Home
>
Outdoors
>
Yachats, OR: An Outdoor Lovers Paradise on the Oregon Coast

Yachats, OR: An Outdoor Lovers Paradise on the Oregon Coast

There is something about a town tucked between the mountains and the sea. Often, it feels like one has reached the far end of the world when he or she arrives in a place like this. Some well-known examples are Bar Harbor, Maine and Big Sur, California. I have been to Bar Harbor and nearby Northeast Harbor, and indeed, these towns do have a special feel to them, with beautiful mountains on one side and sparking ocean on the other.

While planning an early summer trip along the Oregon coast with a friend of mine, I read about a town named Yachats. It looked like it might be another one of those places "where the mountains meet the sea." The travel books all gave this town high marks, so we decided that we would stay there on the first night of the trip.

My friend and I flew into Portland on a day that featured record heat. The outdoor temperature gauge in our car read 99 degrees as we left the airport. We drove west toward the Pacific, and watched the temperature drop degree by degree as we got closer to the sea. By the time we reached the seaside town of Tillamook, the temperature was 49 degrees-a 50-degree drop in about 70 miles!

We followed the coastal road through some of the most spectacular country that I had ever seen. Sea stacks, fog, steep cliffs, and remote seaside villages lent a haunting feel to the area. We drove through the bustling town of Newport, the last town before Yachats. We followed the wooded road for awhile longer, then entered Yachats. I looked around and saw a couple of gift shops, a seafood restaurant, a pay phone?and that was about it. "Is this it?" I asked my friend. We decided to drive a bit further, but were quickly in the woods again. We turned around, wondering what could possibly be the allure of this place.

We located the motel that we were to stay in for the night, and started to understand why the travel books raved about this place. Directly behind the motel was a scene that included rolling fog over a choppy Pacific Ocean, sea stacks and small cliffs surrounding a small, sandy beach, and a winding path that led in both directions along the coast. From my room, I could hear the waves crashing against the rocks. The smell of the sea was everywhere. Suddenly I couldn't wait to see the rest of Yachats.

After we settled in, my friend and I decided to check out the ocean path. It seemed to head toward the center of town, which was about a mile away. We walked along some of the path, breathing in the fresh air and admiring the cottages along the cliffs. But it was getting late and we were hungry, so we headed back to the motel and drove into town.

There was a rustic little seafood restaurant in the center of town that had a terrific view of the Pacific. We stopped there for dinner and I had a very satisfying plate of fish and chips (I would subsequently have fish and chips for dinner every night for the next four nights). I ate too much, as usual, though, and we decided to walk off our dinners before the sun went down.

There really wasn't much to Yachts, but it definitely had a certain charm to it. We walked through town, noting that there was a breakfast place; this would come in handy on our way out. Soon we came to the harbor, and took a right along a side road that wound along the coast. The road had a sandwich shop on one side and an angry, churning sea on the other. We continued along the road and soon discovered that it led to the path back to the motel. We backtracked to the car with the intentions of walking into town in the morning.

I'm not sure I have ever slept as well as I did that night in Yachats. The combination of flying the day before, then driving a long distance obviously helped. But more than that, the continuous sounds, smell, and feel of the ocean, a scant 100 feet away, permeated my room. By the time I woke up the next morning, to say I felt refreshed would be a major understatement.

Our second day in Yachats was much more promising, weather-wise; while still foggy, there were patches of blue sky above, and it was a bit warmer out. We left the motel, headed to the path and took a left toward town.

The path wound its way toward town, skirting cliffs and passing by quirky beach homes. After about a half mile, the path ended at the road we had been on the night before. My friend and I continued into town, seeing for the first time that Yachats was surrounded by mountains. It was low tide, causing the town harbor to become more like a huge, sandy beach, so we walked down to it and went as far as we could before hitting the water. The view back toward town was very nice, with mountains and beach seeming to meet right where the town was.

We checked out of the motel and left Yachats, but on the way out of town, we saw what might have been the most spectacular part of the area; a place called Cape Perpetua. This was a place where the mountains TRULY met the sea. Cliffs nearly 1,000 feet high tumbled down to the rocky coast, and several paths crossed the area. We spent a good amount of time here before heading to our next destination. While we saw some unforgettable places during the rest of the trip, Yachats still stands out in my mind every time I think about the Oregon coast.

Marc is a writer who has helped create travel guide of america, a US travel guide that focuses on interesting cities, towns, and villages that are vacation destinations. You can find out more about Yachats on the travel guide of america page in Travel Guide of America.

Lincoln Stretch rentals Alsip ..

In The News:

Fitness centers and workout studios are starting to establish policies that prohibit shooting phone videos to protect people's privacy.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents

Apple recently notified a small number of iPhone customers in 92 countries that their phones may be under attack by mercenary spyware.

An artificial intelligence-powered home security system can fire paintballs and tear gas at trespassers. The camera identifies human faces and animals.

Technology expert Kim Komando gives her tips and tricks on enhancing your user experience a smartphone and other devices you use everyday.

A new camera called NUCA uses artificial intelligence to create deepfake photos of subjects by stripping away clothing in close to real time.

The Kimberley Kube trail-ready camper has a compact but spacious design and combines luxury, functionality and ruggedness for a weekend getaway.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Emails instructing you to reset your password for an account may be legitimate, or they may be scams. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains.

Northrop Grumman's Manta Ray uncrewed underwater vehicle aims to revolutionize undersea missions — it glides through the ocean without human assistance.

Learn how to work Google's calendar application to streamline and organize your daily tasks from technology expert Kim Komando.

If you do not want Facebook to have automatic access to your private photos, follow our tips to protect yourself. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson shows you how.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson goes into detail about Apple’s recent iOS update that allows iPhone users to instantly translate spoken language simply by using the Action Button.

Safeguarding your digital life with a reliable physical backup isn't just a precaution, it's a necessity. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson provides the essential backup checklist.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how a Redditor exposed false recycling claims at their apartment, highlighting a report that only 21% of U.S. recyclables are processed.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson offers a travel toolkit featuring five technology tools to help you with booking flights and hotels for your summer vacation.

The bubble behind the clock on your iPhone can appear in different colors. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains what each of those colors mean.

Scammers are using the power of artificial intelligence to mimic voices of people and are using the fake voices to commit crimes, like kidnappings.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains the science behind the Invisibility Shield, a 6-foot shield that makes people become invisible.

The International Olympic Committee on Friday announced plans to use AI in various Olympic aspects, including athlete identification, training and judging.

Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains an easy trick to avoid squinting while working or surfing the web by zooming in on your personal computer.

Streaming giant Roku has recently been targeted by a pair of cyberattacks, and the company confirmed over a half million Roku accounts were compromised.

The Land Aircraft Carrier combines an all-terrain, six-wheeled vehicle with a two-seat aircraft, which features electric vertical takeoff and landing.

The European Union has sent TikTok a "request for information" on the video sharing platform's newest app, TikTok Lite, under the Digital Services Act, with the aim to clean up social media.

Yachats, OR: An Outdoor Lovers Paradise on the Oregon Coast

Outdoors