Southbound & Spellbound: Oregon’s Southern Coast
After a late checkout at the Best Western Agate Beach, we were rested and ready to conquer Oregon’s Southern Coast.
Newport & Nye Beach
First stop: Newport Beach, with a detour into Nye Beach, the artsy quarter that’s been drawing creatives since the late 1800s. Think historic hotels, surf shops, quirky galleries, and chowder houses with ocean views. Newport is a true working port town—fishermen unloading crab pots, gulls circling like they own the place, and salty air that seeps right into your hoodie.
Yaquina Head Lighthouse & Harbor
We finally made it to Yaquina Head Lighthouse—Oregon’s tallest, standing 93 feet high on a basalt headland that juts dramatically into the Pacific. It’s also a National Conservation Area, so our handy National Parks Pass got us in. The ranger? From our hometown of Boca Raton. Instant kinship.
Down on the tidepools, purple sea stars clung to rocks while seals barked from offshore islands. The sound of the waves pulling back over the jagged basalt was so crunchy and textured it felt like nature’s ASMR track. Locals swear the lighthouse is haunted, adding to its moody, gothic charm. Meanwhile, just a couple blocks away, the harbor showed its grit: barking sea lions piling on docks, trawlers unloading their catch, and Pacific Seafood anchoring the local industry alongside craft breweries.
Yaquina Bay State Park & Seal Rock
A quick stop at Yaquina Bay State Park for trails and Kodi’s off-leash rebellion, then on to Seal Rock Recreation Site. As the name suggests, this place is literally the Airbnb of Oregon’s seals and sea lions, who haul out on the giant rocks just offshore. Bonus: rugged basalt formations that look like something from a fantasy film set.
Yachats & Devil’s Churn
Next up: Yachats, a small but soulful town at the edge of Siuslaw National Forest. Just south sits Devil’s Churn, a long crack in the basalt that channels incoming waves with explosive force—sending white spray skyward in rhythmic bursts. Standing near it feels like watching the earth breathe in saltwater. We even spotted a rogue bunny hopping through the viewpoint like it owned the place.
Cape Perpetua & Thor’s Well
At Cape Perpetua, the coast goes cinematic. Trails wind from old-growth forest down to rugged shoreline where the ocean puts on its best performance:
Thor’s Well, a natural sinkhole where waves gush in and spout skyward like the planet’s own blowhole.
Spouting Horn, another sea geyser that sprays mist across stunned tourists.
Carl G. Washburne & Hobbit Beach
Rolling south, we pulled into Carl G. Washburne State Park, a quieter stretch where a forest trail leads down to an open sandy beach. Next, the Hobbit Beach Trailhead—a half-mile path with twisted Sitka spruce roots that feel straight out of Middle Earth. Halfway down we passed a couple filming with a tripod in the mossy dark. Honestly? If you ever needed a hideout for your secret elven society, this is the place.
Florence & Mo’s Seafood
We rolled into Florence, a town defined by its postcard-perfect Siuslaw River Bridge, a 1936 Conde McCullough masterpiece of Art Deco arches. Hungry, we made a beeline for Mo’s Seafood, the coastal chowder empire. I went for the “Smegallion” chowder—classic clam chowder crowned with a mountain of baby shrimp in a sourdough bowl. Alan stuck to fish and chips, Kodi got some hand-offs under the table, and we all left happily stuffed. A no-frills Super 8 nearby was good enough—clean, close, and cheap sleep.
Coos Bay, North Bend & Oregon Dunes
The next morning, we cruised south through Coos Bay and North Bend, the largest towns on the southern coast. But the real showstopper was the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, a 40-mile stretch of shifting sand mountains, some towering over 500 feet. People come here for dune buggies, sandboarding, and other adrenaline fixes. For us, it was pure road-trip eye candy.
Face Rock, Bandon
Our last coastal stop: Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint in Bandon. Legend says a Native American princess was turned to stone here, her profile eternally gazing skyward. It’s eerie, romantic, and iconic. Add in Bandon’s sea stacks (each one nicknamed—Cat & Kittens, Wizards Hat), and you’ve got one of the most photographed shorelines in Oregon.
Inland Detour: Steamboat Inn
Just as the coast seemed to end, fate threw us a curveball: a call from Thor service in Junction City- Bish’s. Appointment set for Tuesday. Instead of pushing further south, we turned inland and lucked into one of the best stays of the whole trip—a magic cabin at the legendary Steamboat Inn on the Umpqua River. Hidden in the woods, steeped in fly-fishing lore, it was the perfect reset before tackling the famous Waterfalls Highway.
Why the Southern Oregon Coast Rocks
From haunted lighthouses and barking sea lions to Hobbit forests, chowder legends, dune playgrounds, and myth-soaked sea stacks—this stretch of coast is moodier, wilder, and less polished than the north. It’s got grit and magic in equal measure. By the time we left, we weren’t just road-tripping—we were spellbound.
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