Pacific Coast Scenic Byway


State: Oregon
Length: 363 miles / 584.2 km
Time to Allow: Plan 10 to 12 hours to experience all this Byway has to offer.

Travel through Oregon on the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway for 363 miles of coastal views. Choose this option for year-round enjoyment and plan a minimum of 10 to 12 hours. From the Northwest tip of Oregon to the southwest tip, this byway offers lush ocean views for an epic road trip.

You can continue the trip by trailing the ocean in Washington or California, depending on which direction you want to travel. Oregon law guarantees every piece of the land opening into the ocean is open to the public for enjoying making this the People’s Coast.

Begin your journey in Astoria, two hours west of Portland, a perfect town for a holiday. It’s a quaint little town by the ocean with gorgeous panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River. However, the town offers more than views and boating; find various culinary delights, including upscale restaurants, trendy coffee shops, and handcrafted breweries the locals frequent. Stay for shopping in various unique shops and art galleries before enjoying arts, culture, and outdoor recreation.

Driving south down the coast, find sandy beaches and the Fort Stevens State part along with Fort Clatsop along with many other seaside attractions. Find vintage promenades and boardwalks from the early 1900s with options for everyone in the family. Enjoy some historical side trips by visiting some Lewis and Clark expedition sights. Furthermore, find new favorite places among the cliffs, coves, and more with a visit to Nehalem Bay and Cannon Beach.

Further down south about a hundred miles, find the Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area near Newport and Depoe Bay. Massive cliffs, rocks, and caves make for a unique oceanside landscape, and you can even find places to watch whales or surf if you want to be out on the water. For more land activities, stay closer to Nye Beach in Newport. Stay at the Sylvia Beach Hotel for author-themed rooms and sip cocktails by the ocean or head out to a local restaurant for a great meal.

Nearby you can find the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Hatfield Science Center. If that does not interest you, go to the town of Yachats to see the Sea Lions Caves, one of the oldest private attractions along the coast. Next, head to Florence for fishing and the beautiful Siuslaw River Bridge, dunes, and gorgeous beaches. Finally, find camping and rentals at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

Follow the water to Coos Bay and Brookings for large natural harbors filled with options to find crabs, fish, or clams. It’s a phenomenal place to see wild animals and rivers flowing into the ocean. Choose this area for rocky shorts and cliffs, along with lazy tide pools or windsurfing. Along the entire byway, you can find nine lighthouses and places to whale watch or even golf on epic courses. Add some beauty to your next vacation, ready to rival any landscape you have ever seen.

More Oregon Byways

You can check out additional Byways in Oregon by clicking on the list of byways below, or by going to the Oregon Byways home section. To find even more of scenic byways in the United States, visit our scenic byways map.