Anyone here vacation on the Oregon or Washington Coast?

[Southern Elk]

I love the mountains and my wife loves the beach. We used to take a beach vacation to the gulf coast of Alabama or Florida every year, but it's not feasible anymore. Can anyone tell me about the Oregon and Washington Coast? What are some cool places to visit? Is there any good seafood over that way?

 

[BigHornRam]

Went over there once near Florence Oregon. It was nice. Did some crabbing. Crab is hard to beat!

 

[Coop]

Camped up and down that coast several times. The seafood is incredible and there are a lot of hole in the wall places that are worth checking out (granted I am from MT, so it all seems good). I loved the San Juan Islands and the whole Olympic Peninsula is well worth checking out. I would definitely say that camping is the way to go...there are some really cool camp grounds up and down the Washington and Oregon coast.

 

[jryoung]

The coast can be a blast, both Oregon and Washington are dotted with cool towns along the way. Good opportunities for surf fishing too. Just be prepared to get wet.

 

[Sawtooth]

Salmon, Halibut, Tuna, crab, prawn, clams, and mussels, the Oregon/Washington coastline is a sea food mecca. The beaches of the northwest are nothing like those of the southeast or southwest for that matter. Most of the beaches are smaller in size and often will have more rock or pebbles mixed in. Lots of great sites and things to do while you are on the coast. My family enjoys taking our boat crabbing and salmon fishing in several of the small bays in Oregon. Tillamook, Nehalem, and Netarts Bays are a few of our favorites. Boat rentals are available, as well as the crab pots if you need them. Digging for clams is a lot of fun during the low tides. Several coastal towns are known for their arts and crafts if that is or interest to you or your wife. Further north is Astoria and its rich history and ties to the Columbia River and the Oregon Trail. Washington beaches tend to be smaller still and the coastline is made up mostly of small bays and rock cliffs. The Pudget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca out to the Olympic National Park are all beautiful, but I really wouldn't consider them as a beach holiday. But you will find some fantastic seafood there.

 

[BlakeA]

I've done the highway 1 and 101 drive from Astoria to CA border twice and camped all along it. Absolutely phenomenal place in July-August. One of my favorite destinations in our country. PM me if you have any questions!

 

[Southern Elk]

Thanks for the info. We are excited to do some exploring. Is June a good time to go? I would love to camp, but my wife isn't into camping. Can anyone recommend a nice resort town? Just doing a google search she liked Ocean Shores, Washington. Forgot to mention that we have 2 kids.

 

[TheSurveyor]

If you have some atvs there is a really cool dune system in OR on the coast. Absolute blast!

 

[SFC B]

When I was stationed at Ft Lewis I was out on the Olympic and at Ocean Shores quite a few times. Food is great. The Olympic out past Port Angeles is beautiful and there is always a chance and happening across a Rosie ( my first elk sighting was about 8 of them in the middle of the road in the middle of the day refusing to move ) Do remember though that the water will be COLD no matter what time of the year you go....period.

 

[Hunting Wife]

It’s a very rugged, temperate rain forest type landscape, and I think one of the prettiest coastlines you can find. There’s a lot to do in the stretch from Newport to Florence, particularly with the kids. Sea Lion Cave, the Aquarium in Newport, lighthouse tours, tidepooling. Venture down around the CA/OR border and you get into the Redwoods....everyone should go hike through the redwoods at least once in their life. It’s like no place else. If you get down that far, the jet boat trips up the Rogue River out of Gold Beach are a good time. The north coast (I’m talking Oregon here) gets more crowded as you get within range of the Portland weekend crowd, but Astoria is neat. Lots of maritime history there. Good sea food to be found lots of places, but don’t let the looks of the outside of a place scare you. Some of the most run down looking little hole in the wall places have the best food. Ask the locals where to eat. June can be nice, but expect at least some rainy and damp. It can be foggy and cold any time of year. And the ocean is usually pretty murky and cold. Not your typical lounge on the beach kind of coast.

One of the few things I really miss about Oregon is the coast.

 

[Solduc]

Check out Lonesome Creek Resort in La Push, WA.. Little wilder coast than Ocean Shores. Good local seafood and good bottom fishing in June. Lots of good hikes. Hoh river rainforest is great place to see Roosevelt elk. Kalaloch lodge, a little tamer, but nice cabins overlooking ocean. Chito Beach resort, on the straits near Neah Bay, laid back, lots to do and close to Cape Flattery

 

[Elkish]

My wife and I have spent time in the Newport area and really enjoy it. The is tons of great seafood and we have caught clams and Dungeness crab on our own and there are good charters for salmon, albacore and Ling Cod. I’ll also second the sea lion caves and light houses as great family experiences. Also, Olympic is hard to beat. Lake Quinault Lodge is one of our favorite relaxation destinations and has a lot of great family activities.

 

[muskeg]

Clam Chowder at the Sea Hag in Depot Bay ... is very good.
But I think the best Chowder is at the Nye Beach Café down at Nye Beach in Newport.
Good fresh Oysters from up in Yaquina Bay.

Luna Sea Fish House in Yachats .... https://www.lunaseafishhouse.com/index.htm ... this guy has his own boat that fishes for the restaurant.

Head down to the beachs anywhere along that stretch (between Lincoln City & Florence) and hunt for Agates.

 

[Jchiggins2012]

I worked in Alaska for awhile, I drove all the way up there and spent a lot of time in bush planes along the western coast and its nothing short of amazing. That whole side of the world is.

On top of that I was sent to Bainbridge Island for training in Poulsbo WA, I ventured out to explore the area after training everyday in the woods to check things out. I felt like I was in a star wars movie with moss covered trees, looked like a rainforest. I had seen that type of forest before, but something about the way the light was filtering through the canopy there and the sunshine was surreal.

