Things To Do in Manzanita
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Manzanita Attractions
Three Capes Scenic Loop
ESSENTIALS
The Three Capes Scenic Loop, a 35-mile byway off of U.S. 101, begins just west of downtown Tillamook and leads south along the coast past Cape Meares, Cape Lookout, and Cape Kiwanda to end near Pacific City. Together these capes offer some of the most spectacular scenery on the northern Oregon coast. All three are state parks, and all make great whale-watching spots in the spring.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE To start the loop, follow Third Street south out of Tillamook and watch for the right turn for Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint. You can also access the loop from the south at Pacific City.
EXPLORING THE THREE CAPES SCENIC LOOP
The road from Tillamook takes you along the shore of Tillamook Bay and around the north side of Cape Meares. Just around the tip of the cape, you’ll come to Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint, the site of the Cape Meares Lighthouse (open daily Apr–Oct 11am–4pm). The views from atop this rocky headland are superb.
Continuing south around the cape, you come to the residential community of Oceanside, with its white-sand beach and offshore monoliths known as the Three Arch Rocks.
Three miles south of Oceanside, is Netarts Bay, famous for its excellent clamming and crabbing.
Continuing south, the scenic byway leads to Cape Lookout State Park (www.oregonstateparks.org; 📞 503/842-4981), where you’ll find a campground, picnic areas, beaches, and several miles of hiking trails. The most breathtaking trail leads 2 1/2 miles out to the end of Cape Lookout, several hundred feet above the ocean. There is a $5 day-use fee here.
Cape Kiwanda, just north of Pacific City, is preserved as Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area. From the foot of the cape’s sandstone cliffs, it’s possible to scramble up a huge sand dune to the top of the cape for dramatic views of this rugged piece of shoreline.
The Three Capes Scenic Loop ends at Pacific City, a small and somewhat helter-skelter fishing town spread out along the Nestucca River. The base of Cape Kiwanda, just to the north of town, is the staging area for Pacific City’s dory fleet. These flat-bottomed commercial fishing boats are launched from the beach and plow through crashing breakers to get out to calmer waters beyond. When the day’s fishing is done, the dories roar into shore at full throttle and come to a grinding stop as high up on the beach as they can get. This is Oregon’s only such fishing fleet, and it’s celebrated in Pacific City each year on the third weekend in July with the annual Dory Days Festival, which includes a fish fry. If you’d like to go out in one of the dories and fish for salmon, ling cod, or albacore tuna, contact Haystack Fishing (www.haystackfishing.com; 📞 866/965-7555 or 503/965-7555; $180 per person, two-person minimum). Trips are offered June through September.
Bob Straub State Park: the best beach walk on the Oregon Coast
There isn’t that much to do in Pacific City—except walk on one of the greatest white-sand beaches along the entire Oregon coast. I’m talking about the miles-long stretch of beach at Bob Straub State Park. To reach it, turn west towards the ocean at the one intersection in Pacific City, cross the Nestucca River, and turn left along a residential road that skirts along between the river and the dunes until you come to the parking lot (no charge). This is my favorite place for a barefoot beach walk (from June through September) in all of Oregon because it’s just enough out of the way to keep it relatively undiscovered, and long enough so that even on “busy” summer weekends you may not encounter more than a dozen people and maybe some riders on horseback (I also saw a herd of llamas enjoying the beach on one of my last visits). From the parking lot, you have to climb up and over a dune (any reasonably fit person can do this) to reach the beach with its spectacular views north to Cape Kiwanda and south to Cascade Head. If you walk south along the shoreline for about 2 miles, you’ll come to the mouth of the Nestucca River. It’s not unusual to see seals sunbathing on the sand spit or hunting fish in the estuary. The winds can be ferocious (bring a hoodie) but I have also enjoyed many warm, sunny days here. If you visit this remarkable beach and fall in love with it, as I did many years ago, promise me you’ll tell only your closest friends about it. It’s one of those special Oregon coast places that we want to keep secret.
