Thrilling Oregon Coast Road Trip: Cannon Beach to Bandon

The Oregon Coast road trip from Cannon Beach to Bandon is one of the most breathtaking drives in the Pacific Northwest. As someone who has explored this stunning route firsthand, I can tell you—it’s a bucket-list journey packed with rugged cliffs, hidden beaches, iconic lighthouses, and charming coastal towns.

Whether you're chasing epic ocean views, fresh seafood, or wildlife encounters, this itinerary covers it all.

Starting in Cannon Beach, home to the towering Haystack Rock, you’ll wind south on the scenic Highway 101, hugging the dramatic coastline. Along the way, stop at Ecola State Park for sweeping vistas, stroll the tide pools at Cape Kiwanda, and marvel at the sheer power of Thor’s Well. Further south, the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area offers endless adventures, from dune buggy rides to serene hikes.

As you reach Bandon, you’ll be greeted by its famous sea stacks, Coquille Lighthouse, and a thriving artisan scene. This road trip isn’t just about sightseeing—it’s about experiencing the best of Oregon’s coastal culture, from mom-and-pop seafood shacks to windswept hiking trails.

If you’re craving a Pacific Northwest adventure, this Oregon Coast itinerary delivers. Buckle up and get ready for an unforgettable drive through some of the most spectacular landscapes in the U.S.

Stage information

Start: Cannon Beach (Seaside)
End: Bandon
Total miles: 430 km
Accommodation: Super cool Airstream caravan from Airbnb

Map of the route

Stages of the road trip through Oregon and Northern California:

Day 1: Columbia River Gorge
Day 2: Mt Hood National Forest
Day 3: Oregon Coast
Day 4: Umpqua National Forest
Day 5: Crater Lake
Day 6: Northern California Coast I
Day 7: Northern California Coast II
Summary: Road trip from Seattle to San Francisco

Roadtrip along the Oregon coast

Our day began with a wake up call at the Motel 6 in Seaside and ended with stargazing from an Airstream trailer overlooking the Coquille River near Bandon . Over 400 km of scenic road that, for us, is one of the best in the world. We have fallen in love with Oregon!! And we haven't even seen the sun yet!

But it all started the day before. We made sure to arrive at Cannon Beach with plenty of time to enjoy one of the most charming little towns on the entire Oregon coast. It was named “Cannon Beach” after a cannon from a naval ship was found on the beaches of this community in the late 19th century (today you can visit it at the town museum).

But the most recognizable thing about Cannon Beach is Haystack Rock , a rock of more than 70 meters that rises just a few meters from the seashore. This, along with the rest of the stone needles on this beach, make the surroundings a super cinematic place! In fact, important scenes such as the last one of the blockbuster film The Goonies have been filmed here !

The town of Cannon Beach is also very interesting (and touristy). The best thing to do is to park in the public parking lot (free) on the main street and walk around, among wooden houses, shops, cool cafes and of course… the beach! That’s what we did, before going to our motel in Seaside and replenishing our energy for the next day. If you have time left or the next day is not too busy, we have seen that everyone recommends Ecola State Park , north of Cannon Beach, with beautiful views of the coast and several trails that can be cool.

France Travel Guides

Loaded with our first morning coffee, we headed to Hug Point State Recreation Site to enjoy it at our leisure. It is well known that on road trips the days start off calmly, but as the hours pass, one gets in a hurry and ends up arriving at the end point almost at night.

Before this wild beach, with a cave in the rock wall on the right, we had stopped at one of the many viewpoints that are spread throughout the scenic highway 101 (we have marked them on the map you see above).

Another of these viewpoints is the Neahkahnie Viewpoint , which is located just past Cape Falcon in Oswald West State Park. The only way to visit it is by hiking along its many trails. If you have followed our road trip so far, you will already know that this is a common theme.

In the United States, they have the good habit of enjoying nature as soon as they have a day off from work. This day coincided with Memorial Day and the parking lots at the beginning of the trails were full. However, we have no time to waste and we continue south, traveling along the Oregon coast , one of its Seven Wonders .

Manzanita was the first of the charming towns we passed through. Manzanita, or “Little Apple” as it appeared on the sign in some souvenir shops.

