The northern Oregon coast runs from the Columbia River south to Lincoln City, a stretch of dramatic headlands, hidden coves, and long sandy beaches backed by the Coast Range. The weather is reliably unpredictable — fog rolls in off the Pacific without warning, and even summer days can turn grey and cold — but that is part of the appeal. The landscape is at its most spectacular when the weather is rough: waves pounding the sea stacks, spray over the headlands, deserted beaches as far as you can see in either direction.
Cannon Beach is the most visited town on this stretch, and with good reason. Haystack Rock rising from the surf just offshore is one of the most recognisable landmarks in Oregon, and the town itself has a good selection of galleries, bookshops, and restaurants along Hemlock Street. Ecola State Park just north of town offers clifftop hiking with sweeping views over sea stacks. Manzanita, twenty kilometres south, is the quieter alternative — a few blocks of beach houses, a handful of restaurants, and four miles of wide, dark-sanded beach backed by Neahkahnie Mountain. Between the two, Oswald West State Park protects old-growth forest and the sheltered surf break at Short Sand Beach.
The coast road (US-101) passes through a series of small towns and state parks, each offering a slightly different version of the same essential experience: ocean views, walking access to the beach, fresh seafood. Seaside to the north is more commercial and family-oriented, with a classic promenade and arcade. The short distances between stops make this excellent cycling or driving territory.
