15 Fun Things to Do in Newport, OR
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How do you feel about sea lions? Love them? Good, me too. There is something so endearing and relatable about all that grumpy barking and lazy flopping. No need to read any further into it. Like me, sea lions love hanging out in Newport, one of the best places on the Oregon Coast to see wildlife. Other than in July, sea lion sightings are as close to a sure thing as nature provides. The odds are also good for spotting seals, seabirds, whales, and tidepool critters. After watching for wildlife, you can check out the public art, shops, and galleries in town, then snag a table by the water and enjoy some seafood straight off the boat. Here are the best things to do in Newport, Oregon.
1. Visit the Historic Bayfront
The boardwalk is a great place for a stroll by the water
The heart of Newport is its Bayfront District, which is both a walkable town center and a working commercial fishing harbor. Tourist-friendly shops and galleries line Bay Blvd, full of tempting souvenirs from saltwater taffy to blown glass artwork. Funky murals with nautical themes decorate the buildings. Seafood here is as fresh as it gets, coming more or less directly from the boats into the restaurant kitchens.
The Yaquina Bay Bridge can disappear from view when fog rolls in
Newport’s Bayfront restaurants have some of the best food on the Oregon Coast. As a bonus, finding a table overlooking the water is usually pretty easy. For something small, Bayscapes Gallery & Coffee House has art on display and windows that look onto the sea lion docks. On a nice day, check out the patio. Next door, the Clearwater Restaurant has a delicious full menu with lots of fresh seafood, craft cocktails, and a good wine list. Out the windows, sea lions flop on the docks and swim in the bay. Around sunset, I’ve seen them do some impressive acrobatic jumps. It’s my favorite spot for food and drinks in Newport.
Drinks at the Clearwater Restaurant
Down the street, Asiatico has wonderful and creative fusion sushi, not to mention a back patio on the water. I’ve been a vegetarian for about a million years (food-years anyway), but I hear that Local Ocean has the best seafood in town. I can vouch for their wine list, which has a lot of excellent bottles from the Willamette Valley.
Asiatico Waterfront Sushi has a great food and an awesome patio
As you walk east, the shops become more scarce, replaced by a boardwalk along the marina where you can admire the ships. Across the water, you’ll see the Yaquina Bay Bridge spanning the water where the bay meets the Pacific. The air smells like salt and fish. Gulls circle overhead. You can hear the sea lions barking almost anywhere on the Bayfront. The best place to see them is the sea lion docks at Port Dock One (more on that in Thing to Do #2).
Note that it is often challenging to find parking on summer weekends.
2. Sea lion docks
California sea lions on the docks
No matter how many times I visit Newport, I always stop by the sea lion docks. For most of the year, male California sea lions hang out on the Oregon Coast, returning to California in July to mate. Newport’s Yaquina Bay seems to be a favorite of theirs, where it’s easy to spot them swimming, hunting, and napping on rocky jetties.
A sea lion suns himself on the docks
The sea lion docks have up-close views of sea lions as they alternate between grumpy squabbling and deep sleep with surprisingly easy transitions. To find them, head to Newport’s Historic Bayfront and follow the sound of barking. Walk out onto the pier next to the Clearwater Restaurant. Unless it’s July, they will be there and they will bark at you. A lot. It’s free to visit but hard to leave.
3. Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area
Yaquina Head Lighthouse from Cobble Beach
Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area is not only one of the best things to do in Newport but also one of the most stunning places on the Oregon Coast. Its centerpiece is Yaquina Head, a mile-long basaltic headland formed by ancient lava flows. At the end of this narrow peninsula stands Oregon’s tallest lighthouse, Yaquina Head Lighthouse, surrounded by panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean.
The lighthouse viewpoint is a great whale-watching spot, both in theory and from personal experience. I’ve seen several whales from it. The cliffs around the lighthouse are sometimes covered with birds like common murres, pelicans, black oystercatchers, and cormorants. Thousands of birds come to Yaquina Head to nest each year. If you can, visit at low tide to explore the fantastic tidepools of Cobble Beach. As a bonus, harbor seals love to haul out on the rocky ledges around this beach.
Park admission is $7/vehicle, or use the America the Beautiful Pass or Oregon Coast Passport.
4. Nye Beach
Nye Beach
Nye Beach is a winning combination of a beautiful coastline and a charming neighborhood center. You can start by walking down a sandy beach framed by Yaquina Head and its lighthouse to the north. Then, stroll through town to browse the shops and galleries. Stop for coffee and a pastry at The Blue Pig Bakery and then return at dinnertime for housemade pasta and cocktails at Sorella. The neighborhood is very tourist-friendly with free public parking near the beach, public restrooms, and benches facing the ocean perfect for watching the sunset. If you’re staying in town and looking for a home base, this area would be a great choice.