It gave us the feeling of being a second home town, very well kept and with an atmosphere of tranquility and peace that transmits good vibes. Maybe it is its location next to the beach, or simply the character of its people… Whatever it was, we really enjoyed walking, even if only for a little while, through its streets.

The next town, very close by, was Wheeler , and this one has the other version of Oregon coastal towns: Far West buildings (like the small train station), which seem to have been stuck in time for decades. Just as attractive as the others, but with a different style.

In Rockabay Beach we witnessed an unexpected spectacle. In the distance, before arriving, we saw a cloud of smoke coming out of the town… Who would have thought that it came from the engine room of the Oregon Scenic Train , an old train that makes a panoramic tour of the Oregon coast, imitating the historic trains that made this route. In summer it leaves every day, you can see schedules and more information here .

US All Inclusive Resorts

The road continues its course south, skirting Tillamook Bay . One of the most magical spots of the day was at The Three Graces lookout , right at the beginning of this bay. These types of rock formations that rise from the ocean are a hallmark of the Oregon coast.

The scenic train we talked about earlier ends in the town of Garibaldi , a very suggestive name, really. The year it was founded (1870) was the same year that Garibaldi helped Italy to finally unify. The town itself is not very interesting, apart from the enormous chimney , the only remnant of the Whitney Mill that opened in 1918 as a lumber factory.

Tillamook is one of the largest towns you'll pass through on the route, and is famous for the Tillamook Creamery , the largest dairy factory in North America, over 100 years old, where you can take a self-guided tour to learn more about their production, or simply go to their restaurant to try some specialty products, such as their ice cream. It's a great way to recharge your batteries, as we already told you it was going to be a long day!

A scenic coastal drive anywhere in the world can't be complete without historic lighthouses . On the Oregon coast you'll pass a good number of them, but three are the most representative:

The first of these is on Cape Lookout Road, a road that runs around three capes and offers some of the best views of the entire trip. Specifically, it is the Cape Meares Lighthouse , a small lighthouse from 1890. To get there, you have to go down a short path from the car park, with great views of the bay. Don't leave the place without visiting the Octopus Tree , a strange tree over 300 years old, shaped like an inverted octopus, without a central trunk and with several branches like tentacles. It is not known for sure if the shape is a whim of nature or was forced by the tribes that inhabited this place in ancient times.

The next two capes are Cape Lookout and Cape Kiwanda , which we visited by car following this scenic route. Before that, at the level of Netarts Bay and on the other side of the stretch of water, take a good look at the figures lying on the sand: they are a huge colony of relaxed sea lions , watching the fishermen working underground to collect oysters and other shellfish. What beasts!

There are a couple of interesting panoramic viewpoints where you can stop for a moment: Winema Wayfinding Point and another just after crossing the bridge over the Siletz River , in Taft.

This is before you reach the town of Depoe Bay , which has the world's smallest navigable harbor, in a truly beautiful cliff area. There are plenty of great vantage points to take in the scenery here. We did Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint and North Point Scenic Area before reaching the town, and there are several on the main road as well. Several whale watching tours leave from here, which require you to cross a narrow channel on your way out to sea.

Family All Inclusive Resorts

Best Family All Inclusive Resorts Bahamas | Best Family All Inclusive Resorts with Villa Caribbean | Best Family All Inclusive Resorts Caribbean | Best Family All Inclusive Resorts Mexico | Best Family All Inclusive Resorts Colombia | Best Luxury All-inclusive Family Resorts East Coast

But the surprises don't end there. A few miles from there, you'll have to leave Highway 101 again to take a new scenic loop: the Otter Crest Loop . And what a wonder it is! Take your time to discover it at your own pace, but don't miss a stop at the Lookout Observatory , a wooden house on top of the cliff, which serves as a souvenir shop and visitor center, with great views. You'll also have the chance to use binoculars and try to find whales without going out to sea.

A second essential stop before finishing this loop is the Devils Punchbowl Arch , literally “The Devil’s Punchbowl”. It is a mound of rock that collapsed, leaving this beautiful arch, where the water rises and falls depending on the tides. You can visit it from the viewing point next to the road, and you can also go down (only at low tide) to explore it from the inside.

Nearby, on the edge of a ledge, stands the second of the lighthouses we recommend on this itinerary: the Yaquina Head Lighthouse.

