The Central Coast

There’s nothing like the thrill of a fast boat excursion or shredding mountain bike trails on the Oregon Coast, but sometimes slow, leisurely outdoor enjoyment is the perfect day out. Whether you’re kayaking or paddleboarding, using rental gear or booking an expert guide, these peaceful spots are a great place to start. You’ll find wind-protected lakes and meandering rivers with close-up views of marshlands, birds and wildlife; read on for these and more pleasures of spending time on the water.

While plenty of people flock to the Oregon Coast in winter and spring to see migrating whales and participate in Whale Watch Week events, the summer season brings plenty of opportunities to spot whales, too. While most Pacific gray whales spend their lives migrating between the nutrient-rich waters off the coast of Alaska and the warmer lagoons of Baja California, ideal for breeding and calving, you’ll find about 200 that stick around and feed in Oregon Coast waters in summer and fall.

On the Oregon Coast, we’re committed to welcoming all, and that includes celebrating LGBTQ+ visitors and residents during Pride month and all year round.  “Here on the coast, Pride isn’t just a parade or a party—it’s a commitment,” says Scott...

For years mountain biking on the Oregon Coast has existed quietly alongside the region’s better-known draws: wide beaches, cold-water surf and fog-draped headlands. But a wave of new trail development, events and long-term planning is beginning to change that. From newly opened public trails near Pacific City to shuttle-served descents near Gold Beach, the Coast is shaping a mountain bike experience that pairs well with everything else people already love about being here.

Spring on the Oregon Coast brings not only warmer weather but also more wildlife — migrating gray whales, raucous colonies of common murres on cliff ledges and charismatic tufted puffins perched on sea stacks. While all wildlife should be viewed from a safe distance, one species in particular requires extra care: western snowy plovers.

On most mornings, Duncan Berry watches Roosevelt elk quietly slip through woodlands outside his art studio in the United Nations Biosphere Reserve at Cascade Head on the Central Coast. Inside, as he practices gyotaku — the centuries-old Japanese art of pressing rice paper onto inked fish — Berry occasionally pauses to look out over the Salmon River estuary, a living corridor for wildlife and several of Oregon’s iconic salmon species. It’s one of many places he finds inspiration for artwork that speaks for the ocean.