Best Things to do In Yachats, OR

We recently celebrated a friend’s birthday in Yachats, OR and it quickly became one my favorite cities along the Oregon Coast. We set off to have a relaxing weekend so we didn’t do much planning before heading out, but luckily Yachats has great options for things to do, and is located near some beautiful outdoor areas. Here are some of the highlights from our trip, with photos to match, and hopefully it can help you plan your next beach trip!

Places to stay in Yachats

Since we were celebrating, we figured we would splurge a little and get a nice beach house. We wanted a house that would be close to the water, offered amazing views, and had a hot tub. We were able to find our house through Sweet Home Rentals, who offer so many great options for places to stay along to coast.

Because the house was such a great space and had amazing views of the water, we started each morning by taking our time making coffee, lounging in the living room looking out over the water and making breakfast tacos before setting out for the day.

Where to go hiking in Yachats

The first morning in Yachats, we ventured out to Cape Perpetua and hiked along the Cape Perpertua Overlook Trail to a beautiful look out point which offers views of the ocean, Devil’s Churn, and the rolling hills. While the hike is mostly uphill, I’d say it was only moderately difficult and definitely worth the trek. While in Cape Perpetua, a stop at the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center if also a great way to spend some time. Volunteers at the visitor center have great recommendations for nearby hikes, and the center offers greats views from its panoramic windows. The visitor center is also a good place to buy your National Forest day pass, which is required in the area.

Best Restaurants in Yachats

Of course one of the best parts of a good hike is the meal the follows it. We headed back into town and stopped by Yachats Brewing and Farm Store. Along with their great beer and kombucha selection, they have some great items on their food menu. I would highly recommend their brisket sandwich and their burger. Since we felt like we had surely burned a ton of calories on our hike, we followed lunch with a visit to Bread and Roses Bakery which is just across the street from Yachats Brewing. We tried several of their baked goods, including their cheesecake, carrot cake and tiramisu, and they were all worth the calories.

We later watched the sunset from the rock formations near Thor’s Well. Along with getting to see the waves crash along the rocks, the area lended itself to some great people watching as well. It mainly consisted of watching people trying to get a good glimpse into Thor’s Well while not getting drenched by the crashing waves.

For dinner, we headed to Luna Sea Fish House and were treated to two great surprises. The friendly staff suggested we check out some live music in one of their dining areas. As soon as we were seated, we knew we were in for a great performance. Local duo Dave and Crate played classic hits that everyone loves and even chatted with us after their set. The second surprise, which I was very excited to hear, is that Luna’s fish and chips was recently named the “Best Fish and Chips on the Oregon Coast” by the Oregonian. Let’s just say, the Oregonian got it right.

Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area

Before heading back to Portland, we wanted to take advantage of our last day and headed to the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, which can serve as a great stop on the drive back to Portland and only adds a couple minutes to the drive. The Yaquina Head area is very easily accessible and even offers ample parking, which can sometimes be a little difficult along the coast. We parked out car at the Yaquina Head Interpretive Center, walked a short distance and were greeted by great views of the ocean, Seal Rock and the Yaquina Head Lighthouse.

We climbed down a set of steps that made accessing the beach very easy and once we were down at water level, we explored some amazing tide pools and watched a large group of seals who were resting on the nearby rocks. Yaquina Head also offers a couple options for short hikes. Thought we didn’t have time to check them out, they are on the list for things to do next time we are in the area.

This is probably just a very short list of the great things to do in Yachats, but we really enjoyed spending a weekend there, and hopefully these suggestions can help you figure out what to do on your next visit to the coast.