Historic Sites
Heceta Head Lightstation
Photo Credit: Curt Peters
This historic lighthouse, circa 1894, signals to seafarers from a forested promontory 14 miles south of Yachats.
Heceta Lighthouse sits 205 ft above the ocean, and its beacon provides the strongest light on the coast, shining 21 miles out to sea. It is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The assistant light keeper’s house is now a … Read more
History of Oregon Bridges
The Waldport Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center and Alsea Bay Bridge Interpretive Center is located at the base of the bridge in Waldport and is a marvelous center for learning about Oregon bridges. Small children may construct a wooden toy bridge here while adults and older youth view historic photos and other related exhibits.
Lincoln County Historical Society – Burrow’s House Museum
This Queen-Anne Victorian building holds a long and colorful history – from home, to boarding house, to funeral parlor, to museum.
Hours: 11am to 4pm, Thursday thru Sunday
Admission: $5 for adults, kids under 12 get in free.
Please check the web site below for additional information.
Lincoln County Historical Society – Pacific Maritime Heritage Museum
This museum is housed in an impressive former home on Newport’s historic bayfront. The exhibits and programming are dedicated to telling the stories of those who have shared a desire to live and work where the sea meets land, and along its rivers and estuaries.
Hours: 11am-4pm Thursday through Sunday.
Admission: $5 for adults, kids 12 and under get in free.
Little Log Church Museum
The Little Log Church Museum at the corner of W 3rd and Pontiac streets houses historic photographs of the area, settler exhibits, and works by former resident artists and authors. It is staffed by volunteers and is open to visitors daily from Noon to 3 p.m. – closed Thursdays.
The church was built in the late 1920s by community volunteers using local timber hauled down the Yachats River. It was completed and dedicated in 1930. When the … Read more
North Fork of the Yachats River Covered Bridge
From town, take a 9-mile scenic drive up the Yachats River Road to visit the historic North Fork of the Yachats River Covered Bridge. Seven miles up Yachats River Rd., you will cross a small cement bridge over the N Fork of the Yachats River – turn left here onto a well-maintained gravel road and continue for the final two miles. (Cars will do fine on this road, but the road will not accommodate RVs … Read more
Oregon Heritage Tree – The Giant Spruce
From the Visitor Center at Cape Perpetua you may hike The Giant Spruce Trail (2 miles round trip). The majestic old Sitka Spruce at the end of this trail is nearly 600 years old, more than 180 feet tall, and has a 40 foot circumference. It has been designated an Oregon Heritage Tree, and it has a truly amazing story of survival. See the article linked below.
Siuslaw Pioneer Museum
Historic displays feature the pioneers whose occupations were primarily as loggers and fishermen, and whose primary means of transportation was the Siuslaw River.
If you are a group of 10 or more, please call to make reservations. Please check the web site linked below for additional information, current hours, and admission fees.
A History Walking Tour is also available.
The 804 Trail
The historic Yachats 804 Trail probably first served as a footpath for tribal people. It later became part of County Road 804, which included the 7-mile stretch of beach between Yachats and Waldport at low tide. County Road 804 served as the settler’s route of travel between the farmland of the upper Yachats River valley and Waldport’s Alsea Bay until the 1930s and the completion of Hwy 101. The highway replaced the oceanside portion of … Read more
The Amanda Trail
Those Who Came Before
A Short History of the Early Inhabitants of the Yachats Area, by Michael K. Shay
The Yachats Indians, Origins of the Yachats Name, and the Prison Camp Years, by Joanne Kittel and Suzanne Curtis (1996, Revised 2010)
Visitor Center at Cape Perpetua
The Forest Service at Cape Perpetua operates a Visitors Center with natural and cultural history exhibits. Learn about the ancient Indian shell middens found on Cape Perpetua and the surrounding area, Civilian Conservation Corps history, and more.
Turn east off Hwy 101 to the Cape Perpetua Visitors Center (just south of the Campground/Overlook).
Waldport Heritage Museum | Alsi Historical & Genealogical Society
Come on in and browse the exhibits, Saturday 10:00am – 4:00pm and Thursday/Friday/Sunday 12Noon – 4:00pm. Admission is free.
West Shelter Viewpoint at Cape Perpetua
Turn east off Hwy 101 two miles south of town at the Cape Perpetua Campground exit; then follow the fork to the left up Overlook Road to the top of the mountain. This is the highest point that you can drive to on the Oregon coast. The Whispering Spruce Trail, a quarter-mile long, leaves the parking lot to the West Shelter viewpoint.
Built in the 1930s by stone masons of the Civilian Conservation Corps… Read more
Yachats Community Presbyterian Church Agate Windows
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
The Yaquina Bay Lighthouse is believed to be the oldest structure in Newport. It is also the only existing Oregon lighthouse with the living quarters attached, and the only historic wooden Oregon lighthouse still standing.
The lighthouse has an interesting history – it was built in 1871, decommissioned in 1874, and officially restored as a privately maintained aid to navigation on December 7, 1996. It is is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Hours
Memorial … Read more
Yaquina Head Lighthouse & Outstanding Natural Area
The 100-acre site includes the lighthouse, an interpretive center, wildlife viewing – including whales, seals, tidepools, and seabirds – as well as short trails and incredible views.
This is Oregon’s tallest lighthouse at 93 feet. It was first lit on August 20, 1873 and has been guiding ships and their supplies along the west coast ever since. The lighthouse is located on a narrow point at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. Please see the link below for information … Read more
