Best things to Do in Oceanside, Oregon
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When I’m craving breathtaking Oregon Coast scenery without the crowds, Oceanside is one of my go-to destinations. Although by no means secret, this peaceful town has just as much natural beauty as Cannon Beach or Lincoln City with a fraction of the visitors. Look out from majestic viewpoints at Cape Meares, visit the bizarre and beautiful Octopus Tree, watch for sea lions and seabirds, and explore the underground tunnel connecting two stunning beaches. Only 90 minutes away from Portland, Oceanside is close enough to be an easy day trip. Once you get here, though, you’ll be tempted to make it a long weekend. Here is everything you need to know about the best things to do in Oceanside, Oregon.
Oceanside Beach and Tunnel Beach
Pass required: None. Look for free public parking next to Oceanside Beach.
Amenities: Restrooms
Oceanside is first and foremost about the beach. The town’s population is less than 500 and, besides a few restaurants, there is little to attract visitors beyond the magnificent coastline. Just about every house and building here looks onto the ocean, clearly the star of the show.
Oceanside Beach
While Oceanside Beach alone is worth the trip, there is also a hidden beach here. For an adventure, one of the best things to do in Oceanside is to take the tunnel connecting Oceanside Beach to Tunnel Beach. You’ll spot its entrance on the north end of Oceanside Beach at the bottom of a cliff face. Get your phone flashlight out (or, for those more prepared than me, an actual flashlight). The tunnel is dark, and the footing inside is uneven.
Maxwell Point Tunnel
The journey is worth the stumbling when you emerge at secluded Tunnel Beach where jagged rocks jut up from the waves like crooked teeth. Look for seabirds perching on them. Tunnel Beach has some of the best rockhounding potential on the Oregon Coast. Chances are you’ll see other beachgoers scanning the sand intently for jasper, agates, and sea glass. If you visit at low tide, check out the tide pools.
Tunnel Beach
Short Beach
Trail to Short Beach
Pass required: None. Park next to the side of the road. Parking is limited and fills up quickly on summer weekends.
Amenities: None
Short Beach is one of the Oregon Coast’s hidden gems. You’re just about guaranteed to drive past it if you’re not looking for it. To find the beach access, drive a few minutes north of town and look for gravel roadside pullouts just before Radar Rd. A steep makeshift staircase leads from the non-descript trailhead to Short Beach, a journey that feels like the way to a pirate’s hideout. Dense vegetation lines the trail, screening the beach from view until you arrive at the end.
Short Beach’s manmade waterfall
Once at Short Beach, you’ll see both a scenic stretch of coastline and a couple of curiosities. The first is a bulbous sea stack, the legacy of ancient lava flows. The other is a manmade waterfall that plunges off a concrete spillway. At low tide, you can walk north to find a second waterfall, this one natural. Like Tunnel Beach, Short Beach is a great place to look for agates, jasper, quartz, and petrified wood.
Short Beach
Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint
Pass required: None. Parking is free.
Amenities: Restrooms and picnic tables.
Judging from its name, Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint sounds like a quick stop. The word viewpoint doesn’t do justice to this spectacular park less than ten minutes north of Oceanside. I’d suggest starting with the easy, 0.2-mile Lighthouse Loop, which leads to Cape Meares Lighthouse and the panoramic views surrounding it. When you reach the lighthouse, you’ll be almost 200 feet above the ocean waves with views for miles around. Keep an eye out for whales while you take in the scenery. This trail alone has at least five different viewpoints.
Cape Meares Lighthouse
After seeing the lighthouse, make a quick, 0.2-mile out-and-back trek to the Octopus Tree. Rather than a central trunk, this giant Sitka spruce has thick limbs that radiate out from its center like the tentacles of an octopus. Just past the tree is a stunning viewpoint looking onto the Oregon Coast to the south. Before leaving Cape Meares, it’s worth stopping by the trailhead at the park entrance to see its other memorable tree, the Big Spruce. An easy, quarter-mile trail will bring you to an 800-year-old gigantic Sitka spruce, the largest in Oregon.
Octopus Tree
Three Capes Scenic Loop
Pass required: Oregon State Park Pass ($5/day) or Oregon Pacific Coast Passport at Cape Lookout. Local $10 day-use fee at Cape Kiwanda. You can pay on-site in both parks.
Amenities: Restrooms and picnic tables at Cape Lookout and Cape Kiwanda.
Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint begins a 40-mile scenic drive connecting three of the most dramatic capes on the Oregon Coast. After seeing Cape Meares, drive south to reach Cape Lookout. On your way, look for seals on the sandy spit across Netarts Bay. I’ve seen them there every time I’ve driven past, about a dozen times. They’ll look like driftwood from a distance. Once at Cape Lookout State Park, stroll on the beach and marvel at the park’s namesake long and narrow peninsula. A 5-mile out-and-back hiking trail leads to the end of Cape Lookout, where you can see about 40 miles of coastline in either direction on a clear day.
