ABOUT THE CENTRAL OREGON COAST

Newport has been a playground for visitors since the late 1800s. Nestled between the Coast Mountains, Pacific Ocean and Yaquina Bay, the natural beauty of the area draws those seeking a unique and exciting coastal experience.

Newport's beginnings shaped two distinct areas of the town: the Historical Bayfront and Nye Beach. During the early 1900s, Nye Beach was the number one visitor attraction on the coast. Hot sea baths, taffy stores, and agate shops entertained visitors from the Willamette Valley. Nye Beach is still a very popular haven for the arts, with the Newport Performing Arts and Visual Arts Center amidst unique galleries, book stores, eateries, shopping and lodging.

Historically, the Bayfront was Newport's economic backbone, housing a port for the commercial fishing and wood products industries. Today, the Bayfront is still home to one of Oregon's largest commercial fishing fleets. The Bayfront is a working waterfront on which visitors can enjoy shops, art galleries, chowder houses, restaurants, fish processing plants and family attractions in turn-of-the-century storefronts from a bygone era.

Newport awaits your visit. There are numerous lodging properties with terrific views, great restaurants with the freshest seafood, and a variety of meeting facilities offering full service for business meetings, planning seminars or conferences.

Many of Newport's scenic roads and beaches are ideal for biking, hiking and jogging. Residents and visitors alike enjoy sporting activities with public facilities including tennis, racquetball, handball, swimming and golfing.

 

About Lincoln City

Lincoln City was formed in 1964 from the small communities of Taft, Nelscott, Cutler City, Delake and Oceanlake. There are seven miles of beachfront in Lincoln City. You'll usually find the beaches filled with colorful kites, taking advantage of the winds in this city on the 45th Parallel.

Lincoln City is nestled between 7 miles of sandy beaches and a 680 acre scenic lake on the central Oregon Coast. And while it's a charming resort town, it's also a veritable paradise of beauty, history and adventure.

The mighty Pacific Ocean greets the beach along 7 gorgeous miles in Lincoln City. The beauty and activities along the seashore change with the seasons, adding spice and variety. There are excellent locations for wave, whale, sunset and storm watching, and the beach is a treasure trove for collecting driftwood, agates, shells and floats. Large rocks emerging from the sea create perfect pockets for tide pooling during low tides, and beach hiking, surfing, windsurfing and fishing challenge adventure seekers. 15 public beach accesses welcome those who wish to indulge!

Devils Lake, deep only in terms of Indian folklore, is 1/3 mile wide, 3 miles long, and reaches a depth of only 22 feet. Nine species of freshwater fish beckon the fisherman, while water sports such as windsurfing, waterskiing, knee-boarding and jet skiing engage other sports enthusiasts. Flowing from Devils Lake is the "D" River, which holds the title of the "World's Shortest River". From its source at Devils Lake, the river reaches its destination of the Pacific in a mere 120 feet.

Art galleries, factory outlets, books, antiques, boutiques, and assorted uniques! Where to begin may be your toughest decision. Lincoln City... where shopping really is a day at the beach.

Recreation

About Lincoln Beach

Located just south of Gleneden Beach and north of Depoe Bay, Lincoln Beach is a small community offering a grocery store, restaurants and Fogarty Creek State Park, great for picnicking, hiking and fishing.

Recreation
Fishing, picnicking, hiking and beach access is available at Fogarty Creek State Park.
Attractions

Fogarty Creek State Park.

Toledo, situated on a bend of the Yaquina River and surrounded by wooded hills, is just seven miles inland from the Central Oregon Coast, the only inland coastal community with a deep water channel. The historic town cascades over the hillsides to the river. Once a bustling mill town, Toledo is known today for antiques, its community of artists living and working in Toledo, and shops specializing in fine yarns and locally handcrafted gifts.

Toledo is one of the few cities in Oregon which has a downtown on a city street, not on a throughway or highway. Toledo's Main Street retains its historical flavor, the waterfront and fishing vessels visible moored at the end of Main.

