Northern Oregon Coast, Oregon travel guide: things to do, food & where to stay

Overview

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.

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: Apr–Oct. Summer highs reach about 82°F; winter lows dip to about 36°F. Wettest: Dec and Nov. (climate data from nearby Portland)

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
PDX Portland International Airport, Portland — 46 mi away (major hub). Directions
SLE Salem-Willamette Valley Airport/McNary Field, Salem — 59 mi away. Directions

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.

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Sample 3-day trip

Day 1: Astoria — Astoria Column, Columbia River Maritime Museum, Oregon Film Museum.
Day 2: Tillamook — Tillamook Creamery, Tillamook Air Museum, Tillamook County Pioneer Museum.
Day 3: Seaside — Lewis and Clark Salt Works, Seaside Aquarium, Funland Arcade.

Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.

Food for you

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 restaurants, or go out and catch them yourself!

What to ask about, for your diet

Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder

Places in Northern Oregon Coast

Astoria

City / town · 36 listings

Tillamook

City / town · 28 listings

Seaside

City / town · 27 listings

Garibaldi

City / town · 23 listings

Cannon Beach

City / town · 11 listings

Warrenton

City / town · 10 listings

Pacific City

City / town · 9 listings

Rockaway Beach

City / town · 8 listings

St. Helens

City / town · 8 listings

Rainier

City / town · 6 listings

Tillamook State Forest

Park · 4 listings

Arch Cape

City / town · 2 listings

Cities

Coastal Cities

Astoria — A historic fishing town at the mouth of the Columbia River, boasting many shipwrecks in the area.
Seaside — Beach town with family attractions and plenty of accommodation options.
Cannon Beach — Popular stopping point and vacation area with miles of sandy beach and Haystack Rock, the third largest monolith in the world.
Manzanita — Beach village that is a popular getaway for Portlanders who want to be away from the hubbub of Cannon Beach and Seaside.
Rockaway Beach —
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.
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

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

Other destinations

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
Tillamook State Forest
Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area
Saddle Mountain State Natural Area

Get in

By car

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

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.