Rainy Day
Would you like some great tips from our local Agate Club? Stop by the Yachats Visitors Center and pick up the club’s Beachcombing in Lincoln County brochure (also linked below).
Note: Low tide after a big storm in winter is the best time to search for agates. Be prepared for changeable weather (bring rain gear!) and know beach safety.
3 miles south of downtown Yachats
The Cape Perpetua Visitor Center includes a panoramic ocean view, a deck with viewing scopes, natural and cultural history exhibits, a theater with nature films, and a gift shop. Summer Ranger Forest to Sea Programs, Marine Reserve Education and Activities, and Guided Walks are scheduled here, as is a Saturday Speakers Series in winter and other seasonal programs, such as Spring and Winter Whale Watch.
The U.S. Forest Service maintains the Cape’s 26 miles of interconnected hiking trails through coastal mature and old growth rainforest, to breathtaking vistas, tidepools, and the beach. Trails range in length from a fraction of a mile to 10 miles, and from easy to difficult. The scenic area’s viewpoints and trails are open to the public year round. Some of the trails are wheelchair accessible, and one 6-mile loop trail is open for mountain biking.
Fees: $5/vehicle/day use fee or valid recreation pass or Oregon Coast Passport
Restrictions: Dogs must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet in the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area.
23 miles N of Yachats
The center is filled with great interactive exhibits for all ages, an 8-armed greeter, a theater, tidepool touch tanks, and walking trails outdoors. Admission by donation.
Alsea Bay Bridge Interpretive Center
320 NW Hwy 101, Waldport OR 97394
8 mi N of Yachats
The Alsea Bay Bridge Interpretive Center, located at the base of the bridge in Waldport, 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.
24 miles N of Yachats
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.
25 miles N of Yachats
Housed in an impressive former home on Newport’s historic bayfront, the museum’s exhibits and programming are dedicated to telling the stories of those who share a desire to live and work where 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.
Features displays of local historical interest and works by local artists. Open daily Noon to 3 p.m. (closed Thursdays).
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 – turn left here onto the N Fork Yachats River Rd – a well-maintained gravel road – for the final two miles. (Street cars are fine, but the road will not accommodate RVs). Park in the small turn-out before the bridge and walk across. The N Fork Yachats Covered Bridge was built in 1938 with a Queenpost truss, one of the few of this type remaining in Oregon. It was faithfully restored in 1989, and in 2014. Look up the hillside above the bridge for a view of a giant old-growth Spruce tree that is 350 years old. If you make this trip in the early morning or evening, watch for elk grazing in pastureland shared by goats, sheep, horses and belted black cattle, affectionately referred to by local children as the oreo cows.
23 miles N of Yachats
The Oregon Coast Aquarium is a living classroom for all learning styles and ages, and includes exhibits on Sandy Shores, Rocky Shores, Coastal Waters, Secrets of Shipwrecks, Sea Otters, Harbor Seals, Sea Lions, Giant Pacific Octopus, Seabird Aviary, Turkey Vultures, Orford Reef, Halibut Flats, Open Sea, Aquarium Grounds, and Big Bites.
Plan to stay a couple of hours and enjoy.
15 miles S of Yachats | 12 miles N of Florence
Sea Lion Caves is proud to be part of the Oregon/Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve helping to protect the local marine animals and marine environment.
Sea Lion Caves (America’s largest sea cave) is a privately owned (since 1932) wildlife preserve and bird sanctuary, located just 15 miles south of Yachats and 11 miles north of Florence. It is the year-round home of the Steller sea lion, but sea lions are not always in the Cave. This is not a zoo, and sea lions are wild animals, so these protected animals come and go as they please. In winter months, hundreds of sea lions are usually found in the Cave, but when spring arrives, breeding and birthing time, the sea lions will move from the Cave to the rookery areas (the rock ledges out in front of the Cave) and remain there through summer. Please check the web site, linked below, for current admission prices and hours.
26 miles S of Yachats (about a 40 minute drive)
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.
Take a drive on Yachats River Road for a possible view of grazing belted bovines – and sometimes also a majestic herd of elk. These black cattle with their signature cream-colored stripe are known affectionately by local children as “the oreo cows.” The river valley is also home to herds of bleeting goats, sheep, and less vocal horses and llamas, as well as ducks, peacocks, and other wonderful beings.
8 miles N of Yachats
Come on in and browse the exhibits, Saturday 10:00am – 4:00pm and Thursday/Friday/Sunday 12Noon – 4:00pm. Admission is free.
Features a large fiction selection and a children’s library. Offers internet connection with WiFi. Sit outside on one of the benches and enjoy access to the internet at your leisure. Come inside during library hours – Mon: 12-4pm; Tues: 12-5pm; Wed: 12-6pm; Thurs: 12-5pm, Fri: 12-4pm, Sat: 10am-4pm – and connect at the front seating area or go to the back work table for a quieter setting. WiFi has been provided by funding from the Friends of Yachats Library. Your donation to help defer costs is appreciated! Closed Sundays.
Please see the web site linked below for a map and directions.
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 Day – Sept: 11:00am – 4:00pm
October – Memorial Day: 12:00 Noon – 4:00pm
Note: November through February the lighthouse is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Entrance is free by donation.
3.5 miles N of Newport
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 about guided tours of the lighthouse.
Yaquina Head Interpretive Center & Interpretive Store Hours: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area Park Hours: 8:oo am – Sunset