The Oregon coast is filled with incredible towns that make for an idyllic beach vacation. But during the summer months, many of these places, especially in the northern half of the coast, become overrun with visitors.
Luckily, there are still a few places hidden away from the crowds where you can spend the days looking out over the ocean and enjoying peaceful walks along the beach instead of fighting for parking spots and waiting in lines at the ice cream shop.
One of our favorite towns on the coast for a weekend getaway is Oceanside, Oregon.
Calling it a town may actually be too generous as it isn’t much more than a collection of homes on the hillside overlooking the ocean, along with a handful of restaurants. With a population of under 350, you can be assured that this isn’t the spot to go if you’re looking for fancy restaurants or luxury hotels.
Instead, visitors can expect days spent looking out over the ocean for whales, walking the beach in search of Oregon agates, or exploring the nearby natural areas. After all, there is still little to no cell service in the town, so it’s tough to waste the day away looking at social media.
While the town can get a little busy during the day as visitors look for one of the few parking spots in town, you can be assured that, come evening time, the town will have cleared out.
What to around Oceanside
If you’re coming to the Oregon coast and are looking for entertainment options like aquariums, fine dining, or fishing charters, then Oceanside isn’t the place for you. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a place where you can walk the beach, explore nearby trails, and chat with the locals at the town coffee shop, then add it to your destination list.
Walk to Tunnel Beach
The beach in front of Oceanside looks like any other wide sandy beach you’ll find in towns up and down the coast. But if you walk north along the sand, you’ll find the entrance to a beach unlike any other.
From a distance, the large bluff that sticks out into the ocean looks like it blocks all access to the north, but once you get up close, you’ll notice a tunnel that runs straight through the rock. This pedestrian-only walkway is narrow, unlit, and rocky, but those who pass through are treated to a private beach they can call all their own.
On this beach you’ll find excellent agate hunting opportunities along the rocky sections of shoreline, caves carved into the bluffs, and secluded stretches of sand between the rocky outcroppings.
Explore Cape Meares
High on the bluff above Tunnel Beach, you’ll find Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint. This small stand of temperate rainforest high on the cape jutting out into the Pacific Ocean is home to massive old-growth trees and one of the most picturesque lighthouses on the coast.
Start the day by walking the short trail down to the Cape Meares Lighthouse. This lighthouse is notable as it is the shortest on the entire Oregon coast, at only 38 feet high. During the summer months, the lighthouse tower is open for a limited number of tours.
Next up are two of the most interesting trees on the entire coast. First up is the aptly named Octopus Tree.
Instead of having a single trunk like most trees, this oddity branches off into half a dozen separate trunks only a few feet from the ground, giving it the appearance of an upside-down octopus. Scientists still don’t know exactly why the tree grew this way.
The second notable tree on Cape Meares is the largest Sitka spruce on the Oregon coast. At nearly 800 years old, this massive tree has survived hundreds of storms and grown to an impressive 15-foot diameter!
Walk the beach at Bayocean Penninsula Park
Most visitors to the Bayocean peninsula on the north side of Cape Meares may not think twice about this undeveloped stretch of land separating Tillamook Bay from the Pacific Ocean. But this narrow spit of land, sometimes less than 150 yards wide, is home to an interesting past.
In the early 1900s, developers wanted to build a place on the Oregon coast where residents could escape the heat of the valley and enjoy modern amenities similar to those found at popular East Coast vacation destinations.
It was on the Bayocean peninsula that this dream was pursued, and the area was home to a natatorium, vacation homes, a short rail line, and shops. But the ocean had other ideas and quickly eroded away the bluffs on which these structures were built.
It wasn’t long before the town was abandoned, and today, the ever-shifting sands have covered all evidence that this vacation hamlet ever existed.
Where to Stay
Lodging in Oceanside is primarily made up of vacation homes and a few small inns. With no large hotels or resorts, you’ll be able to quickly settle into the small-town life that this oceanside hamlet offers.
Three Arch Inn sits right across the road from the beach, and each of its six rooms commands sweeping views of the ocean and Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge.
The Oceanside Inn is right next door, and with eleven rooms, there are plenty of options for every traveler.
Best Places to Eat
This is less of a list of the best places to eat and more of a list of these are the only places to eat.
Because most of the traffic through town comes in during the morning and early afternoon hours, all of the restaurants in town serve breakfast and lunch. As of now, Roseanna’s Cafe is the only dinner option, but even then, they are not open every day of the week.
Luckily, Netarts is just a couple miles down the road, and the Schooner Restaurant is open for dinner 7 days a week.