This is the tallest lighthouse in Oregon, at 28 metres, and has been operational and has had its original lens since it was built in Paris and installed on its site in 1873. It became even more famous as the Moesko Island Lighthouse in the film The Ring. There is a $7 entrance fee to enter, or you can buy a $10 Oregon Coast State Parks pass valid for one week.

Time to eat? Yes, it was! By now it was already 3:30 in the afternoon! The best option is to find a restaurant with fresh fish, you'll see that it's not hard to find, it's the specialty! We stopped at the not very pretty but highly recommended South Beach Fish Market , with very fair prices. We had also noted down Luna Sea , in Yachats.

With our stomachs full and our energies renewed, we continued exploring the Oregon coast, along its scenic Highway 101, and the next stop was Cape Perpetua . There are two interesting images there: the Devil's Churn and the Thor's Well . As you can see, we are still with the epic names. They are whimsical formations on the cliffs, where the waves of the Pacific hit hard and rise into the air. The second one has a very cool effect at high tide, being an open well, when the water covers it it looks like a sinkhole that takes the water, I don't know... to the center of the earth.

We arrive at the third of the historic lighthouses, the Heceta Head Lighthouse . It was built in 1894, and from its 17 meters, it emits the most intense light signal in the entire state of Oregon.

Its name honors the Spanish explorer Bruno de Heceta , who traveled along the Pacific coast in the 18th century. To get there, you have to park at the bottom and go up the road for about 1 km. The use of the parking lot costs $5 (an excuse to charge money to go see the lighthouse), which you have to pay at a machine.

If you don't feel like climbing the path or paying (or both, as in our case), a little further along the road there is an excellent viewpoint over the bay and the lighthouse in the background on top of the cliff.

Foodie Resorts

Best All Inclusive Resorts for Foodies Cancun | Best All Inclusive Resorts for Foodies Caribbean | Best All Inclusive Resorts for Foodies Punta Cana | Best All Inclusive Resorts for Foodies Jamaica | Best All Inclusive Resorts for Foodies Mexico | Best All-inclusive Resorts for Foodie Cabo

Don't worry, there aren't too many things left to see on this route along the Oregon coast . In fact, if it's after 5pm, the next one will be closed. We're talking about the Sea Lion Caves , which are apparently the largest sea caves in the United States.

They are home to a colony of sea lions (you guessed it!) and to visit them you'll have to go through the gift shop above them. We just missed making it in time… so we can't tell you how it went, but we're sure it will be impressive!

And now we have reached the last stop of the day. The vegetation changes from time to time, from the green and enormous forests we now cross a thicket of bushes and low shrubs. This is the beginning of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, the largest stretch of coastal dunes in the whole country, with some 60 km.

There are companies that rent quads and that offer excursions through the enormous dunes (some of them 150 meters above sea level), although if you just want to take a quick look, there is a Day Use area , with a viewing point (there is a fee to use this area of $5 that you pay at a machine).

From here, the road continues through the interior without anything too attractive. We pass through Coos Bay and, although we have Simpson Reef on our radar , we are out of energy and we head straight to our accommodation for the night, in Bandon . And it is none other than a super cool Airstream caravan! From here we write these lines and say goodbye to the Oregon coast. Tomorrow we will go out to explore Crater Lake (hopefully it doesn't rain!).

But before the adventure, we will stop by the town of Bandon , which, although small, has a cool Wild West vibe. But nothing compared to its cliffs and huge beaches! They are bloody awesome! One of the best things about the whole road trip along the Oregon coast without a doubt. There are two panoramic points to see them: Coquille Point and Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint , perfect places to grab a coffee and start a great day.

This was our spectacular road trip along the Oregon coast , from Cannon Beach to Bandon. Without a doubt, it was one of the most wonderful experiences of all the trips we made in the United States.

Couples & Adult Only Resorts

Best Adult Only All Inclusive Resorts Cabo | Best Adult All Inclusive Resorts Mexico | Best Adults All Inclusive Resorts Europe | Best Place to Visit for Couples Colombia | Best Couple All-inclusive Resorts Maldives

Water Park Resorts

Best All Inclusive Family Resorts with Water Park Cancun | Best All Inclusive Resorts with Water Park Mexico | Best All-inclusive Family Resorts with Waterpark Mexico | Best Lazy River All-inclusive Resorts Europe