Our Oregon Coast Travel Tips- Parking Permits, Tidepools, Weather, and What To Pack For Your Oregon Road Trip
If you are currently planning your Oregon road trip, yay you! Here are some of the questions I had prior to our trip as well as helpful tips learned along the way.
Our Oregon Coast itinerary worked perfectly with charming coastal towns, magical forest walks with old-growth trees, dramatic ocean beaches, tide pools full of sea life, grand lighthouses, and lots of interesting stops along the way.
Oregon Coast Itinerary With All The Best Stops
We started in Cannon Beach and traveled south down the coast with overnights in Cannon Beach, Pacific City, and Yachats so we had plenty of time to visit all the fantastic stops in between. The scenery is absolutely incredible!
Tip: Pacific City was one of our favorite coastal towns, and the Inn at Camp Kiwanda was fantastic and affordably priced. All rooms there have ocean views!
About Parking Permits On The Oregon Coast
This turned out to be pretty straightforward but was definitely confusing during the planning phase.
Many of the state parks along the coast are free, but select state parks and federal sites along the Oregon Coast require you to pay to park.
FYI- Very few of the parks have a manned welcome gate or an official Visitor Center, so you will self-pay at parking kiosks located in the parking area.
State Parks Parking Fee
State parks that require paid parking will have a parking kiosk that accepts credit cards or will have a posted QR code for you to pay online.
The cost to park at select state park beaches is $10 for Oregon residents and $12 for non-residents.
The kiosk will print out your pass which should be placed on your dashboard.
Parking kiosk at Oswald State Park. Insert your credit card and place permit on your dashboard. 
Parking kiosk at Oceanside with Wifi. Use QR code to pay online.
Tip: The parking permit is good at all state parks for that day of purchase. So you could potentially visit several state parks in one day using the same parking pass. For instance, Ecola State Park is just 20 minutes away from Oswald West State Park.
If you plan on visiting lots of state parks or returning on subsequent days, Oregon offers a 12 month digital parking permit– $60 for in-state residents and $75 for out-of-state residents. To break even, you would need to visit at least 6 of the state parks that require an entry fee.
You can see a map of the parks that require parking fees here.
Federal Sites Parking Fee
For the federal sites like Yaquina Head and Cape Perpetua, you can use a national park pass (America the Beautiful Pass) if you have one. Otherwise, you’ll just pay a day-use fee at the site (Yaquina Head-$7 and Cape Perpetua-$5).
FYI- Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area has a manned welcome gate as well as a self-pay station, and you can pay for a day parking pass at Cape Perpetua’s Visitor Center.
Tip: If you have a digital America The Beautiful Pass, print out a copy so you can simply place it on your dashboard at Yaquina Head and Cape Perpetua.
Tidepooling Tips
Tidepooling (yes, it’s a verb!) is simply exploring a rocky shoreline at low tide in search of marine life.
At low tide, you’ll be able to see a variety of sea life like colorful sea stars, green sea anemones, and beds of mussels clinging to the rocks. It’s really super cool, and it’s a must do activity when visiting the Oregon Coast.
Tip: In general, the best time to experience the tidepools is an hour to 90 minutes before the low tide. Check the tide tables to see when low and high tides occur each day. (The tidal times change each day.)
Look for the lowest height at low tide for the best tidepooling. Negative tides will allow for even more beach exploration because more beach area will be exposed. However, it’s not necessary for the low tide to be negative to have a good experience.
See REI’s How To Read A Tide Table
Keep in mind that the low tide time is when the tide is switching from an outgoing tide to an incoming tide. That is why you should go 1 to 2 hours before the low tide time so you can have lots of time to explore before the ocean begins its march back towards land.
As always, never turn your back to the water and watch out for sneaker waves!
Best Time To Visit The Oregon Coast
July and August are the most popular months to visit the beaches of the Oregon Coast with sunny and drier days. High temperatures typically range from the mid-60s to the low 70s.
You’ll still likely need a sweater at some point during the day, and summer weather is also fairly unpredictable. Cold weather, winds, and fog can roll in at any time.
If you can swing it, September and early October may be the best time to visit with fewer crowds, more affordable lodging, and good weather.
I have to say that the coast is spectacular even during the non-sunshine days and the fog adds a moody quality that is also beautiful.
Many intentionally visit the Oregon coast during the winter to witness the turbulent ocean waves and spot whales migrating (mid-December to mid-January).
So in summary, go when you can go!
We traveled in August and I found the crowds, parking, and traffic to be very manageable. It’s not even close to the level of summer crowds found in the national parks, but honestly, the trails and scenery are just as beautiful.
The beaches are generally windy which always adds a bit of chill, so a jacket or long-sleeve was always welcome, even in August.
Click here to see what the weather is like in each of the 4 seasons.
Packing List For Oregon Coast Trip
Packing is the hardest part of any trip. Hope this helps!
- Soft-sided Cooler (Amazon) we packed cold drinks for the car along with snacks. This fits in your suitcase for use when you arrive.
- Browntrek Pocket Blanket– (Amazon) Love this small light-weight portable picnic blanket. Great for outdoor festivals as well!
- Small collapsible bags- Convenient for groceries, etc.
- Backpack for hiking (we like our Osprey Daylite backpack for our water bottles, granola bars, binoculars)
- Water bottles
- Binoculars- For spotting whales off-shore. We like our travel size Nikon binoculars
- Rain jackets (REI) or ponchos
- Light weight jacket
- Hiking shoes- I’m loyal to my low-cut Oboz Sawtooths (REI)
- Sandals – We are partial to Chaco sandals (REI)
- Warm clothing/layers (short sleeve, shorts/pants, hoodie, sweatshirt, etc)
- Books
- Phone chargers
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Hats
- Towel
- Swimsuits (for pool or hot tub if your lodging has one)
- Hand sanitizer (for use at vault toilets)
- Map or save directions off-line. Important- Cell service is spotty and mostly non-existent in the state parks.
- America The Beautiful Pass (print it out if purchasing the digital pass). You can also purchase at REI.
- Plastic grocery bags- Perfect for packing your sandy shoes for your trip home
We hope this answered some of your questions and made planning your Oregon Coast road trip a little easier. It’s truly one of the most beautiful road trips you’ll ever take. Happy Trails! – Amy
