An Oregon Coast Road trip is the best way to see all the breathtaking beauty of the Pacific Ocean. Here is detailed all the most scenic, fun, and iconic places to stop along your Oregon Coast road trip. With the starting and ending location of Portland, given it’s the best hub if you are coming from anywhere else.
Disclaimer: There are some links in this article that are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through them, we receive a small commission. This is never an extra cost to you. Thanks for your support.
As a born New Yorker and raised Floridian, my expertise if you will, is the Atlantic Ocean. And if you read my travel back story on my About page, you’ll see that much of my early travel was along the east coast of the United States. So, when I finally did make it to the west coast of the United States to see the Pacific Ocean, I was in awe at how majestic it was in comparison. Mainly because of the mountains that practically worked their way all the way to the coastline.
During my time in Oregon, I was visiting a friend who was studying at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Portland. She was studying to be a pastry chef. I was vegan at the time and am always down to eat. So, it worked out well that she got to practice her yummy “homework” for me. With the limited time I had in the area, I decided to make the most of it and see as much of the state as I could. So, I took day trips from Portland to see the surrounding sites. By doing that, it took me 3 days to see a good portion of the entire state of Oregon. This was one of those days.
My other Portland blog posts about the rest of my travels are coming soon, so stay tuned.
Preparing for your Oregon Coast Road Trip
Renting a Car
If you are flying into Portland from anywhere else, then you’ll definitely need a rental car. Even if you live in the Portland or surrounding areas and are wanting to do an Oregon Coast road trip, I often recommend renting a car anyways. That way, you aren’t putting mileage or wear and tear on your own vehicle. You often have the same insurance coverage (via your own car insurance) or if you have a credit card like American Express, they provide coverage if you use your card for booking [read the fine print of your card to be sure this is offered]. And the rental car companies will provide roadside assistance if there is ever an issue with the car they provide. Click the banner below to book your rental car for your Oregon Coast road trip today.
Vegan Snacks – Gluten Free too...
Here is all you need to know for your Oregon Coast Road Trip. The first thing before any road trip is to prepare. Prepare when you talk to me equals food or snacks. Lol. There is a cute grocery store in Portland called Food Fight! Grocery and they ONLY carry vegan items. Perfect for us dairy free folks. Now while not everything in the store is gluten free, you will find that most vegan items are conscious of other dietary allergies and so there are gluten free items in the store as well. A great place to stock up.
I also never forget my Hydroflask water bottle which keeps my water cold and my ice cubes from melting. You will see this on almost every single post I write. I take it everywhere I go.
What to Wear for your Oregon Coast Road Trip
You’ll notice in my photos that I was wearing a plethora of different kinds of clothes. And I was in Oregon for 4th of July week, so basically the middle of summer. The clothes you decide to wear for your Oregon Coast road trip will depend on what you do during your day out. As this is meant to be just a day trip with no overnight stay, the idea is to keep things to a minimum. Some basics that go without saying are sunscreen and swimsuit for the beach if you go in the water. If you are you are walking around or just hanging out on the sand then make sure you have a sweater or jacket, because the Oregon Coast beaches are WINDY and can get you feeling a little cold!
For all your kid needs, reference my travel accessories post. Here are some other good road trip items for kids.
Oregon Coast Road Trip Map
Disclaimer: These are all estimations based on Google maps and may be different depending on road closures, traffic, accidents, etc. Please refer to a map as you are starting on your journey to assess if there are any changes to these estimations. Thank you.
Oregon Coast Itinerary
Portland to Cannon Beach
Distance: 80 miles [approximately 1 ½ hours]
Things to See at Cannon Beach
Haystack Rock
Tillamook Lighthouse
The first part of our journey takes us from the middle of the state of Oregon in Portland driving West towards the beach and ocean. While an Oregon coast road trip is mainly focused on the coast, this part of the road trip takes you past all the beautiful hills and open countryside of Oregon. Here you’ll find roadside fruit stands, farms, fields, and wide-open spaces.
As you drive to Cannon Beach, once you get to the Oregon Coast Highway which is what runs North and South along the Oregon coast, you’ll start to see the beautiful rock formations, like Haystack Rock. These are such an iconic part of the Oregon coast landscape. You can take pictures from the highway high above the beach like we did. Please be aware of parking restrictions because many of these pull offs are private residency driveways or property.
Or you can access the beach via the access point as seen on the map above.
While you can’t visit Tillamook Lighthouse, you can see it in the distance from Cannon Beach on a clear day. If you decide not to do the Oregon Coast road trip, but you don’t want to miss seeing these iconic locations, you can also do a day excursion from Portland. Click the link below to see offerings.
Cannon Beach to Seaside
Distance: 9 miles [approximately 15 minutes]
Aside from the beach, parks, hiking trails, shopping, and eating, there is actually quite a bit to do at the beachside town of Seaside, Oregon. Depending on how much time you have, you can choose from one or more of the many different activities that are available here.
Family Friendly Activities at Seaside, Oregon
Captain Kid Amusement Park
- No admission fee or parking fee. Only pay for what you play. Activities are $5 or $10
- Hours: 11am to 6pm every day starting March 18.
