Yaquina Head is a long basalt promontory three miles north of central Newport, topped by a 93-foot lighthouse and ringed by some of the best tide pools on the coast. The rocky shoreline at low tide reveals chiton, sea stars, anemones, and the occasional octopus; in winter and spring, gray whales pass close enough to see the spray of their blows from the cliffs.
Pay the day-use fee at the entrance and stop at the small interpretive centre for the schedule of free lighthouse tours (limited to a handful per hour). Walk down to Cobble Beach at low tide — the round basalt cobbles clatter as the waves recede in a way that has to be heard to be believed.