Oregon’s Central Coast stretches for about 80 miles between Lincoln City and Florence. Newport and Lincoln City deserve their own couple of days, which I will cover in a separate post. This itinerary focuses on the sights between Yachats and Florence, a 26-mile stretch. It can be completed in a long weekend if you’re already in the PNW. Otherwise, add another full day for travel.
When to Visit
July and August are the warmest and driest months, but they come with crowds and higher prices for accommodations. April-May and September-October are the next best option, although the weather can be a bit unpredictable. I visited in January during an unusual stretch of dry and warm weather. Daytime temps were in the 60s!
Where to Stay
We stayed at the Best Western Pier Inn in Florence. Our room was spacious and we had a balcony overlooking the Siuslaw River and bridge. Breakfast was included and there was a hot tub and a pool. It served our needs but it was definitely on the basic side of things. If you’d like to splurge a bit, I recommend the Overleaf Lodge and Spa in Yachats.
Itinerary
Day 1 (Friday) – make your way to Florence
From Portland, OR, the fastest route is about 3 hours. It goes down I5 before veering west to the coast. If you have a bit more time to spare, I suggest taking the slightly longer route below. Highway 101 between Lincoln City and Florence is gorgeous!
There are plenty of stops you can make along this route, but since we’ve been to Newport and Lincoln City before, we headed straight down towards Florence. We did stop at a viewpoint near the Heceta Head lighthouse to watch the sunset.
Day 2 (Saturday) – Sea Lion Caves, Heceta Head Lighthouse, Hobbit Beach, Florence Sand Dunes
On this first day, you’ll be focusing on sights just north of Florence. Start your day at Sea Lion Caves. The system of sea caves and caverns is located about 11 miles north. It is the 10th longest sea cave in the world and the longest in the United States. In winter, sea lions come into the cave to seek shelter from winter storms.
Next, visit the Heceta Head Lighthouse. Its beam shines for 21 miles, making it the strongest lighthouse on the Oregon coast. If you visit while the ranger is on duty, you can see the first floor of the lighthouse. Be sure to climb up the trail behind the lighthouse for better views of the light itself.
You can reach the next stop, Hobbit beach, on foot or by car. The trail from the Heceta Lighthouse is about 1.8 miles one way. Or, you can drive about a mile north on Highway 101 and park on the side of the highway before taking a short 15-minute walk across the forest to the beach.
Before you call it a day, head back down to Florence to check out the famous sand dunes. You can book a dune buggy tour, walk around Jessie Honeyman State Park, or drive out to South Jetty. You can also head to the Oregon Dunes visitor center, which is 18 miles south of Florence, in Reedsport.
Day 3 (Sunday) – Cape Perpetua Scenic Area
Cape Perpetua and the shoreline below it make it for an amazing day on the coast. To experience the full force of the ocean waves crashing against the rocky coast, time your visit to Devil’s Churn, Thor’s well and Cook’s chasm to be about 90 minutes before high tide.
Drive up to the Cape Perpetua Scenic Overlook, the highest viewpoint on the Oregon coast accessible by car.
From here, you can hike Amanda’s trail down to the Yachats and back. I recommend turning around at Amanda’s statue and not going all the way to Yachats.
Dining
For its small size, Florence has a surprising number of quality restaurants! We had dinner at Maple Street Bistro, Bonfire at Three Rivers Casino and the Waterfront Depot. Advance reservations are strongly advised for all 3, especially in the summer.
