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Yaquina Head Lighthouse

4.6 (135 reviews)

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No view of anything from here
Catherine P.

I wish I could say the stop at this light house was a great experience but the day we got there was not fun at all. We pulled into the road leading up to the light house and were stopped by a line of cars. No problem, the wait time ended up being 20 min but it was a blue sunny sky day or so I thought. We got up to the guard shack and displayed our national park pass and were told the look out may be packed so to visit the parking lot before for a better chance at parking. As we were driving up the road, the weather suddenly turned overcast and windy. By the time we got to the visitor center there was fog all around us. We decided to try the lighthouse parking lot because of the windy and coldness from the fog and found a few open stalls. Now this is where it got worse. The strength I had to use to force the door open was a lot. Talk about whole body weight to get myself out of the car. Now the other side of the vehicle we had to stop the door from swinging out and smashing into the car next to us. Walking to the light house was miserable with the wind and cold. I snapped one picture and walked straight back to the car. I could have done without the stop due to the time it took to get out there for us to not even enjoy being outside. Hard to think that just down the road at the light it was blue sunny skies. I couldn't tell if the light house was open or not because it said the tours were starting in July but I couldn't find any available tickets via their website. It also seems like they only open availability a month or two out so getting tickets the day of is impossible. You are better off stopping at Umpqua lighthouse in Reedsport for a tour. At least that light house they do tours more than twice and allow you to climb to the lens.

Lighthouse
Lindsey H.

Visited from Eastern Washington with the family. Amazing views and wonderful place to watch wildlife!

H R.

Perched on the edge of the Pacific, Yaquina Head Lighthouse is pure magic. The moment you step out of your car, the coastal wind hits your face and the view stretches endlessly in both directions--crashing waves, rugged black basalt, and that striking white tower standing tall against the sky. We skipped the interpretive center, but met a very nice volunteer docent on the stairs that lead to the rocky beach. She gave us an extensive knowledge of the birds and seals, and some recent history. She even loans binoculars so you can get a closer look. The docents are warm, knowledgeable, and eager to share, they turn a visit into a deeper experience, pointing out wildlife, explaining the lighthouse's history, and offering fascinating insights about the surrounding marine life. A short walk takes you to tide pools that feel like tiny, living worlds. Sea stars cling to rocks, anemones sway in the water, and harbor seals occasionally laze on the nearby rocks. The trails wind to viewpoints where the coastline seems to go on forever. The $7 entrance fee is a small price for what feels like a front-row ticket to nature's best show. Between the views, the wildlife, and the welcoming atmosphere, Yaquina Head Lighthouse is a place that sticks with you long after you've driven away.

Lighthouse
Madison L.

We walked to the lighthouse from our Airbnb and had an incredible visit! The paths are clean and easy to traverse. There are plenty of sings with information about the area. The lighthouse itself is gorgeous and is surrounded by a beautiful view. We loved walking on the rocky shoreline, seeing the seals and tide pools, and exploring the area. If you're in the area, this is a must see!

Diana D.

I love visiting lighthouses and this one won't disappoint you. This is your classic white lighthouse but also the tallest one in the Oregon coast. They do charge a small entrance fee. We went on a weekend in summer and it was moderately crowded. There's plenty of parking spots in the area around the lighthouse. Wonderful views of the ocean and the landscape nearby. The visitor center inside the lighthouse was closed on the day we went, it was still lovely to walk around the lighthouse and learn about the history.

Cam C.

This whole area is sooooooo cool! The lighthouse is beautiful, the interpretive center has so much great info, the tide pools are AMAZING, and the quarry is awesome too. It's one of my favorite places in Newport!

11.25.23 Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Newport OR
May A.

