Manzanita is one of three quaint villages located next to the Pacific Ocean on the North Oregon Coast. Known for its seven miles of untouched beach, Manzanita is located close to Nehalem Bay State Park, a beautiful sanctuary that sits atop a four-mile-long sand spit.
When people come to the Oregon Coast, too many of them make the mistake of going to the popular area named Seaside instead of the nearby town of Cannon Beach. Cannon Beach is cleaner, prettier and a lot more serene. If you have any other reason to go to Seaside, don't.
Let us now explore some of the best beaches of the state which is marked by its striking coastline.
- Roads End State Recreation State.
- Otter Rock and Devils Punch Bowl State Natural Area.
- Cannon Beach.
- Cobble Beach – Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area.
- Pacific City.
- Gearhart Beach.
- China Beach.
- Harris Beach State Park.
Cannon Beach might be the best-known beach town in Oregon, thanks to its proximity to Portland and the photogenic Haystack Rock.
The best beaches in Portland: 12 places to get sun in the city
- Walton Beach (Sauvie Island)
- North Unit Beach (Sauvie Island)
- Elk Rock Island.
- George Rogers Park.
- Sellwood Riverfront Park.
- Cathedral Park.
- Poet's Beach.
- Tom McCall Bowl Beach. Situated on the front porch of Portland, in the bowl of downtown Waterfront Park, Tom McCall Bowl Beach is very much an urban experience.
Okay, things to know when you visit Oregon beaches. Under “The Beach Bill” enacted in 1967 (House Bill 1601), the public has free and uninterrupted use (a recreation easement) of the beaches (the dry sand up to the vegetation line) along Oregon's 362 mile-long coastline.
Portland is only an hour and a half away from the Pacific Ocean (approximately 80 miles), but driving along the coast can take up to three hours.
While there is no real official stand on this by Oregon tourism or state authorities, the general answer is: yes, you can swim in the Oregon coast's Pacific Ocean. The ocean on this coast is always freezing cold: always about 55 degrees or so. Sometimes much colder in winter.
As of late, Portland is best known for its hipster and crunchy (ie. extremely liberal and environmentally-friendly) behavior, but historically, the city is a shipping port with a strong affinity for strip clubs — in fact, it has the highest number of strip clubs per capita in the country.
For summer, go for shorts, a tank, and sandals.
- Layers– The key to a successful day out is the use of layers instead of one light shirt and a heavy jacket.
- Leggings– Though you could pack a pair of jeans, you'll find that most women in Portland, and in Oregon in general, favor leggings instead.
Oregon's best getaways: The 10 best places to stay on the Oregon coast
- Yachats. Perfectly centered between Newport and Florence, surrounded by a lot of empty coastline, it's easy to miss this cozy coastal getaway.
- Manzanita.
- Newport.
- Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.
- Gold Beach.
- Neskowin.
The two closest beach towns to Portland are Seaside and Cannon Beach, both "touristy", but otherwise completely different. Seaside is carnival games and rides, arcades, corn dogs, and beach kitsch, whereas Cannon Beach is generally galleries, higher end shops, nicer lodging options, and better restaurants.
The 10 Key Items to Pack for Portland, Oregon
- Hooded Raincoat. Though the city is known for its overcast skies and year-round showers, you actually won't see many umbrellas on the misty sidewalks of downtown Portland.
- Fleece Sweatshirt.
- Cool Stretchy Pants.
- Rain Boots.
- Day Pack.
- Wool Socks.
- Hiking Boots.
- Clip-On Light.
Well, Stumptown is actually a nickname for Portland, Oregon. So, the people of Portland cut down the trees, but they didn't remove the stumps because it is much more strenuous to pull a tree up from its roots than chop it close to the base. Thus, the name Stumptown was born.
What to Pack for Portland: Essentials
- Layers– The key to a successful day out is the use of layers instead of one light shirt and a heavy jacket.