When the wind starts to blow on the beach, Toledo is often warm and sunny. Antique shops, art galleries, gift shops selling the work of local crafters, a glass blowing studio, a fine yarn shop and restaurants make Toledo an interesting place to visit. Several world class artists make their homes here, taking inspiration from the small town atmosphere and beautiful river, estuary, and rural vistas.

Art District: This one block area on NE Alder Street, one block north of Main, houses the homes, studios and galleries of three "en plein air" artists painting in oil.

The Port of Toledo at 625 Bay Boulevard provides fishing information and maintains a dock at the foot of Main Street where moorages are available both yearly and seasonally. Toledo is the only deep water inland port on the central coast. The port also has a public boat launch on the Yaquina River near the Toledo Airport. Sturgeon fishing is great on the Yaquina River when the weather turns cold; the Yaquina and Siletz have fall salmon runs. Fishermen catch perch near buoy 25 in the Yaquina, and the Siletz has good steelhead fishing in the winter. Olalla Lake north of Toledo is stocked with trout and is a good spot for canoeing, kayaking, and swimming. The City of Toledo also has a municipal swimming pool and tennis courts.

Yachats (pronounced YAH-hots) is derived from the Chinook Indian word, Yahuts, meaning "dark waters at the foot of the mountain." Nestled between the lush forested mountains of the Coast Range and the lapping waves of the Pacific Ocean, Yachats is the ideal spot for rest, recreation, and romance. The quiet unhurried atmosphere of this tiny (population 635) resort village offers vacationers a unique alternative to the hustle of city life and impersonal quality of a large coastal community.

As so many others have discovered, the little village with the big smile will become the place you will want to return to again and again. Whether you stay for a day, a week, or a month, you, too, will find Yachats irresistible.

Recreation

Among the many activities you'll find in Yachats are beachcombing, strolling and tidepooling, hiking trails and bike routes, wheelchair accessible trails, whale watching, bird watching, art galleries, shopping and dining, golfing and horseback riding, fishing, clamming, crabbing, sand dune climbing, dune buggy rides, airplane rides, and winter storm watching. There are also five State Parks and numerous nearby waysides.

 

Waldport is especially proud of the Alsea Bay Bridge, completed in August 1991. Adjacent to the bridge is the Visitor Center, with displays and video material covering the history of the area, the building of this new bridge, and demolition of the old.

With miles of sandy ocean beaches, forest roads, hiking trails, wilderness areas and a picturesque bay, this is the coast treasured by Oregonians. If you enjoy windsurfing, kayaking, boating, fishing, sailing, hiking or cycling...or if you just like to wander around on the beach, Waldport is the place you need to visit. With a family owned, family friendly golf course available, the brand new Skateboard Park and antique stores, there is something for everyone in your family. The Oregon State Marine Board rates the Alsea Bay in the top five in the state for annual usage. A visit to the Alsea Bay Interpretive Center, located at 620 NW Spring Street next to the Alsea Bay Bridge, provides information on the history of the Alsea Bridge as well as information on area landmarks. It is also the home of the Waldport Chamber of Commerce and provides information on businesses in the area, maps and directories. Stop by and talk to one of our knowledgeable and hard-working volunteers!!

Seal Rock is a small Lincoln County community along Highway 101, just south of Newport.

These "Seal rocks" form a ledge of partially submerged rocks in the Pacific Ocean surfline. They extend parallel to the coast for about two and a half miles at a distance of a half mile from the beach. The highest rock rises about 20 feet out of the water. There is one large rock at the shoreline and many smaller ones. The place was called Seal Illahe, Chinook for seal home or seal place. Seal Rock's first post office was established April 25, 1890, with postmaster J. W. Brasfield running things. Seal Rock was at one time a popular resort destination.

Bottom Fishing, muscle harvesting and clamming are very productive here at Seal Rock.
There are antique shops, woodcarvers' galleries and other specialty shops.
Recreation.

Visitors enjoy beachcombing, agate hunting, surfcasting, rock fishing and observing sea life in the tidepools offshore. There are several turnouts along the highway and at Seal Rock State Park.