Oregon Coast
Rugged northwestern beaches
The Oregon Coast is the Pacific shoreline of Oregon, stretching roughly 360 miles from the Columbia River to the California border.
Known for dramatic sea stacks, rugged headlands, and public beaches—Oregon law guarantees access to the entire coastline.
The region draws visitors for its tide pools, whale watching, and small fishing towns like Astoria and Newport: We spent a week exploring the Oregon Coast.
Pacific Northwest seaport
- SeasideCoastal town name
- TillamookOregon cheese producer
- NewportRhode Island coastal city
- FlorenceTuscan capital city
Brookings · Gold Beach · Manzanita · Oceanside · Wheeler
Low-lying cloud cover
- marine layerLow ocean-born cloud cover
- wind-sweptExposed to strong currents
- stormsViolent atmospheric disturbances
- driftwoodSea-delivered shore lumber
dramatic · moody · misty · overcast · temperate · mild · rainy · winter storms
Steep natural rock walls
- dunesWind-formed sand ridges
- bluffsMisleads about one's position
- headlandsLand projecting into water
- covesSheltered coastal indentations
sea stacks · beaches · shoreline · rocky · craggy · steep · erosion · terrain
Searching shores for flotsam
- clammingGathering bivalves from sand
- crabbingPursuit of crabs
- surfingRiding waves standing up
- kayakingNavigating slim watercraft seated
tidepooling · Aquarium · cheese factory · saltwater taffy · fish and chips · chowder · roadtrip · Highway 101
Huge sea mammal
- sea lionEared flippered marine mammal
- sealAuthentication stamp or mark
- otterSemi-aquatic weasel relative
- puffinStocky auk, bright beak
pelican · cormorant · gull · bald eagle · salmon · Dungeness crab · starfish · anemone
Tentacled polyp or bloom
- starfishFive-armed marine invertebrate
- hermit crabCrustacean occupying abandoned shells
- urchinNeglected street child
- chitonDraped Hellenic attire
sculpin · mussel · barnacle · limpet · sea lettuce · rockweed · periwinkle · shore crab
Conifer misnamed for another genus
- western hemlockNorthwest coastal conifer
- old-growthLong-undisturbed forest
- temperate rainforestMild, wet forest ecosystem
- canopyOverhead protective covering
understory · fern · salal · rhododendron · huckleberry
Guiding light source
- historicOf lasting significance
- fog signalWarning sound in murk
- maritime heritageSeafaring cultural inheritance
Astoria
Pacific Northwest seaport
Florence · Brookings · Gold Beach · Manzanita · Oceanside · Wheeler
fog
Low-lying cloud cover
- marine layerLow ocean-born cloud cover
- wind-sweptExposed to strong currents
- stormsViolent atmospheric disturbances
driftwood · dramatic · moody · misty · overcast · temperate · mild · rainy · winter storms · king tides
cliffs
Steep natural rock walls
coves · sea stacks · beaches · shoreline · rocky · craggy · steep · erosion · terrain · outcrop
beachcombing
Searching shores for flotsam
kayaking · tidepooling · Aquarium · cheese factory · saltwater taffy · fish and chips · chowder · roadtrip · Highway 101 · campgrounds
whale
Huge sea mammal
- sea lionEared flippered marine mammal
- sealAuthentication stamp or mark
- otterSemi-aquatic weasel relative
puffin · pelican · cormorant · gull · bald eagle · salmon · Dungeness crab · starfish · anemone · urchin
anemone
Tentacled polyp or bloom
- starfishFive-armed marine invertebrate
- hermit crabCrustacean occupying abandoned shells
- urchinNeglected street child
chiton · sculpin · mussel · barnacle · limpet · sea lettuce · rockweed · periwinkle · shore crab · sea cucumber
Douglas-fir
Conifer misnamed for another genus
- western hemlockNorthwest coastal conifer
- old-growthLong-undisturbed forest
- temperate rainforestMild, wet forest ecosystem
canopy · understory · fern · salal · rhododendron · huckleberry
beacon
Guiding light source
- historicOf lasting significance
- fog signalWarning sound in murk
- maritime heritageSeafaring cultural inheritance
- Northwest LandmarksSpace Needle, Mount Rainier, Crater Lake, Mount St. Helens, Olympic National Park
- Pacific CoastPacific Ocean, beach, sand, Pacific beaches, kelp
- scenic roadsscenic overlook, vista point, scenic route, mountain pass, panoramic view
- West CoastCalifornia, Sierra Nevada, Death Valley, Washington, Mojave Desert
- West Coast LandmarksGolden Gate Bridge, Hollywood Sign, Space Needle, Alcatraz, Yosemite
- US WatersGulf of Mexico, Chesapeake Bay, Great Lakes, Puget Sound, San Francisco Bay
Oregon CoastMiami Beach
Florida Atlantic coast resort
Hawaiian beaches · Mediterranean coast · Baja California · Côte d'Azur · Florida coast
Oregon CoastGreat Plains
Central North American grassland
East Coast · Nevada desert · Arizona desert · Maine coast · Gulf of Mexico
Oregon CoastMojave Desert
Southwestern American arid region
Arizona desert · Death Valley · Florida Keys · Las Vegas · Phoenix
coast, coastal, coaster, coastline, coasting, Oregon, coasted, coastwise, Oregonian