The
168 miles of coastline north of the Oregon Dunes is the
historic area discovered by Lewis and Clark, and much
loved by summer visitors from Portland and other nearby
cities. Astoria, at the mouth of the Columbia River, is a
city filled with history, from the pre-historic Native
encampments, through the fur trading period, and the days
when the Columbia River was a major trading
thoroughfare.
The
historical attractions of the Astoria area include a
reconstruction of the Lewis and Clark winter encampment
(Fort Clatsop), and a civil war bastion (Fort Stephens),
built to keep possible Confederate invaders out on the
ocean, or blasted off it with cannons. The fort is now
included in a state park, located ten miles west of
Astoria, with nature trails, swimming in Coffenbury Lake,
and the trailhead for the Oregon Coast Trail located at
the south jetty in the northwest corner of the park. The
trail, not yet completed, offers long stretches of hiking
trail along the state's ocean beaches and headlands. Fort
Stephens has a large camping facility, with RV and
trailer sites accommodating vehicles up to 69 feet
long.
What
to See & Do
You'll
encounter mixed attractions, including a few delightful
forest walks in the Siskiyou National Forest, a dozen
towns of varying sizes along the beaches and slightly
inland in the agricultural valleys, and notable state
parks which serve to protect the seashore, while offering
bits of Oregon history (including several lighthouses),
and fascinating natural environments. This is the coastal
area known for haystacks and seastacks, the huge rocks
rising offshore.
Ecola
State Park provides the first major access to the
oceanside. Located 28 miles south of Astoria, the park
offers wonderful views of the ocean and beaches, all the
way south to Oswald West State Park. This park has 3.5
miles of walkable beach, plus fine stands of Sitka spruce
and western hemlock. Elk and deer live in the park.
Within the park, the Tillamook Head Trail runs six miles,
between the towns of Seaside and Cannon Beach. The park
includes a walk-in campground, at Indian Creek.
Highway
101 continues southward, through the town of
Seaside, and then past Cannon Beach and the
Tillamook Rock Lighthouse (de-commissioned, and a mile
offshore). Just south of the Clatsop-Tillamook county
line, is Oswald West State Park, named in hour of the
state governor who proclaimed the Oregon beaches to be
publicly accessible. This park includes most of Neahkanie
Mountain (with a trail), and Cape Falcon. A quarter-mile
hike leads tenters to a number of primitive campsites in
the forest. The park is well-known to surfers. You'll
find a series of scenic viewpoints along the highway.
Neahkanie Beach is in the southern portion of the park,
at the base of the mountain.
South
of the town of Manzanita, Nehalem Bay State Park
is reached by an access road leading west for three
miles. The park extends to the tip of the spit enclosing
Nehalem Bay, with large campgrounds, camping in yurts, a
horse camp with corrals, and a hiker-biker camp. No
reservations are taken. There is a boat ramp at the
nearby town of Nehalem.
Manhattan
Beach Wayside Park, 48 miles south of Astoria, is a
day-use picnic area, on the beach. Tillamook County
maintains a campground beside Lake Lytle, two miles south
of the wayside. The highway continues through Rockaway
Beach (the town), and then through three small towns on
the eastern shore of Tillamook Bay (Barview, Garibaldi,
and Bay City). It then leads inland a few miles to the
town of Tillamook -- a mecca for cheese lovers,
with the huge Tillamook Cheese Factory (specializing in
cheddar), and Blue Heron Cheese (housed in an old Dutch
dairy barn, dedicated to making Brie and Camembert. Both
cheese factories welcome visitors for tasting and
buying.
