Hug Point State Recreation Site

On this full-day tour along Oregon's stunning coastline, immerse yourself in the vibrant culture, history, and nature of the Pacific Northwest. With your naturalist guide, discover the same sweeping views witnessed by Lewis and Clark in 1805. Visit Cannon Beach and state parks teeming with wildlife. Start your day with pickup from your hotel in downtown Portland or at South Waterfront Park. As you set out, spot bald eagles wheeling in the air and local sea lions sunning themselves along the beaches and docks. A careful eye over the water might spot the fins of gray whales, porpoises, or orca. Head to Ecola State Park to retrace the steps of Lewis and Clark with the Clatsop Loop Trail. After the views at Tillamook Head enchant you with their natural grandeur, cast your gaze on the 1,477 basalt sea-stack islands that dot the coast. You may see herds of Roosevelt elk wading in the shallows. Next, explore the charming seaside town of Cannon Beach and revel in the majesty of Haystack Rock, sometimes adorned with thousands of native cormorants, terns, murres, bald eagles, and beloved tufted puffins. In town, feast on a tasty lunch and peruse the many art galleries and quaint boutiques. After an hour for lunch, explore other coastal highlights according to the weather and group mobility. Cruise along the stretch of road featured in the '80s classic flick "The Goonies." If time allows, visit Hug Point State Recreation Site, Oswald West State Park, or Neahkahnie Mountain Overlook. Once you've explored the hidden gems of Oregon's scenic coast, return to Portland to conclude your tour.

We will depart downtown Portland and head west on the Sunset Highway, Oregon’s first automobile route through the Cascade Mountain Range! On our drive to the coast we’ll leave the city behind and drive through rolling pastures and towering forests of Douglas-Firs. As we drop down from Sunset Highway, we will meander through a lush Sitka spruce forest to find our first glimpse of the Oregon coastline through Ecola State Park. We’ll momentarily leave the vehicle behind and explore this coastal oasis. Nestled between Seaside and Cannon Beach, the area was once traversed by William Clark himself along with 12 members of his team in search of a beached whale. A local favorite for outdoor enthusiasts, the park connects with the Oregon Coast Trail, a 382-mile hiking trail that spans the entire length of the Oregon Coastline. Leaving the park, we will make a quick jaunt to nearby Cannon Beach, a piece of coastline punctuated spectacularly by Haystack Rock, a sea stack just off the shore made famous by its resemblance to its namesake. Claimed to be the third tallest “intertidal” structure in the world, it is a huge basalt rock that was formed by lava flows over 15 million years ago! Three smaller adjacent rock formations to its south are appropriately named the Needles. Here we’ll walk along the sandy beach, watch beautiful birds circle the rock (Tufted Puffins, Pelagic Cormorants, and Western Gulls if the season is right), and if we’re lucky and the tide is out, we’ll view many species of marine wildlife in their natural tide pool habitat. The town of Cannon Beach will be the backdrop of our lunch stop for the day. Guests are able to take their pick of several small-town eateries, each boasting their own eclectic menus. On a sunny day, guests may opt to take lunch to-go and enjoy it on a city bench facing the waves! Moving further along our day of adventures, we’ll head south on the famous Pacific Coast Scenic Byway, Highway 101, exploring more beautiful coastal shores. Upon Neahkahnie Overlook, we’ll find stunning views along the highest drive-able point along the Oregon coast! Whale watching is a year-round activity on the Oregon coast, with best times from mid-December to January (southern migration) and late March to June (northern migration), when upwards of 18,000 gray whales pass close to the coast. Here, our journey will take us back north along Hwy 101 to Oswald West State Park, aptly named after the Oregon Governor Oswald West. Governor West is credited with ensuring our vast Oregon coastline would remain open for public use. Time dependent, we can opt to take a short, forested hike following along Short Sand Creek which opens to a driftwood stacked coastline known as Smugglers Cove. A variable from this stop would be a short visit to another beautiful area within Oswald West State Park. Finishing up at this last stop, we will make the trek back to Portland through Hwy 26 to have you back in downtown just in time for dinner.

Walk the beaches and an old growth forest along the Oregon Coast, and discover technological relics as you drive the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway with a small group led by an interpretive guide. This day trip is a tour along a rugged section of Oregon's northern coast. You’ll travel northwest of Portland, as your guide takes you through the farmland of Tualatin Valley, a sub-valley of Willamette, one of the richest valleys in the world, known for its hazelnuts, berries, Christmas trees, and Pinot Noir.  You'll spend time in Cannon Beach to check out Haystack Rock, boutique shops, restaurants, cafes, and art galleries.