- Typically closed during winter months.
- This is an outdoor park so its weather permitting.
- Check out their website or their social media for more information.
Oregon Helicopter Tour
- Cost is per person, length of flight time, and flight location.
- Check out their website for more details.
High Life Adventure Park Aerial Challenge Course
- Cost: Junior Course (Ages 4 to 8): $49 for 2 hours, Ages 7 and up: $79 for 2 hours
- Hours: Every day from 10am to 6pm. Reservations Recommended
- Be sure to check out their website for age, weight, height requirements as well as important safety information.
Funland Entertainment Center
- Cost: Varies depending on arcade games and other attractions
- Hours: Open Every day Sunday through Thursday 9am to 10pm and Friday and Saturday 9am to 11pm. These hours may change seasonally.
- Check out their website to see all the attractions offered.
Seaside Aquarium
- Cost: Adults $10, Age 6-13 $5, Seniors 64 and up $8.50, Family of up to 6 $34, Kids 5 and under are free
- Hours: Open every day (except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day) at 9am.
- You may need to call to confirm closing times as these vary seasonally. Please be aware there are no restrooms on premises. The nearest ones are 3 blocks away. Check out their website for more information.
Seaside Museum & Historical Society
- Cost: Any donation amount
- Hours: Wednesday through Saturday 11am to 4pm. Check out their website for more details as these will likely change seasonally.
Free Things to do in Seaside, Oregon
Lewis & Clark Salt Cairn Historical Monument
Painted Rock Beach
End of Lewis & Clark National Historical Trail
On my adventure, we made a quick stop and saw the Lewis & Clark Statue which marked the end of the trail of their famous expedition. Be sure not to miss it.
Seaside to Astoria
Distance: 18 miles [approximately 30 minutes]
Things to Do in Astoria, Oregon
Goonies House Astoria
Goonies House Address
- 368 38th Street, Astoria, Oregon
If you’re a product of the 80’s like me, then no trip to Oregon is complete without a visit to the Goon Docks of Astoria, Oregon. Here we make a pit stop to the infamous Goonies House. Please remember that the Goonies house is a private residence, so no trespassing on the property! Each homeowner of this house has different rules of how close you can come, so make sure to follow along with any signage posted. Also, do not drive to the house, there is parking on the main street, then walk the gravel road for a photo opportunity. If you have more time, then check out some of the other local activities too.
Astoria Riverfront Trolley
- Cost: $1 per boarding or $2 to ride all day
- Hours: Memorial Day (May) to Labor Day (September) dependent on weather Thursday to Sunday from 12pm to 6pm. Round trip ride is approximately one hour. Trolley also runs outside of May through September, but you will need to check their website or trolley stop locations for days and times
Astoria Riverfront Trail
- The Astoria Riverfront Trolley runs along part of this trail. But if you don’t want to ride the trolley, then you can walk along the riverfront for views of the bay or make a pit stop for shopping and/or eating.
Oregon Film Museum
- Cost: Adults $6, Seniors $6, Youth (6-17) $2, Kids 5 and under are free
- Adventure in History Pass which includes all 3 museums (Film Museum, Flavel House Museum, and Heritage Museum): Adults and Seniors $14, Youth (6-17) $4
- Hours: Open every day (except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Day) October to April from 10am to 4pm, May to September from 10am to 5pm
Check out the main website for more details on days of operation and times as well as exhibits and other information for all three of these museums. You can also check out this website to find other film locations with a map throughout the state of Oregon. If you are a movie buff, then check out my New Orleans blog post where I took a great movie tour which goes to even more film locations.
Flavel House Museum
- Cost: Adults $7, Seniors $6, Youth (6-17) $2, Kids 5 and under are free
- Hours: Open every day (except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Day) October to April from 10am to 4pm, May to September from 10am to 5pm
Heritage Museum
- Cost: Adults $5, Seniors $5, Youth (Youth 6-17) $2, Kids 5 and under are free
- Hours: Open every day (except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Day) October to April from Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm, May to September from Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm
Columbia River Maritime Museum
- Cost: Adults $16, Seniors 65 and over $13, Children 6-17 $5, Kids 5 and under are free, Active-duty military are free. 3D movie is $5 additionally. If you want to visit the Lightship Columbia only then it’s $5 otherwise it’s included with general admission.
- Hours: Open every day from 9:30am to 5pm (except Thanksgiving and Christmas)
- Check out their website for more information including exhibit information.
The Astoria Column
- Cost: Parking Fee $5 which is good for one year.
- No admission fee or fee to climb the column.
- Hours: Open every day from 5am to 10pm. Gift Shop is open every day (except Thanksgiving and Christmas) from either 9am or 10am to 5pm or 6pm. Hours are seasonally dependent.
- Check out their website for more information.
Oregon Coast Road Trip Map back to Portland
For my travels, I headed back the exact route I came. But you don’t have to, if you want to see more of Oregon state as you head back to Portland, then head east out of Astoria. The routes back to Portland from Astoria are similar distances in miles and in time, so which adventure you choose is up to you.
Disclaimer: There are some links in this article that are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through them, we receive a small commission. This is never an extra cost to you. Thanks for your support.
