Rockaway Beach

One of my favorite weekend trips in Oregon is visiting the beach. Oregon is well known for its’ many wonderful beaches. We like to save the most popular ones for the fall when there are fewer people. To avoid summer crowds, we visit the ones that don’t get as much attention.

One that we like is Rockaway Beach. Rockaway Beach doesn’t have as many shops or restaurants as some other towns, but it has 7 miles of sandy beach to play on, and a picturesque rock formation to photograph.

First thing in the morning is my favorite time to be out on the beach – especially during a low tide. The long stretch of flat beach is a great place for a morning run or walk. There is something about the sound of the waves that is sooo relaxing! And on a clear day the rocks are lit up nicely in the morning too.

Of course, sunsets on the beach can also be pretty spectacular.

It takes about 4 hours for us to drive to Rockaway Beach. Not too bad – but more than I’d want to do for a day trip, so we make a few days out of it. We can usually find a place to stay there when other beach towns have already filled up, and being only 23 miles from Tillamook, the shops and restaurants aren’t far away if you want to get off the beach for a while.

Sometime while we are there, we usually take a drive and visit the Cape Meares Lighthouse. The viewpoints are amazing! In addition to the lighthouse, and the Oregon coastline, there’s an opportunity see a whale or two or do some bird watching. If you want to explore further, you can take the Three Capes Scenic Drive; a 40 mile scenic drive between Tillamook and Pacific City. You will see more of the gorgeous coastline, and a small town or two along the way.

Do you see why the beach is one of my favorite weekend trips in Oregon?

What are your favorite beaches?