6 Days on the Oregon Coast: Cannon Beach to Cape Perpetua
A slow drive down one of America's most dramatic coastlines, sleeping in small beach towns and exploring tide pools, sea caves, and coastal hiking. No big-city crowds—just you, the wind, and 300-year-old Sitka spruces.
What to expect
- Haystack Rock: iconic 235-foot sea stack, visible at sunrise from Cannon Beach
- Tide pools at Haystack Rock and Cape Perpetua teem with starfish and anemones
- Thor's Well and Spouting Horn: dramatic sinkhole and blowhole near Yachats
- Ecola State Park: old-growth forest trails ending at rocky beaches
- Charming lodges and seafood in Cannon Beach, Manzanita, and Yachats
Day by day
Arrive in Cannon Beach; walk the 7-mile sand beach at low tide.
Explore Haystack Rock's tide pools; hike Ecola State Park's Clatsop Loop.
Dinner at Irish Table or Newman's French restaurant; stroll the pier.
Drive south and explore quiet Manzanita Beach, 7 miles of soft sand.
Kayak Nehalem Bay or hike Oswald West State Park's steep coastal trail.
Casual dinner and lodging in Manzanita; watch the sunset from the dunes.
Continue south; stop at Cape Lookout for a 2-mile cliff-top hike.
Beach-comb and tide-pool hunt at Lincoln City Beach; check weather for best timing.
Stay in Lincoln City; fresh seafood at Local Ocean or Blackfish.
Drive to Yachats; explore Spouting Horn and the Thor's Well area.
Hike the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area trails; views of 800-foot cliffs.
Dinner in Yachats; lodge near the coast and listen to the surf.
Early low tide at Cape Perpetua's rock shelves and starfish gardens.
Sea Lion Caves (America's largest sea cave) and quiet beach walks.
Sunset hike or drive; pack snacks and watch from a windswept viewpoint.
Last beach walk or visit to a nearby viewpoint before heading home.
Drive back north or continue exploring; pick up local smoked salmon.
Depart for home or onward destination.
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