- Leggings– Though you could pack a pair of jeans, you'll find that most women in Portland, and in Oregon in general, favor leggings instead.
Summer temperatures average around 80 degrees but do go over a 100 for one or two days a year. Overnight temperatures average around 60 degrees.
Other than your wallet and keys, which we noted in our checklist below, these are the essential items you should always have at the beach.
- Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen.
- First aid kit.
- Bug spray.
- Beach Towels.
- Snacks.
- Water Bottles.
- Daypack or beach bag.
Water wise - the waters that flows down along the coast of Washington, Oregon, and California are way way colder because the current is traveling from the Arctic Ocean that's making its way back to the water which is very warm at the Equator.
The waters off the Oregon Coast are home to at least 17 species of sharks. While they often get a bad rep (thanks, Jaws), most of Oregon's sharks are pretty harmless. According to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, there is no record of a fatal shark attack in Oregon since 1975.
Road Trip: 10 Must-See Spots Along the Oregon Coast
- Astoria. Start your trip southward here, near the mouth of the Columbia River.
- Cannon Beach. This is our personal favorite stretch of sand in Oregon, and it's one of the most popular, too.
- Camp 18.
- Indian Beach Trail.
- Tillamook Cheese Factory.
- Yaquina Head Lighthouse.
- Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.
- Coos Bay.
Great white sharks grow up to 20 feet and can weigh almost 4,000 lbs. They are found all along the west coast, typically in water temperatures between 54 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Human encounters: The most recent great white shark attack in Oregon was in October of 2016 at Indian Beach at Ecola State park.
While there is no real official stand on this by Oregon tourism or state authorities, the general answer is: yes, you can swim in the Oregon coast's Pacific Ocean. Sort of. However, that does not mean you should - just because you can. The ocean on this coast is always freezing cold: always about 55 degrees or so.
Cannon Beach/TolovanaBeach sea water temperatures peak in the range 13 to 17°C (55 to 63°F) on around the 18th of August and are at their minimum on about the 24th of January, in the range 8 to 11°C (46 to 52°F).
Portland is only an hour and a half away from the Pacific Ocean (approximately 80 miles), but driving along the coast can take up to three hours.
Many stacks were the result of volcanic action, with lava flowing to the sea. Cooling lava became hardened basalt over time. Sea stacks, those intriguing rocky spires that create dramatic seascapes when struck by thundering waves, punctuate many areas along the 360 miles of Oregon coastline.
While there is no real official stand on this by Oregon tourism or state authorities, the general answer is: yes, you can swim in the Oregon coast's Pacific Ocean. Sort of. The ocean on this coast is always freezing cold: always about 55 degrees or so. Sometimes much colder in winter.
Can I have a fire on the beach? The fire must be west of the vegetation line, NO EXCEPTIONS. Build your fire away from the beach grass & piles of driftwood. Extinguish the fire with water.
Salem, Oregon Crime Rate & Safety
Salem is a relatively safe city to live in. The area's violent crime rate is significantly lower than the national rate, though the property crime is higher.The 10 best beaches in Oregon. Since the Pacific Ocean isn't a hot tub and Oregon is far from the warmest state, many visitors to the shore come simply to enjoy the majesty of the scenery and seaside towns.
Overall the city of Salem Oregon is very nice and a pleasure to live in. Family friendly, diverse and progressive to name a few of it's strong points. There are many parks, trails and activities for people and families to take advantage of all year round.
Salem, the capital of Oregon, is in the state's northwest region in the center of the Willamette Valley, one hour south of Portland. Salem is known for hosting the Salem Film Festival, which earned the city a spot on Livability.com's Top 10 Film Festivals list.
Coos Bay is an S-shaped inlet where the Coos River enters the Pacific Ocean, approximately 10 miles (16 km) long and two miles (three km) wide, on the Pacific Ocean coast of southwestern Oregon in the United States.
