Weekend of Traffic, Lodging Problems for North Oregon Coast

Published 08/23/2012

(Seaside, Oregon) – With the massive Hood to Coast Relay event happening along Highway 30, Highway 26 and Seaside and Astoria this weekend, ODOT and Oregon State Police are asking the public to watch the roads to the north coast and the northern edge of Highway 101.

Over 50,000 participants and volunteersare heading to this part of the coast, so the weekend also means some major obstacles to finding a place to stay.

Officials are urging motorists to be careful of the runners, walkers and increased traffic and congestion, which will reach all the way back to Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood on Friday morning, and then seriously clog parts of the north coast between Seaside and Astoria on Saturday night.

Highway 26

ODOT listed the places and times to be extra careful:

Highway 26 (Mt. Hood to Gresham): from Friday, August 24, at 4:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.

Highway 30 (Portland to St. Helens): from Friday, August 24, at 5:15 a.m. to Saturday, August 25, at 8:40 a.m.

Highway 47: from Friday, August 24, at 4:00 p.m. to Saturday, August 25, at 12:30 p.m.

Highway 202: from Friday, August 24, at 4:00 p.m. to Saturday, August 25, at 8:30 p.m.

Young's River Loop (near Astoria): from Saturday, August 25, at 2:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Lewis & Clark Road (near Astoria): from Saturday, August 25, at 4:30 a.m. to 8:15 p.m.

Highway 101 (Seaside area): from Saturday, August 25, at 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Cannon Beach business owner George Vetter said luckily that congestion doesn't extend down to Cannon Beach, but the area is already quite congested with regular summer peak traffic for the weekend.

In Manzanita, San Dune Inn owner Brian Hines said Manzanita and Rockaway Beach will be clear of problems as well.

Traffic jam along Highway 101

There are likely no places left to stay in Seaside because of the event, and that seems to be true for lodgings all the down through Rockaway Beach (some 30 miles from Seaside). Hines said Hood to Coast participants have booked up Manzanita and Rockaway Beach some two to three months in advance.

Seaside is known for greatly jacking up prices for that weekend at many lodgings. If there is something left there, expect to pay as much as a $400 or more for a room that often goes for half that. Cannon Beach, Manzanita and Rockaway Beach generally do not up their prices for lodging on extremely busy weekends such as this one – or at least not by much.

If you're looking for a place to stay on the Oregon coast this weekend, your best bet is to try Garibaldi southward, such as Tillamook, Oceanside, Pacific City and down on the central Oregon coast.

Major traffic problems will be present at times around Seaside and Highway 26, so you may be best advised to use Highway 6 to get to the north coast or avoid Highway 26 on Sunday, when many will be returning to Portland.

Below: Cannon Beach

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