is approximately 508 miles
TIME TO REACH: Approximately 7.5 hours
ROAD SURFACE: Paved
WHEN ACCESSIBLE: All year
FEES: Check local sites you plan to visit for any fees
RECOMMENDED VEHICLES: Any
PET FRIENDLY: Yes, but it depends on where you stay and the places you visit
WHEN WE WENT: September
I'm Here - Now What?
Crabbing!!
Clamming
Hiking
Beach walks
Running with your dog on the beach!
Shell and rock gathering
Building sandcastles
Fly a kite!
Check out the local history
Photography
Bird and wildlife viewing
Fishing
Surfing
Picnicking
Relaxing!
Having fun!
Making memories!
And much more!!!
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