July and August are the busiest months, with reliably dry weather and the warmest sea temperatures — though "warm" on the Oregon coast means around 13°C. The dunes and parks fill up, Honeyman State Park requires advance camping reservations, and Old Town can feel crowded on summer weekends. Spring (April–June) and early autumn (September–October) offer better conditions for hiking the dunes: cooler, less crowded, with occasional clear days that make the coastal light extraordinary.
Winter is wet and often stormy, but the storms are themselves a spectacle — waves break against the headlands with real force, and the sea lions move into the caves at Sea Lion Caves in greater numbers. The rhododendrons in the parks around town bloom in April and May, which draws visitors specifically for the colour.
Florence hosts the Rhododendron Festival in mid-May, the oldest running festival in Oregon, with a parade, arts and crafts, and flower displays. The Florence Festival of Books runs in September and draws a respectable crowd for a town this size.