Oregon's tallest lighthouse [Newport OR] Hubby and I love visiting lighthouses. There are two beautiful lighthouses in Newport and the Yaquina Head Lighthouse is one of them. Oregon's tallest lighthouse, she stands at 93-ft tall. It is located on the westernmost point extending a mile out into the Pacific Ocean from the coast. We did a self-guided tour around the perimeter of the lighthouse. There are plenty of interpretive signs to read along the paved trail towards the lighthouse. It had withstood winds and rains over the years since 1872. It took approx one year and over 370,000 bricks to build. We stood at the foot of the structure and savored the sight of Oregon's tallest lighthouse on the Central Oregon coast and with the majestic Pacific Ocean as the backdrop. We were not able to tour inside the lighthouse. We usually try to but I think we had to make reservations way in advance plus I'm not sure we could climb 114 steps that day. It was still nice to see. Review #3257

Sierra W.

Such a beautiful view point and beautiful lighthouse! A must stop along the Oregon coast. They do charge $7 fee upon entrance if you don't have a national park pass but sooo worth it. For some reason cobble beach was closed sadly so we just stopped by the Yaquina Head Interpretation Center before leaving. Definitely recommend stopping by, but be prepared parking gets busy!

Patrick S.

The BLM manages this beautiful piece of history very well. The headlands are well maintained and preserved for all to enjoy. Lots of wildlife and a rich history as a lighthouse give you so much to see do and learn. The tide pools are great below the light house during low tide. The interpretative center provides a great deal Of information about the area and it's history. Worth a stop. We've been to the are many times and generally gravitate to the outdoors options. Often times there is wildlife in cobble beach and the staff does a great job of helping to maintain an appropriate amount of space between humans and nature so both can coexist with interference. Entry fee is affordable. We use our national parks pass to get in which is a nice bonus. I highly recommend stopping here whenever you are in the area.

View of Yaquina Head Lighthouse from tidal pools on Cobble Beach.
Sparkle H.

Another incredible experience @ Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area near Newport, OR. !!! What a great St. Patrick's Day!! I absolutely love visiting this beautiful site. It has so much to offer from man-made structures of the glorious 93 foot Yaquina Head Lighthouse, Interpretive Center, and Quarry Cove to preserved nature sites of tide pools on Cobble Beach, views of Agate Beach, and hiking areas galore! This Outstanding Natural Area is exceptional and well-maintained by the State of Oregon, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. Breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean with protected land & sea animals comfortably enjoying their day and basking in the sun. Numerous parking areas throughout, as well as countless picnic tables, benches, and clean bathrooms.

Scott M.

A picturesque lighthouse surrounded by nature with a museum that explains everything that you might see on your visit here. If you're in to birdwatching or whale watching, or if you just like to hike some trails or relax and enjoy a moment of pure coastal/natural bliss, this is a great spot to do any of that. The grounds are immaculately kept, and the museum has a variety of informative exhibits that provide a nice guide to go along with your experience as well as a gift shop. There is a nice paved path that runs along the water to the lighthouse, as well as a road that allows you to drive all the way to it in case you don't feel like walking. This is a bureau of land mangement area so there is a small fee at the gate, or you can use a national park pass to gain entry. No reason not to stop here and take it in if you're passing through. Definitely worth an hour or so of your time.

Kim R.

This is a very fun and interesting place to visit! Beautiful, albeit windy, grounds with trails, a gorgeous lighthouse, and a special beach. We found the beach to be the best part, so unique! Black, smooth, cobblestones make up the entire beach. The sounds they make under foot, as well as the music the waves make as they toss them around...truly awesome. Cherry on top was getting to enjoy the seals playing around in the water just a few feet away. We didn't get to spend enough time, lots more to see and enjoy next time!

View of the lighthouse from the walking path.
Jim W.

After (mistakenly) visiting the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, we drove the few miles here to Yaquina Head Lighthouse. The approach road intersects with Hwy 101 and there are signs for this. You proceed about a mile to the large parking lot for the visitors' center. You then have the option to drive the remaining 1/3 mile to the much smaller lot adjacent to the lighthouse or you can walk on a pedestrian trail which has great views of both the ocean and the lighthouse as you approach it. We checked out the visitors' center first. They had some exhibits on the construction and function of the lighthouse, plus local wildlife including whales. This was popular with families with shcool-age kids. The ranger on duty advised us that parking could be an issue out at the lighthouse, so we then opted to just walk the rest of the way. It was a sunny day and we had jackets against the wind. It turned out to be a nice walk with good opportunities to photograph the lighthouse. You also can see the hill which rises just behind the visitors' center; there appeared to be paths up to the summit, though we did not hike that. Parking did seem scarce at the small lot at the end of the road. There were quite a lot of people at the large circular plaza around the base of the lighthouse. Most were checking out a large rock with thousands of birds. However, there was also a passing whale, which you could see every couple of minutes as it came to the surface for a breath. I had never seen a while in the wild before, so it was an extra treat! The ranger indicated that (depending on the season) it was a good spot to see whales. I thought this was a highly worthwhile stop on our drive.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

