From the long, sandy beaches of Lincoln City to the rugged black basalt shores of Yachats and down to the Oregon Dunes, the beaches on the central coast of Oregon offer a diverse range of choices. Most of these beaches are reachable in 2 to 3 hours driving from Portland or 1 to 2 hours from Salem.
Starting in Lincoln City and ending in Florence, we’ve compiled a list of more than 20 of the best beaches to visit in the central Oregon Coast region. There are just too many great beaches to say which is best, so we’ll leave that up to you to decide.
For this list, we included popular beaches along with some lesser-known options and all of these beaches are reasonably accessible to the public (some require a short walk). The list is in order from north to south.
This page may contain affiliate links where we earn a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Our suggestions are based on our own experience and thorough research. Full disclosure.
Why the Oregon Coast is The People's Coast
In 1967, the Oregon Beach Bill declared free public beach access to everyone. Unlike California and Washington, the public has “free and uninterrupted use of the beaches,” in Oregon and all beach areas from the waves to the vegetation line are publicly owned.
Central Oregon Coast Beaches
Beaches Near Lincoln City
There are 7.5 miles of sandy beaches in Lincoln City, more than any other town on the state’s coastline. Go for long walks, hunt for hidden glass floats, fly a kite, go clamming, rockhounding or agate hunting or just relax and take in the views.
D-River State Recreation Site in Lincoln City is one of the best beaches for kite flying on the Oregon Coast. The town fills up for two big kite festivals here every June and October. |Â Map
Roads End State Recreation Site is a quieter Lincoln City beach towards the north end of town with tide pools and a secret cove only accessible during low tide. Take care to check the tide schedule before visiting so you don’t get trapped by the incoming tide. | Map
Gleneden Beach is located at the southern end of Lincoln City and offers some peace and quiet from the busier beaches in town. It’s a wide, breezy beach good for long walks, agate hunting or just watching waves. | Map
Taft Waterfront Park in town has public beach access and is a popular spot for beachcombing. | Map
👉 Find more fun things to do and places to eat and stay in Lincoln City.
Beaches Near Depoe Bay
Fogarty Creek State Recreation Area north of Depoe Bay offers a picnic area, parking and restrooms. A path leads under the highway to a scenic beach cove and a small creek flowing to the ocean with tide pools to explore at low tide and good rockhounding. | Map
Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint is a great place to pull over and take in the incredible views of the rocky Oregon coastline and it’s also the site of an old shipwreck. | Map
South of Depoe Bay you’ll find some of the best scenic driving on the Oregon Coast with several vista points to pull over and take in the views. Rocky Creek State Scenic Viewpoint, Cape Foulweather, Otter Crest State Scenic Viewpoint and Devil’s Punchbowl State Natural Area are some of the best scenic areas to visit on Otter Crest Loop.
Instead of sandy beaches, the town of Depoe Bay is lined by a protective seawall overlooking the steep, rocky shore where big waves regularly crash and spray up into the air. Depoe Bay is the whale watching capital of the Oregon Coast and is one of the best places to see gray whales year round.
👉 Learn more about whale watching and other fun things to do near Depoe Bay.
Essential Beach Safety for the Oregon Coast
The ocean waves in Oregon are very powerful and unpredictable. Please enjoy the beaches safely and follow these guidelines.
- Know the tide schedule before visiting the beach so you don’t get trapped by incoming tides. Visit about 1 hour before low tide, as the water is still receding.
- Bring a flashlight for exploring tunnels or sea caves.
- Wear sturdy footwear. Rocks are often slippery at the beach.
- Watch out for sneaker waves on the Oregon Coast. These waves appear out of nowhere and are dangerously fast and powerful. Don’t turn your back to the ocean.Â
- Rip currents are strong undertows that can sweep you off your feet and pull you out to sea. Admire the ocean from a safe distance or stay in shallow, calm water when wading.
Stay back from cliff edges as erosion can cause the ground to become unstable. Beware of falling rocks, stay behind safety fences, heed warning signs and stay off jetties.
Beaches Near Newport
Just north of Newport, Beverly Beach is an easily accessible public beach area with a campground, hiking trails and bike paths. The state park campground and day-use area are currently closed for construction but plans to reopen in summer 2024. | Map
🌲 Find other beach campgrounds on the Oregon Coast.
Wade Creek Beach is an excellent beach for agate hunting, rockhounding and fossil finding. | Map
Moolack Beach area offers access to a nice, wide sandy beach with views of the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. | MapÂ
A must-visit spot in Newport, the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area is a one-mile stretch of land that extends into the Pacific Ocean where the Yaquina Head Lighthouse has been standing since 1873. Be sure to visit beautiful Agate Beach and Cobble Beach and explore the tide pools at low tide.
Newport’s Nye Beach district is a quaint little beach area with several top-rated restaurants, small shops and access to a beautiful stretch of sandy beach.Â
South Beach State Park offers a large campground with tent and RV campsites, yurts, bike paths, beach access, equestrian trails, disc golf and more. Just south of Newport it’s a convenient home base for exploring the area.
