Gaston, Oregon

Nehalem Bay State Park is a great central location on the Oregon Coast to use as a base camp, whether you want to go south to explore Cape Kiwanda or go north to photograph the famous Cannon Beach. There are six loops: A-F, and only A-C are open in the winter. The only first-come-first-served are...

Cape Kiwanda is part of the Three Capes Scenic Route. It offers sea stack rock formations, beautiful beaches, sand stone cliffs, and if you are lucky enough, amazing wildlife. It is the home of the Pacific Dory Fleet.If you are early enough, you can catch the fisherman coming and going in the mys...

The beach in Oswald West State Park is one of the more secluded beaches on the Oregon coast. Most tourists tend to stay by Canon Beach and Seaside, Oregon, so this little gem gets much less traffic.The parking lot is right on the highway with plenty of parking, a bathroom, and a drinking fountai...

It is located just off the side of highway 101 north of Manzanita and south of Cannon Beach. To get here, you need to just pull off into the Oswald West parking lot on the ocean side of the freeway. From here, It is just a short walk through the old growth forrest covered in dense green moss wher...

Used often for cross country practice, the Lacamas Heritage Trail is a popular gem in Camas, Washington for all citizens. It is family and dog friendly and comes with endless scenic views of the beautiful Lacamas Lake. Parking is free and there are bathrooms at the entrance.

Lacamas Lake is popular for all types of water activities with easy access because of it’s dock and free public parking. This area is family and dog friendly and has picnic tables for a place to sit down and have a nice lunch after swimming. Rope swings can be found along the beach if you’re the ...

This is on the Round Lake Loop trail and there’s a free parking area. It’s a relatively in and out hike that is family friendly but does have some downhill scrambles. Be careful when jumping as there has been fatalities in the past but as long as you’re practicing safe swimming you’ll be okay. 

From the parking area, the Valley of the Giants trail crosses the Siletz River and passes a tranquil picnic spot before beginning a 1.3 miles loop trail through some of Oregon's oldest and largest Doug Fir trees. Many reach 500 years in age and heights exceeding 200 feet. In fall, vine maples exp...

Hug Point is located just 4-5 miles south of the famous Cannon Beach along HWY 101 and is a must stop on any travel along the Oregon coast. Hug Point got its name from the original travelers to this beautiful area. Without the modern day highways we know today, visitors to this rugged coast line ...

After parking in the lot near the mill, walk across the bridge. This is the first good viewpoint for photography. Next, I recommend walking under the bridge, this is my favorite spot for taking photos. The whole area is free to walk around, you can even walk in the mill and then walk up stream do...

Start your adventure by heading to Cannon Beach, Or. Either head west on Highway 26 from Portland, OR. or Highway 101 south from Aberdeen Wa. Plan to arrive at the town a few hours before sunset, the beach stretches a couple miles, and it is awesome to walk along the beach during the day. There i...

The view from this spot is definitely worth the drive, if you're visiting Portland or the Columbia River Gorge area I highly recommend taking the time to stop here. Not a lot of people know about this spot and its likely you'll be the only person/people there!If you get the chance, definitely com...

Head off the 101 to Ecola State Park and drive to the large main car area. From here the trailhead is located just above the restroom facility and is well signed, you can't miss the huge placard. Starting with a few short incline stair sets, you will hit the main roadway; follow the sidewalk for ...

Oregon is full of state parks. Ecola is one of the easiest parks to capture amazing views. The sate park spans 9 miles of Oregon coastline. It's $5 to get in and it's well worth the money (you can also purchase an annual parking pass here).  Many people come to the park to take photos of Hayst...

Just about an hour west from Portland in Ecola State Park you'll find Indian beach. It's a 5 dollar fee to get into the park, but that fee also keeps the crowds out. Once you get into the park just follow the signs to Indian beach just a little ways down the road. This beach is filled with surfe...

From Road's End State Park, map your way to the end of NE Port Street and park on a pull off next to the described gate: on your right you'll see the gate with three skinny trees to the right of it. You'll want to park as close to this gate as possible, this will be in between some houses on a hi...