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Nice stop in Newport. Worth the visit for the view, the history and the tide pools l.

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Ask the Community - Yaquina Head Lighthouse

Review Highlights - Yaquina Head Lighthouse

The light house is cool and the views can be amazing on a clear day, but for me, the tide pools are the real draw.

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Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area - Gull posing at Boiler Bay  May 25, 2023

Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area

4.6(41 reviews)
0.0 mi

Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area is just amazing. But I will admit that I am heavily biased in…read moremy opinion as I love Newport, Oregon and could easily see myself having a second home here. Perhaps even a primary home as well but I do like living in a large metro area because of the various services and entertainment options at your disposal. I have been to this Natural Area twice now and it's just so beautiful! The first time I really took advantage of taking pictures of the lighthouse here as well as the view. The second time was a repeat of that particular activity but in addition to that we went down to the tide pools and were immediately entranced with all of the aquatic life in those pools. We took pictures of that and were just so revitalized immersing ourselves in the nature there. I t was beautiful and simply amazing. Really nothing else needs to be said other than if you are touring along the Oregon Coast and are hitting the lighthouses this is a must stop... well they all are actually but this one really is. There is another lighthouse on the south end of town so Newport has scenic and at another time more practical advantage of having two lighthouses in the same town all within very close proximity. Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area is truly a beautiful place!

You can't miss this place! It does cost a few dollars to drive in, I believe it is free for bikers…read moreand walkers. They direct all traffic through the visitor's center where you can ask the knowledgeable staff about anything and grab brochures and maps if needed. We went up to the lighthouse, down to cobble beach and the tide pools, and everywhere in between, it was so much fun. It was sunny and started raining after we arrived, it's fantastic either way. We were here close to low tide, so that helped improve our tide pool experience, but you can't go wrong fitting this into your schedule while on the coast!

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Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area - Yaquina Head - side action while we were watching the seals

Yaquina Head - side action while we were watching the seals

Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area - Siletz Bay at low tide, 
 5-24-2023

Siletz Bay at low tide, 5-24-2023

Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area

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Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

4.3(35 reviews)
3.6 mi

May 2024 visit. We…read morehad to stop by twice to catch them when they were open... and I'm so glad we did. My favorite part was the view, but I also enjoyed exploring the old lighthouse. It's pretty small but the self guided tour was free so we didn't mind. I currently feel more peaceful just thinking about being there.

I just visited the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse a couple of weeks ago (in the beginning of March) and it…read morewas open for tours. This is the original, smaller, and, in my opinion, the more interesting of the two lighthouses in Newport. This lighthouse is built into an actual three-story house, which you can walk through most of. Although it was not possible to walk to "the top," I'm not aware of any lighthouse that is currently still allowing this in 2026. (Lighthouse lenses are extremely expensive, and, unfortunately, it's not difficult to imagine how one or two bad tourists might have ruined this for the rest of us.) But you can still walk through the first three stories of the house, and I thought that was pretty cool. On the first floor of the house, there was a replica of a fifth order Fresnel lens, which is the smallest standard size lens used in lighthouses. For the lighthouse enthusiast, it's really interesting to compare the size of this lens to the much larger first order lens at Heceta. I also found it interesting to think about the lightkeeper walking through their actual house with hot oil, rather than filtering it in an oil house and then carrying it up to the separate lighthouse. While the rooms were roped off, it was possible to walk right up to the doorway of each one, and see that they were filled with replica furniture similar to what would have been used in the late 1800s. Eventually, this small lighthouse was replaced by the much larger Yaquina Head Lighthouse, which is 4 miles to the north. The Yaquina Head Lighthouse was not open for tours when I visited, but I've seen pictures, and it looks almost exactly like the Heceta Lighthouse, except it's still whitewashed. So, in my opinion, this smaller lighthouse is actually more unique, and maybe even more worth visiting than its replacement. This Yaquina Bay Lighthouse is managed by State Parks. Parking is $10/day or free with an annual pass. The Yaquina Head Lighthouse (the newer, taller one 4 miles to the North) is managed by BLM, which charges the same daily use fee, but is covered by a different (federal) parking pass. So, you can't see both with the same pass. If you absolutely have to choose, in my opinion, Yaquina Bay has the better lighthouse, while Yaquina Head has the better beach, museum, and hiking trails.