👉 Read more about these beaches in Newport and find great restaurants, places to stay and more fun things to do. More about Newport, Oregon Â
Beaches Near Waldport
Ona Beach features a picnic area and access to a scenic stretch of uncrowded beach north of Seal Rock. Brian Booth State Park is made up of two separate areas connected by Beaver Creek: Ona Beach day-use area is for beach access and Beaver Creek State Natural Area is further inland. | Map
Seal Rock State Recreation Site offers access to a beach with large rock formations including Elephant Rock and Castle Rock. Visit at low tide to explore the tide pools. | Map
Driftwood Beach State Recreation Site is a quiet beach north of Waldport great for beachcombing and long walks. Despite the name, however, there is reportedly not a lot of driftwood at this beach. | Map
Governor Patterson Memorial State Recreation Site provides access to a long stretch of flat, sandy beach near the mouth of Alsea Bay perfect for dog walks. The day-use area has restrooms, picnic tables, ample parking and easy beach access. | Map
Tillicum Beach Campground, a U.S. Forest Service park, features campsites with beachfront views. Located 5 miles south of Waldport, off Highway 101 on the west side, the campground includes a day-use area for beach access. | Map
Beachside State Recreation Site is a small Oregon State Park campground only open seasonally March 15 – Oct. 31, weather permitting. Located about 3 miles south of Waldport, this popular spot is sandwiched between Highway 101 and the beach, and every campsite is just a stone’s throw from the sand (if you can manage to get a spot here). | Map
👉 Find places to stay and more fun things to do near Waldport.
Beaches Near Yachats
The coastline in Yachats is rocky, so you won’t find as many sandy beaches here. Instead, visitors come to watch huge waves crash against the black basalt shore and take in the amazing views.
Yachats State Recreation Area is a day-use area located right in town. An accessible viewing platform provides the perfect spot to watch for whales.Â
Smelt Sands State Recreation Site doesn’t actually have much sand, but you will find tiny agates and tide pools along the rocky coast with access to the wonderful 804 walking trail that follows the scenic shoreline. | Map
Neptune State Scenic Viewpoint is a lesser-known beach park with a bridge over a creek, a sea cave and tide pools.
The Cape Perpetua Scenic Area is the main attraction near Yachats and includes 26 miles of trails and over 2,700 acres of coastal rainforest. Walk the Captain Cook Trail, an easy, half-mile loop that takes you to Thor’s Well, Spouting Horn and the tide pool area. This is one of the top things to see on the Oregon Coast and definitely worthy of a visit.
👉 Learn more about Cape Perpetua, Thor’s Well and things to do near Yachats.Â
Beaches Near Florence
Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park is located between Yachats and Florence in the Siuslaw National Forest. The campground is open year-round and ideally situated for exploring both Heceta Head and Cape Perpetua. A half-mile trail leads to Hobbit Beach. | Map
The iconic Heceta Head Lighthouse is one of the most photographed places on the entire coastline of Oregon. Surrounding the lighthouse, a forested trail network offers some of the best ocean views and wildlife spotting. On the south side, there is access to a sheltered beach cove below the lighthouse with tide pools at low tide. | Map
👉 Learn more about the historic lighthouses of the Oregon Coast.
Heceta Beach County Park offers access to a large, wide, sandy beach next to the Driftwood Shores oceanfront resort. | Map to park | Stay at Driftwood Shores
North Jetty Beach is a windswept, driftwood-lined beach located on the north side of the mouth of the Siuslaw River. The South Siuslaw Jetty on the opposite side also offers beach access. Both of these are good beach spots for watching sunsets. | Map
👉 Find places to stay and eat plus more fun things to do in Florence, Oregon.
The Oregon Dunes
The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is one of the largest expanses of coastal sand dunes in the world, stretching 40 miles from Florence to Coos Bay.
This unusual place was the inspiration for the Dune sci-fi novel and movies, except the Oregon Dunes are not a dry, hot desert. Here, you’ll find a mix of towering open sand dunes, wetlands, freshwater lakes, misty coastal forests, tree islands and beaches.
👉 See our complete guide to the Oregon Dunes.
Find a Beachfront Hotel or Rental on the Central Oregon Coast
At the end of the day, kick back and relax in your oceanfront hotel and enjoy the view.
🛌 From Lincoln City resorts to budget motels in Yachats, see our picks for the best places to stay on the Oregon Coast from north to south. Enter your travel dates to see current room rates and book in advance for the best options.
Map of Beaches on the Central Oregon Coast
Just click the central Oregon Coast beaches map to get directions from your location.
- Browse our entire list of Activities for more fun things to do, including the best beaches for rockhounding and tide pools.
- Interested in a specific town? Get detailed guides on Oregon Coast towns from north to south including things to do and the best places to stay and eat in each town.
👆 Heading north? Explore Northern Oregon Coast Beaches.
👇 Heading south? Visit these Southern Oregon Coast beaches.
Enjoy exploring the best beaches on the central Oregon Coast and feel free to bookmark this page or pin it for future reference!
