Three Capes Scenic Loop

When you come to Pacific City on the Oregon Coast and stay at The Craftsman B&B and are looking for a good day trip, we suggest a drive on the Three Capes Scenic Loop. Start right here at Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area. The dorymen launch the boats into the surf at sunrise. Most are back around 11:00 a.m. when the wind starts to pick up. Climb to the top of the dune and watch the boats landing and the surfers surfing.

Head north out of the parking lot and follow the signs to Cape Lookout State Park. At the summit, park and take the 2.4 mile hike out to the end. You will be walking through the center of a rain forest, so make sure you have another pair of shoes, this trail does get muddy and they have placed boardwalks in the bad spots. The views are amazing, so don’t forget the camera. During whale migration, this is a great spot to watch. The beach trail from the summit is for the fittest. A switchback down to a secluded beach, getting back is the hard part.

Head north again out of the lot and follow the road around Netarts Bay. The Schooner, on the north side of the bay is a good spot for lunch, so is Rosanne’s in Oceanside, the next town on the route. In Oceanside, stop at Three Arch Rocks National Bird and Sea Lion Refuge, park and walk out on the beach, bring you binoculars to view the Tufted Puffins and Common Mures nesting on the rocks. At low tide, you can walk through a tunnel to a private beach to the north.

Out of Oceanside and left again to the last cape on the tour, Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint, home to Cape Meares Lighthouse and Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge. If you only get out of the car once, do it here. An easy, wheelchair accessible path guides you down to the lighthouse that is open for tours April through October, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. We like to walk along the fence line on the south side on the way back up. Don’t forget to see the Octopus Tree. As with the other capes, this is great for whales, birds and photos. If you get a good one, enter it in their annual contest, click here to see past winners. The forests around the Refuge include massive Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock. 

After taking all this classic Oregon Coast experience take a left on the road, down the hill to the stop sign. The scenic loop says to turn right, but we suggest you turn left into the town of Cape Meares. Follow the road until it ends. Hop out and carefully walk over all the rocks to this hidden gem. The Tillamook Bay Spit is to the North and the ocean side collects a ton of debris after the strong costal storms. The bay side is great for bird watching. During Salmon season, you will see boat after boat trying their luck to catch that 45-pound salmon.

Back track your way back on the scenic drive and follow along the edge of Tillamook Bay into the town of Tillamook. Once on Highway 101, go north if you need an ice cream cone at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. If you need more cheese, stop at the Blue Heron French Cheese Company.

Head south back on Highway 101, passing dairy farms and pastures. Look for the herd of Elk, a few fields past the Air Museum on the east side of the road. Follow 101 all the way back to Pacific City and if you timed it right, there will be cookies waiting for you here at The Craftsman B&B, Oh and I'll be waiting too.

So you want to see the Three Capes but don’t want to drive. You can hike them all. Here’s how.

Driving on the Beach

That's right, you can drive on the beaches around Pacific City. We have a Volkswagen Toureg that takes me all over the place. I love to go for a ride. My nose out the window and ears flapping in the wind. I am good up to 65 mph. I get to smell all sorts of things, cows, cut grass, way more than you humans. I even know when we are almost home. I must admit, I do like to nap in the car, but when I am a block from the house, I wake up. It's weird, I know. I don't know how I do it. Is it the smell? The speed of the car? The noise of the blinker? I think it's all of these things. But I have been tested, Mike has simulated the same type of turns at other places, and I do not react. Want to know how good my senses are? I even do it at the house we stay at in Portland. I know home, The Craftsman B&B.

I digress. I was talking about driving on the beach. This is fun. I get to save my energy to beach exploring. I didn't walk to the beach, so I know I'll be getting a ride home. I go all out. I most always on my leash, my nose can get me too far away from Mike. My favorite is running in the soft sand, right on the edge of the hard sand. Nose to the ground. I like to smell all that came in during the last high tide. I discover all sorts of things, sea birds are very stinky. I don't roll around in them like other dogs, I just mark them and move on. I like to mark sand castles too. Last year there was a sea lion on the beach for months, it got stinkier every time I went by, still, I just marked it, after a good long whiff.

So driving on the beach. Don't do it in your Mustang or Accord. You think I'm joking? You think nobody would drive on the beach in a regular car? You would be wrong. Even if you have a vehicle capable of the sand, the driver still has to be smart.

You can access the beach in your vehicle at the Cape Kiwanda State Park's parking lot.  For adventure, the west end of Pacific street in Pacific City, we call that the Turn-A-Round.  Our favorite spot is a steep road off McPhillips Road, North of the Cape.

Check out this map:

View Larger Map
Tides. A few summers ago there was a black Hummer H3 parked on the beach. As the tide rolled in, everyone moved their vehicles up the beach or left. This Hummer didn't. No one around. So as the water reached the wheels, they came back to move it. Have you ever stood on the beach and let the waves bury your feet. You just stand there and the sand will gather and sink you. Well this Hummer stuck itself, they tried to move it, but it was too late. By the time the tow truck arrived, the water was up to the floor and seats.  As it turns out, this was a rental, get that insurance!

Soft sand.  You will have to drive in soft sand at some point.  Rule #1:  Don't stop.

We drive on a beach just North of Cape Kiawanda.  It is hard sand all the time.  There is a hill that stops the tide, so no hard sand to get stuck in.  During the winter, I can run free on this beach.  The ocean and Cape prevent me from going too far.  By the time Mike walks to the end, I've smelled everything and marked everything.  I am back on my leash and walk back to the VW.  I can also find that where ever it's parked.

So come on down to Pacific City here on the Oregon Coast.  Drive on the beach, just don't get stuck.