Restaurants, galleries, and shops are next to easy beach access
5. Newport Visual Arts Center
The ocean blends with the art at the Newport Visual Arts Center
The Oregon Coast has some excellent art galleries but none match the wow factor of the Newport Visual Arts Center. With large windows overlooking the water, the Pacific Ocean provides a dramatic and ever-changing background for the displays. The Visual Arts Center has three stories, each with ocean views and different rotating exhibits, including works from local artists. Whether it’s paintings, sculptures, or glassworks, you can’t beat crashing waves as a backdrop. Visiting is free with donations welcome. The center is open Wednesday-Sunday from 12 PM to 4 PM.
6. Yaquina Bay and Jetty
Yaquina Bay jetty
Newport surrounds Yaquina Bay, where the Yaquina River empties into the Pacific. Long jetties extend from the bay out into the ocean, each with a park connected. Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site is on the north side while South Beach State Park is to the south. The jetties are great places to admire the Yaquina Bay Bridge and watch for wildlife. Seals, sea lions, and seabirds hunt for fish here. At Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site, be sure to look for the lighthouse (more on that below in Thing to Do #7). South Beach State Park has miles of sandy beaches, a paved walking and biking trail, a playground, horseshoe pits, a disc golf course, and a campground.
7. Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
Newport has two lighthouses, both named Yaquina. Confused? I don’t blame you. One is the 93-foot Yaquina Head Lighthouse mentioned previously in Thing to Do #3. The other is Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, a short wooden lighthouse located five miles to the south at Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site. Completed in 1871, Yaquina Bay Lighthouse is the second oldest lighthouse in Oregon (only Cape Blanco is older) and the only remaining wooden lighthouse in the state. You can take a free self-guided tour of Yaquina Bay Lighthouse during most of the year. It closes during winter. Check the OR State Parks website before visiting to confirm the hours. Pretty wooded trails in Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site lead from the lighthouse down to the beach and the north side of Newport’s jetty.
8. Agate Beach State Recreation Site
Agate Beach
Agate Beach is a sandy beach that extends about a mile south of Yaquina Head. With multiple access points and large parking lots, this beach is a good destination even on crowded days. Don’t let the name fool you, though. You probably won’t find agates here. Once plentiful, they have become a rarity in recent decades. Moolack Beach about 10 minutes north of Newport is a better bet for agates. While rockhounding may be limited, Agate Beach is a lovely stretch of coastline with impressive views of Yaquina Head to the north. Parking at the beach is free and there are public restrooms by the lots.
9. Oregon Coast Aquarium
Passages of the Deep at the Oregon Coast Aquarium
While it’s easy to see wildlife in natural places around Newport, some will always be hidden. Beyond the intertidal zone and beneath the waves is an unseen world of kelp forests, reefs, and open ocean. The Oregon Coast Aquarium provides a glimpse into this world. As you pass through the underwater tunnels, sea life surrounds you, from delicate plumose anemones to circling sharks. Outdoors, look for seabirds, seals, sea lions, and fuzzy sea otters. When the rain spoils your plans for a picnic on the beach, the aquarium is a fun thing to do whether you’re traveling with kids or, like me, with a group of adult friends. Note that a portion of the aquarium is being renovated and will reopen in the summer of 2024. Adult admission is $26.
Learn more about the Oregon Coast Aquarium in my guide here.
10. Hatfield Marine Science Center
The Hatfield Marine Science Center has excellent touch tanks
The Hatfield Marine Science Center is Newport’s best rainy-day escape. Its coolest thing is the touch tank, where you can interact with tons of intertidal critters like anemones, sea stars, urchins, chitons, and, my favorite, nudibranchs. I will plan my entire trip around seeing natural tidepools (see my article on the 20 best Oregon Coast tidepool beaches), but sometimes it’s nice to have a backup plan when conditions are less than ideal. Hatfield’s indoor Visitor Center lets you see marine animals without standing in the driving rain, tottering over slippery rocks, or fussing with tide tables. Plus, the knowledgeable volunteers can answer your pressing tidepool questions. Admission is $5 for people 8 and older. Visit Thursday to Monday.
11. Seal Rock State Recreation Site
Viewpoint at Seal Rock State Recreation Site
Only 15 minutes south of Newport, Seal Rock State Recreation Site is one of the most underrated stops on the Oregon Coast. A ridge of jagged basalt sea stacks runs parallel to the park’s picturesque beach, a legacy of lava flows millions of years ago. You can take in the dramatic scenery from viewpoints overlooking the beach from above, then head down to the sand to see the sea stacks up close. At low tide, the ocean recedes, revealing anemones, barnacles, and sea stars clinging to the rocks. At any time, Seal Rock is an excellent place to watch for birds. Gulls, cormorants, and black oystercatchers often perch on the chunky stone of the largest sea stack, Elephant Rock. You might also see seals, sea lions, and whales.
12. Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area
Devils Punchbowl
For a destination that will knock your socks off, go to Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area. Only 15 minutes north of Newport, this park is an easy stop on your way in or out of town and worth the short detour off Highway 101. The park’s most memorable thing to do is see the Devils Punchbowl, a massive hole in a sandstone cliff where ocean waves froth and churn. It’s most impressive at high tide when more water enters.
At low tide, head down to the beach north of the Punchbowl and explore the tidepools. At a very low tide (look for negative numbers on a tide table), you can enter the Devils Punchbowl, but proceed with caution and keep an eye on the water level.
Parking is free but limited at popular times. Make sure only to park in public lots. Next to the main parking lot are public restrooms and a large picnic area with ocean views. Just east of the parking lot on 1st St, look for a staircase leading down to the beach south of the Devils Punchbowl, a favorite among surfers.
13. Otter Crest Loop
The views from Otter Crest State Scenic Viewpoint are unbeatable
If you’re coming to Newport from the north, one of the best things to do is to take the Otter Crest Loop, a scenic alternative to the already pretty darn scenic Highway 101. This one-way road winds along the coastal cliffs as you drive south. Several viewpoints along the way offer stunning vistas of the forested bluffs rising steeply from the water. The drive ends with a big finale, Otter Crest State Scenic Viewpoint, which stands 500 feet above the water and has views to the south up to 40 miles on a clear day. Even if you don’t need souvenirs, be sure to stop by the gift shop to check out the incredible views to the north.
14. Beverly Beach State Park
Beverly Beach State Park
Beverly Beach is a long stretch of sandy coastline between Otter Rock and Yaquina Head. Offshore sandbars keep it calmer than most spots on the coast, and you might see people wading in the ocean on a warm day. Let’s be clear, the water will still be very cold, just slightly less so than nearby beaches. With miles of sand, it’s a relaxing place to walk on the beach or build a sandcastle. People sometimes find fossils on the beach or in the sandstone cliffs.
If you head inland under the highway, you can grab a table in the large picnic area and escape the ocean winds. Day use is free. Beverly Beach State Park has one of the largest campgrounds on the coast. Look for a pretty forested hiking trail around the campground.
15. Watch for wildlife
Common murres and cormorants at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area
As you’ve no doubt guessed by now, for me at least, the best thing to do in Newport is to see its animals.
We’ve already covered sea lions. Go ahead and try not to see one around here. I double-dog dare you. Unless you visit in July, they’re everywhere and vocal.
Harbor seals are also common around Newport. Look for them at Cobble Beach and Quarry Cove in Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. You might see them in Yaquina Bay or at Seal Rock State Recreation Site (although not as often as the name suggests).
Whale sightings are more variable. The best whale-watching spots are any points of elevation where you can see a lot of the ocean. Otter Crest State Scenic Viewpoint, Devils Punchbowl, Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, and Seal Rock State Recreation Site are excellent places to watch for whales. You might even see one in town. Once, I saw a whale while I was standing on the north jetty swimming so close to me that my mouth fell open.
For the best tidepools, go to Cobble Beach in Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area or the beach to the north of Devils Punchbowl.
Seabirds you can spot pretty much anywhere. Devils Punchbowl, the lighthouse viewpoint at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, and Seal Rock State Recreation Site are the best places to see them.
Harbor seals lounge near Cobble Beach
What to bring to Newport
Camera
A good pair of binoculars to see the wildlife better.
A jacket in case of rain and wind. This jacket for women or this one for men would be good choices.
Getting there
Newport is on Oregon’s central coast about 2.5 hours from Portland. Highway 101 passes through it, making it easy to reach other destinations on the coast once you’re there.
Yaquina Bay Bridge
In summary, the best things to do in Newport, OR, are:
Historic Bayfront
Sea lion docks
Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area
Nye Beach
Newport Visual Arts Center
Yaquina Bay and jetty
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
Agate Beach
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Hatfield Marine Science Center
Seal Rock State Recreation Site
Devils Punchbowl
Otter Crest Loop
Beverly Beach State Park
Watch for wildlife
Enjoy the best things to do in Newport, Oregon!
With love,
Emma
Explore nearby
Find Newport’s secret beach, Starfish Cove.
Find the best things to do in Yachats.
Read about visiting Cape Perpetua by the tide.
Find the best things to do in Cannon Beach.
Explore the best Oregon Coast beaches for tidepools.
Find more places to see wildlife on the Oregon Coast.