Sunset at Cape Lookout
After Cape Lookout, head south to the third and final cape, Cape Kiwanda. Unlike the others, this one is sandstone. More fragile than basalt, this headland is one the most, if not the most, rapidly changing on the Oregon Coast. Its newest feature is a giant sinkhole connected to an underground sea cave. Cape Kiwanda has endured thanks to protection from Haystack Rock, the giant basaltic sea stack about a mile off the coast of Pacific City.
Cape Kiwanda and Haystack Rock
For a less crowded experience at Cape Kiwanda, head to McPhillips Beach and walk a mile down the beach to explore its lesser-known northern side.
McPhillips Beach
Watch for wildlife
Black oystercatchers in the Cape Meares Wildlife Refuge
Oceanside has fantastic wildlife-watching potential. Here’s what to look for and where to look for it:
Whales. The best whale-watching spots in Oceanside are points of elevation where you can see far-reaching ocean views from above. Cape Meares is one of the best whale-watching spots on the Oregon Coast for this reason. If you do the Three Capes Scenic Loop, Cape Kiwanda also has good potential. Your chances of seeing whales are best during the gray whale winter and spring migrations.
Seals and sea lions. The sea stacks around Oceanside are great places to look for harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and California sea lions. Three Arch Rocks offshore of the town of Oceanside are promising places to start your search.
Tide pools. Look for tide pools during low tide to see sea stars, anemones, crabs, mussels, and more. Tunnel Beach has some. If you do the Three Capes Scenic Loop, the south end of Cape Kiwanda has excellent tide pools. Just make sure to go on a calm day to avoid unexpected waves. For more details, check out my guide to the best tide pools on the Oregon Coast.
Birds. Look for birds just about anywhere around Oceanside. Summer is a particularly good season to spot them during their nesting season. Three Arch Rocks and the cliffs and sea stacks around Cape Meares are excellent places to watch for seabirds like tufted puffins, black oystercatchers, pigeon guillemots, and common murres. Where seabirds go, bald eagles follow. If you see nesting birds get agitated, there’s a good chance an eagle is nearby hunting for chicks.
Learn more about Oregon Coast wildlife in my detailed guide.
What to bring to Oceanside
Sunscreen, even if it’s cloudy.
Flashlight (if you’re going to Tunnel Beach). It doesn’t need to be anything hardcore. It’s just helpful to have something brighter than a cell phone light.
Camera
Good binoculars to look for wildlife.
Oregon State Park Pass if you’re going to Cape Lookout. You can buy a day pass there if you don’t have one.
Where to eat in Oceanside, Oregon
Oceanside is a small town, but it does have a few restaurants. To grab a coffee, stop by the Blue Agate Cafe or Currents Restaurant & Lounge.
For a late lunch or dinner, you can’t beat Roseanna’s Cafe for the atmosphere. The restaurant is perched above Oceanside Beach with windows overlooking the ocean in multiple directions. It’s cozy inside and an idyllic place to watch the sunset. The caveat (more of an issue for me than most people) is they were out of garden burgers when I visited, the only vegetarian entree. The menu is burgers, seafood, and desserts. It looked pretty good for the omnivores out there. The drink list has craft beers, a nice wine selection, and cocktails.
Roseanna’s Cafe is next to Oceanside Beach
If you don’t mind driving five minutes down the road to Netarts, I love the Schooner Restaurant & Lounge, which is where I got a delicious wood-fired pizza after striking out at Roseanna’s. The covered patio is a treat, looking out onto Netarts Bay. Windscreens and fire pits keep it warm and dry when the weather is, well, like the Oregon Coast tends to be. Both the food and drinks exceed expectations, with many local and seasonal ingredients on the menu, including the seafood.
The Schooner
In summary, the best things to do in Oceanside, Oregon, are:
Oceanside Beach
Tunnel Beach
Short Beach
Cape Meares Scenic Viewpoint
Three Capes Scenic Loop
Watch for wildlife
Enjoy your day in Oceanside!
With love,
Emma
Getting there
To reach Oceanside, Oregon, from Portland, take Highway 26 W out of town. Once you get past Hillsboro, make a slight left onto OR-6 W towards Banks/Tillamook. Once you reach Tillamook, take a left onto Main St and continue onto OR-131 W for 8.8 miles. When you arrive at Oceanside, make a slight left onto Netarts Oceanside Hwy. Look for public parking on your left in a quarter mile.
Explore nearby
Head north of Oceanside to see Rockaway Beach and hike the Big Tree Trail.
Find the best things to do in Cannon Beach.
Visit the mysterious Neskowin Ghost Forest.
Try out the best short hikes on the Oregon Coast.