If offered a job out there I would be hard pressed to say no. Of course I had 7 days of sunshine, which I heard is rare.

 

[Nameless Range]

2 summers ago we rented a house in Yachats for a week. Played on the beach, went south and ate food, went north and ate food. Lots of cool public tidepools. Went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, and that was fun. Paid to go do some fishing in the ocean and caught our limit of rockfish. Went north to Tillamook and ate cheese. Lots of neat little towns on the Oregon coast.

We drove out there by heading south out of the Bitterroot down to Stanley where we camped, then on through Boise. The zoo in Boise was really fun. From there we drove west through Burns and on to Bend, where we camped again. I had never been in SE Oregon and it opened my eyes. Just from the highway it was beautiful and desolate. From Bend we drove to Eugene, and stopped and saw a some waterfalls along the way. From their it was a short trip to the coast. The drive out was almost as much fun as being there.

 

[Irrelevant]

Southern Elk, I would suggest going Jan-March. Even if it rains it'll feel like summer compared to Montana. Plus there's always the possibility of a high pressure ridge building over the east side of the cascades which can create some amazing summer like weather on the coast (60-80). Even just a few minutes of sun in early spring in the rain forest is pretty special. Plus the rates are lower and there's way fewer people.

In WA we typically frequent either the Westport/Grayland area or the little town of Pacific beach. Forks and Lake Quinalt are both pretty cool areas but it's quite a drive to the beach. The food can be pretty hit or miss, I highly recommend using Yelp to pick your food venues. The beach between the mouth of the Queets and the mouth of the Hoh are easy to access (right along the highway) but pretty darn cool. Between the Hoh and the Bogochiel are part of the NPS and hike in only, but also super cool. I once broke onto the beach on a sunny morning and saw 8 bulls walking down the beach. Hikes up any of those west side of the OP rivers will be awesome.

In terms of fishing, there's always rockfish off the coast (charter) and surf perch right on the beach (though not all the much fun and kinda hard to catch). Razor clams are only open for some weekends and only some tides, but they're a blast to dig. If you go on a RC tide expect a lot more people. Steelhead will also be in full swing (!) early spring late winter. It's getting to be pretty crowded on the weekends as most of the Puget Sound Rivers are closed now, but the mid week crowd isn't too bad.

There's also the straits side of the OP that's pretty cool, Port Townsend to Squim to Port Angeles, even the Hood canal side is worth check out, just not the big ocean breakers, but arguable better food.

The OR coast might actually be cooler though. Steeper beaches mean bigger waves (especially awesome during a big winter storm). Plus there's a lot more rocky areas with tide pools (always awesome to check out). Our family always liked the areas south of Lincoln City as they tended to have fewer people than the area to the north (closer to Portland). Steelhead is even bigger and better along the OR coast. The guys at Born And Raised Outdoors have been posting some good steelhead fishing lately. Again rockfish should be open. Not sure about anything else though.

 

[Sytes]

We've been thinking a vacation along the OR coast as well. Anyone visit Coos Bay? Newport is on our list as well.

WA, we've visited Friday Harbor w/in the San Juan Islands. That was really enjoyable! Rented scooters and peddeled around the island. Visited many locations, light houses, whale watching points, old forts, a winery, lavender farm, etc... My wife went on a kayaking excursion within the whale corridor. She had a blast! I was stuck at home with an annoying allergy fit.

I lived on Whidbey Island for a spell (WA). Went fishing for salmon frequently. Langley and Clinton are beautiful.

Best to you and your vacation. Would enjoy reading your take on the areas you visited, especially if you happen to visit Coos Bay area.

 

[JohnCushman]

It doesn't sound like you have a bad choice in the mix. Enjoy!

 

[Ben Lamb]

We've been a couple of times and end up selecting the North Olympic Peninsula as our base. Port Townsend is a fun town, pretty touristy, but good food, close to a ton of state parks, beaches, etc. We based out of Lake Sutherland last year, and rented a VRBO on the lake. It was a little pricier than a hotel, but very worth it since we were able to cook our own meals. It's right on the doorstep of Olympic National Park and surrounded by the Olympic National Forest & you've got Sol Duc Hot Springs as well.

We only spent a few days in OR, but enjoyed Newport & Manzanita very much. Lots of public land and hiking, good beaches and great food in both places.

Regardless of which state you choose - get an America the Beautiful pass for the Nat. Park/Public Land and whichever State's park pass for state parks. Both are worth the cost.

 

[LopeHunter]

Thanks for the info. We are excited to do some exploring. Is June a good time to go? I would love to camp, but my wife isn't into camping. Can anyone recommend a nice resort town? Just doing a google search she liked Ocean Shores, Washington. Forgot to mention that we have 2 kids.

Any visit prior to July 4 or after Sept 15 risks cool and rain some or all days. That is just the tradeoff for rarely getting below 0F in winter or above 90F in summer. The beach zone (west of the mountains just inland) can be fogged in early and late in the day and can be 20 mph sand-blazing winds. The ocean water is just warmer than melted glacier water. Beware of multi-ton logs that will roll up on a wave and then settle onto the beach smashing anything under it. The locals never turn their back on the ocean if at water's edge.

The seafood is amazing. The regional dairy co-op, Tillamook, does tours and sells cheese and ice cream. Astoria is a fun town to walk around and enjoy the shops and history. Buy a kit and can fly it easy in the wind. Bring warmer clothes than think need as the moist ocean air makes it seem cooler than the thermometer says.The beach zone is slow to warm up even on a sunny day and quick to cool down even when is not quite sunset.

Some Roosevelt elk can be seen in spots near the ocean highway.

You will have a blast, just keep likely weather in mind.