[Oregon Coast, May 16, 2026]

Visiting the three capes between Tillamook and Pacific City is a quintessential Oregon coast experience. This has been on my radar for years and I was excited we finally got to do it!

The three capes are, from north to south, Cape Meares, Cape Lookout and Cape Kiwanda. Each of these enormous outcroppings offers something unique. Because we wanted to end up near our hotel in Pacific City, we did the capes in this order. But there is no right or wrong way to do it.

Pacific City Airport and Grateful Bread Bakery

Before we embarked on our cape adventure, we took some photos at the Pacific City airstrip. This is one of the smallest airports in the US!

For breakfast, we headed to the Grateful Bread bakery. It was recommended by a friend and the long line confirmed its popularity. Breakfast was delicious although it took awhile for our food to arrive. We grabbed some scones for the road as we left and headed to the northernmost cape.

Cape Meares

Cape Meares is a small headland about five miles northwest of the city of Tillamook. The cape forms a high steep bluff on the south end of Tillamook Bay. Cape Meares is home to three miles of hiking trails, which include the Cape Meares Light and the Octopus Tree. The cape is named after John Meares, a British explorer.

Built in 1890, Cape Meares Light served as the light station for Tillamook Bay. In 1963, the lighthouse was deactivated and replaced by a newer tower. Public outcry saved it from demolition but it remained vacant until 1968, when the site was turned over to the Oregon State Parks Department, which manages it to this day. The structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

The tower is open to the public seasonally (typically through the end of September) from 11 am to 4 pm Thursdays to Sundays. Free tours to the first floor are available on a first-come, first-serve basis and since only about 5 people are allowed at a time, there may be a wait at peak hours. But the lighthouse was pretty quiet when we arrived and we were able to go up the tower soon after we got there. We climbed up one level just below the massive first-order Fresnel lens. A volunteer awaited us there to tell us more about the lens and the lighthouse itself.

Next up was the short walk to the unusually shaped “Octopus Tree,” named for its thick, sprawling limbs. It is the largest Sitka spruce tree in Oregon and is estimated to be 200 to 300 years old.

At the end of the Octopus tree trail, we had amazing views of the coast looking south.

Oceanside and Tunnel Beach

Tunnel beach is a 300-yard stretch of sand and cobble that lies just north of Maxwell Point’s basalt headland, between Oceanside Beach and Lost Boy Beach. We did not originally plan to stop here, but we noticed Oceanside on the way up to Cape Meares and couldn’t resist a walk on the beach on this gorgeous day. As we were walking along Oceanside beach, we had views of stunning Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge.

We continued north until we reached the man-made tunnel carved into the base of Maxwell Point, which lead to a more rugged, scenic coastline. During super low tides, you can reach Tunnel Beach by simply walking around Maxwell Point, bypassing the tunnel entirely.

Cape Lookout

This sand spit between Netarts Bay and the Ocean juts out 2.5 miles into the ocean.

The second half of the trail gets very muddy and rocky, and we were running a bit late, so we didn’t go all the way to the end. But we still enjoyed the relatively flat walk through the Sitka spruce forest. The peek-a-boo views of the ocean between the trees were great.

By this time it was late afternoon and we were getting a bit tired! We decided to head back to our hotel for some rest and relaxation before checking out the last cape, which was in Pacific City itself.

Cape Kiwanda

First, for a delicious dinner at Pelican Bay Brewing.

Cape Kiwanda was literally across the parking lot from the brewery. We had already seen this cape when we arrived yesterday, but this time we climbed the giant sand dune to the sandstone headland.

It used to be connected to the basalt rock that now stood in the middle of the ocean. Erosion eventually eroded the cape and separated it from the rock. Now less protected, the cape retreated to its current position and continues to be rapidly eroding due to the waves.

What I loved about Cape Kiwanda was its many tide pools, small inlets, natural arches and deep chasms. It was probably my favorite cape of the three. Since we got to it so late, we were running out of daylight but I would love to spend more time there. It was a great way to end a magnificent day.