This was a terrific surprise to find such a thing just next to a fence…read more A huge stone bowl with a path to the sea the ocean passes in and out. You can see the bottom from the fence. Amazing ...

Great Beach with an amazing Ocean Punchbowl . It's the cutest spot. They even have a café right…read morenext to the Punchbowl. We didn't make it down to walk inside of the punch bowl, but it's definitely on the things to do list. You need to get there early enough for the low tides to be able to walk inside of the punch bowl.

Because our expectations were fairly low, it actually was surprisingly good. Some learning…read moreopportunities were definitely found for us group of (near) seniors. The one item that left us scratching our heads however were the wax figures. Best we could tell, the heads of a few were wax, but that's it. Overall, we thought it was pretty good.

I have been coming to the Oregon Coast my entire life but have never been to Ripley's Believed It…read moreout Not. Because it's stupid. But went today. Verdict: kitschy, worth one visit in your life. Just the one.

Apparently the tallest lighthouse in Oregon! Found out I came here before but never went past the…read morevisitors center lol! It was super gorgeous and not busy at all. There wasnt a ton to do because we didn't book a tour of the inside but it was still fun to learn the history and see it for myself.

A beautifully kept example of coastal lighthouses. Very well preserved. The interpretive center is…read morea must visit. There's a massive body of historical knowledge relevant both to various stages of lighthouse operation and the growth and expansion of Oregon and the US in general.

May 2024 visit. We…read morehad to stop by twice to catch them when they were open... and I'm so glad we did. My favorite part was the view, but I also enjoyed exploring the old lighthouse. It's pretty small but the self guided tour was free so we didn't mind. I currently feel more peaceful just thinking about being there.

I just visited the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse a couple of weeks ago (in the beginning of March) and it…read morewas open for tours. This is the original, smaller, and, in my opinion, the more interesting of the two lighthouses in Newport. This lighthouse is built into an actual three-story house, which you can walk through most of. Although it was not possible to walk to "the top," I'm not aware of any lighthouse that is currently still allowing this in 2026. (Lighthouse lenses are extremely expensive, and, unfortunately, it's not difficult to imagine how one or two bad tourists might have ruined this for the rest of us.) But you can still walk through the first three stories of the house, and I thought that was pretty cool. On the first floor of the house, there was a replica of a fifth order Fresnel lens, which is the smallest standard size lens used in lighthouses. For the lighthouse enthusiast, it's really interesting to compare the size of this lens to the much larger first order lens at Heceta. I also found it interesting to think about the lightkeeper walking through their actual house with hot oil, rather than filtering it in an oil house and then carrying it up to the separate lighthouse. While the rooms were roped off, it was possible to walk right up to the doorway of each one, and see that they were filled with replica furniture similar to what would have been used in the late 1800s. Eventually, this small lighthouse was replaced by the much larger Yaquina Head Lighthouse, which is 4 miles to the north. The Yaquina Head Lighthouse was not open for tours when I visited, but I've seen pictures, and it looks almost exactly like the Heceta Lighthouse, except it's still whitewashed. So, in my opinion, this smaller lighthouse is actually more unique, and maybe even more worth visiting than its replacement. This Yaquina Bay Lighthouse is managed by State Parks. Parking is $10/day or free with an annual pass. The Yaquina Head Lighthouse (the newer, taller one 4 miles to the North) is managed by BLM, which charges the same daily use fee, but is covered by a different (federal) parking pass. So, you can't see both with the same pass. If you absolutely have to choose, in my opinion, Yaquina Bay has the better lighthouse, while Yaquina Head has the better beach, museum, and hiking trails.

Love this place! Unfortunately, it's currently closed for…read moreremodel. You can stop by and lookout across the coastline, but the gift shop is inaccessible. Not sure until when, but we'll be back!

What an amazing last minute quick pull over stop! The view from this lookout was outstanding! You…read morecan see for miles and miles it felt on all directions. A small gift shop is perched on the cliff and offers binoculars for use and purchase. A small white board had weather information on it. No public bathrooms here but a few portable toilets in the parking lot if you have an emergency. When exiting in your vehicle I recommend going right! I ignored my GPS and had to make a scary left turn onto Highway 101 north. Yikes! Be safe and enjoy your life! SYOY!

Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area is just amazing. But I will admit that I am heavily biased in…read moremy opinion as I love Newport, Oregon and could easily see myself having a second home here. Perhaps even a primary home as well but I do like living in a large metro area because of the various services and entertainment options at your disposal. I have been to this Natural Area twice now and it's just so beautiful! The first time I really took advantage of taking pictures of the lighthouse here as well as the view. The second time was a repeat of that particular activity but in addition to that we went down to the tide pools and were immediately entranced with all of the aquatic life in those pools. We took pictures of that and were just so revitalized immersing ourselves in the nature there. I t was beautiful and simply amazing. Really nothing else needs to be said other than if you are touring along the Oregon Coast and are hitting the lighthouses this is a must stop... well they all are actually but this one really is. There is another lighthouse on the south end of town so Newport has scenic and at another time more practical advantage of having two lighthouses in the same town all within very close proximity. Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area is truly a beautiful place!

You can't miss this place! It does cost a few dollars to drive in, I believe it is free for bikers…read moreand walkers. They direct all traffic through the visitor's center where you can ask the knowledgeable staff about anything and grab brochures and maps if needed. We went up to the lighthouse, down to cobble beach and the tide pools, and everywhere in between, it was so much fun. It was sunny and started raining after we arrived, it's fantastic either way. We were here close to low tide, so that helped improve our tide pool experience, but you can't go wrong fitting this into your schedule while on the coast!

Park here to walk to the "Whale Cove Vista Point"!…read more Fun & picturesque spot, with free public restrooms (clean). Plenty of parking, no one here in the AM, and a very refreshing & quiet walk on the trail to the mini observation deck. Great picnic stop IMO, very quiet once on the trail to the deck, with spots to sit and relax (dedicated picnic tables / benches).

Awesome spot on the side of the road. No marked parking spots. Just park normally next to the curb…read moreand enjoy the view. It was a typical Oregon coast day. Misty but breathtakingly wonderful. There are some picnic benches and regular bench seating for more awesome views. It's a good spot to watch for whale's swimming by or just enjoy the waves.

It's about a half mile hike from the parking lot at the beach and it's not too difficult. If you're…read morelucky the lighthouse will actually be open and there were Volunteer docents who were very helpful. Especially the educator inside the lighthouse who was telling us stories about the original interior versus the later developed. There was a smaller building that felt to be like a chapel but wasn't, it contained a small library and everything from gasoline/fuel to the original light bulbs that were the lamp. There's also a gift shop on the way up. And you could see the homeless where at least a couple of the lighthouse keepers lived perhaps with family. There was a soft mist rolling in as we left... the view is beautiful. One of the most beautiful things about reaching the lighthouse is the drive there. Take advantage of the vistas that you can pull over to take photos of the ocean, the wall, the lighthouse from afar. It's an incredibly beautiful part of the world.

Stop here. Go here. Heck, stay a while…read more Heceta Head is one the most prominent sites on the amazing Oregon coast. The combination of Pinnacle & Parrot Rocks, the inlet with a walkable beach, and the iconic lighthouse & viewing spot makes it simply sensational. It is another fantastic Oregon state park, so be sure to pay your parking & visit fees to help keep this state as gorgeous as possible. The 'climb' (it's really like a long ramp) from the parking lot up to the lighthouse is a little over 1/4 of a mile, and it is paved with a very walkable, even wheelchair accessible, gravel. Even the Oregon rain doesn't make this a muddy, sloppy mess and the walk pales in comparison to the views. About halfway up the slope, there is a gift shop with plenty of keepsakes, souvenirs, and even a few snacks & drinks. The shop is open pretty much every day with limited hours, but it's a wonderful opportunity to commemorate your visit. When you get to the top near the lighthouse, the view of the rocks down below will almost always have wildlife. Cormorants and other seabirds will nest on the rocks and if you're lucky, you might see some California sea lions hanging out on the southwest part of Parrot Rock. Park rangers will frequent the lighthouse area in nicer weather, and sometimes will have scopes set up for a birds-eye view of, well, birds. My lovely wife couldn't get enough of the view of the nesting seabirds and their littles during hatch season. What a magic memory! Be mindful of the tides, and if your visit happens to coincide with King Tide season, then take the opportunity to view from above. The sea gets ANGRY, the winds get crazy, and it is a humbling reminder of how powerful Mother Nature can be. Heceta Head is still a functioning lighthouse, and when the ocean is super choppy, then you can certainly see how valuable a light can be to warn ships along the coast. The mariner's friend is always a beacon in a storm, communicating safe haven or dangerous rocks, dependent on tides and winds. The turn to the state park comes up quickly off the 101, so keep your eyes sharp. There's plenty of parking, there is an accessible restroom, and if you don't make the climb up to the lighthouse, then the beach is a wonderful alternative. If you have the time, then just don't miss it. It is one of the most beautiful spots on the beautiful western edges of a beautiful state.