10 Awe-Inspiring Must-See's of Oregon Coast in Summer and Second Summer

Published 8/05/24 at 9:15 p.m.
By Andre' GW Hagestedt, Oregon Coast Beach Connection

(Oregon Coast) – August on Oregon beaches often doesn't cooperate well, meteorologically speaking. It can get a bit hazy and foggy out there. However, Second Summer is when the area really shines: that's the period from September through early October when the coast is at its warmest (most years, anyway). (Photo Cape Blanco Historical Society) See Get Ready for 'Second Summer' on Oregon Coast, Washington Coast: Best Weather of the Year

There are many things this time of year that are drastically different – and a must-see. Sand levels have really piled up by August and you're usually getting much easier beach access to many areas. Beaches have expanded westward, letting you see and even access spots you can't get to the rest of the year. Then there's great possibilities of seeing glowing sand at night, and so much more.

Here's a mere ten of the opportunities for intrigue.

Ancient Coastal Battlements and Shipwreck. Fort Stevens State Park, close to Astoria, is miles and miles worth of wild attractions, especially in the living history department. There's the shipwreck of the Peter Iredale on the beach, stuck there for over 100 years. Battery Russell is an impressive yet eerie sight: the former gunnery and concrete bunkers that guarded the Columbia River from the Civil War through World War II.

It's also a perfect place to wander in case the weather isn't so Second Summer-y. Hotels in Astoria - Where to eat - Astoria Maps and Virtual Tours

Hug Point. Just south of Cannon Beach, this is one action-packed place, which includes a really freaky sea cave, a waterfall, massive rock indentations that fire the imagination – and of course that irresistible road that was carved out of the point. Tidal conditions may not let you get very far in winter or spring, but they should in summer and early fall when sands pile up. That usually allows really easy access.

The big sea cave has intense colors inside and it portrays the power of the ocean rather dramatically with a giant log or two crammed into some crevices. The road was blasted out of the headland over 100 years ago so carriages and Model T's could head north, at a time when the beaches were the coastal highway. Hotels in Cannon Beach - Where to eat - Cannon Beach Maps and Virtual Tours

Oceanside and Tunnel. This tiny village at the northern tip of the Three Capes Loop has a big hole in it: and it has loads of atmosphere, sometimes even a spookiness. The beach by itself is an ever-charmer, but head through the ancient tunnel and you'll find an unforgettable strand, full of funky rock features, tiny caves, one big cave, and gobs of starfish colonies. For an even more incredible experience, drive the tiny, winding road through the hills until you reach the top of Maxwell Point, where you'll be looking down on the massive Three Arch Rocks.

In late summer, the tides are kept so far out you often don't need the tunnel to cross over. Hotels in Oceanside - Where to eat - Oceanside Maps and Virtual Tours

Cape Kiwanda. Pacific City shines in so many ways, with culinary creature comforts in all manner of price ranges: a host of amenities and sensory pleasures. But the massive sandstone Cape Kiwanda, with its towering dune and surreal rocky structures, is the real attention-grabber. Parts of this beautiful behemoth look like an alien planet or something out of Dr. Suess. Some sections of the headland have detached over the millennia and now rise up out of of the ocean in starkly jagged formations. It will fill you with awe. Hotels in Pacific City - Where to eat - Pacific City Maps and Virtual Tours

Cape Foulweather. About four miles south of Depoe Bay, Cape Foulweather gives you one of the grandest views along the entire Oregon coast, sitting up there at 500 feet above the ocean. From here you can look down on the Devil's Punchbowl, see Newport and its main lighthouse blinking in the distance, and gaze at those bulb-like rocky masses covered with green to the north.

Insider's tip: take the slow route, starting at Otter Loop Road close to Depoe Bay, where soaring cliffs and exploding ocean vistas are your constant reward. Hotels in Depoe Bay - Where to eat - Depoe Bay Maps and Virtual Tours

Yaquina Head, Newport. Not only does this Newport eye-popper have a towering lighthouse, but the headland has a myriad of must-see's as well. There's that mysterious black beach below, where the ocean makes freaky noises on the large rocks. In summer and before storm season hits, that beach can be longer than usual and you'll find enormous grooves visible that aren't there the rest of the year. Hotels in Newport - Where to eat - Newport Maps and Virtual Tours

Cape Perpetua near Yachats. You can go high or low: either direction is a wondrous time. The bottom of the cape is the Devil's Churn, where a sizable slit in the basalt channels the ocean's energy into one furious display. Hit the top of the cape for some unbelievable oceanic vistas, which just seem to erupt with color when the weather gets sunny. Plus, it has that little stone lookout building that looks rather medieval. Hotels in Yachats - Where to eat - Upper Lane County Maps and Virtual Tours

Strawberry Hill. Between Yachats and Florence, there's so much happening it's impossible to talk about all of it (this area includes Cape Perpetua). Strawberry Hill is a serious highlight, however. At one end, it's a thin cobblestone beach (that's often good agate hunting). The larger portion is a kind of semi-cove filled with laidback sands and a rocky labyrinth of unusual structures to climb around. At its northern edges it gets quite striking with colonies of marine life. Hotels in Yachats - Where to eat - Upper Lane County Maps and Virtual Tours

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Summerday sands (like the ol' Jethro Tull tune) abound here – we're talking about 40 miles of them of them. Massive dunes soar like small mountains, lined with fascinating patterns that shift constantly in the winds. Hit businesses around Florence, Dune City, Reedsport or Coos Bay to rent adventurous machinery like dune buggies, or take one of their rides / tours. It gets warmer the farther south you go.

For even more intense fun, listen carefully and you may hear the very rare booming or singing sands. Oregon Coast Hotels in this area - - Where to eat - - Florence Oregon Virtual Tour, Map

Near Gold Beach - courtesy Manuela Durson - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts

Port Orford and Curry Coast. From about Cape Blanco southward you enter the Curry Coast – which can be downright tropical at times. At the cape, you're actually on the western-most point on all of the U.S. West Coast (excepting Washington coast's Cape Alava), and Cape Blanco is an interesting dividing line in south coast weather. However, it's Gold Beach and Brookings that are known to be the “Banana Belt” of the coast, and come September and early October it's not uncommon to see them in the 80s or 90s.

- South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours

 

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