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Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

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Historic Newport Bayfront

Historic Newport Bayfront

4.5(2 reviews)
3.3 mi

Fun place to walk around, go through shops and galleries, eat lunch and take in the view of Yaquina…read moreBay and Bridge, and the various wildlife. There are a variety of restaurants available. Our favorites are Clearwater and Local Ocean. We love seafood and they have the freshest fish varieties. There are many cute and quaint gift shops and galleries to explore. There's a wide range of options, including yummy treats! The Sea lion docks are fun to visit, although pretty stinky. You can definitely smell the fish coming in off the fishing boats and being processed. Not the best smell, but a clue that fresh fish is available. There are also museums you can visit along the bayfront, namely Ripley's Believe it or Not and the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center. There are kayak tours and discovery boat tours. Such a wonderful place to visit. There's something for everyone. Highly recommend!

Awesome views and just a great place to relax with plenty to do and see nearby…read more We came for a spot to eat lunch and luckily found a great parking space. Paid for an hour and just enjoyed the views. Ther was a fish monger working nearby and feeding the seals with scraps of fish. The breeze was perfect for how sunny it was sitting in our car. We didn't walk around as we had family waiting for us. We've been here before and there are lots of resend shops of all kinds to explore but parking can be a problem. Just be pat, spots open often.... if you're lucky.

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Historic Newport Bayfront
Historic Newport Bayfront
Historic Newport Bayfront

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City of Newport - A lovely ocean front park near Nye Beach dedicated to the Vietnam Vets!

City of Newport

3.5(11 reviews)
3.0 mi

Yet another lovely, quaint little coastal town in Oregon - and another great spot to base yourself…read moreout of while exploring the coast. But be sure to spend a little time relaxing and exploring Newport as well - there's lots to see here and it's such a chill town! There's tons of history here. The Yacona Tribe were the original inhabitants and their lineage can be traced back around 3,000 years. Newport's Bayfront is full of seafood processing plants - you can even watch them working in some of them! So it's no surprise that this town is known as the Dungeness Crab capital of the world! And one more FUN FACT: the longest road in the US (US Route 20) starts in Boston and ends here in Newport - now I have a new road trip bucket list item haha! There are several sections of Newport and the two I'm most familiar with are Nye Beach and the Bayfront areas. Nye Beach has some decent restaurants and cute little parks along the beach front, as well as hotels and a wide sandy beach that has dramatic tidal changes. The infamous Yaquina Head Lighthouse can be seen from certain parts of the beach - it's nearby and totally worth exploring as well (famous for being featured in the movie The Ring). The Bayfront area is my fave - you get views of the lovely Yaquina Bay Bridge from all angles, and it's full of awesome shops and restaurants and even fishing piers - all with killer views of course. Be sure to get the crab dip at Gino's - it's phenomenal. And you MUST stop in Femme Fatale to satisfy your morbid curiosities! The people are just wonderful - so friendly and welcoming. Outside of the quaint little areas I mentioned, Newport also has all the regular mod cons you could need in terms of grocery stores and fast food and fas stations - it's growing fast and definitely not remote but still somehow manages to be relaxed and peaceful. Been coming here a lot over the years since I first visited and no doubt l'll make my way back again - sooner rather than later lol! Highly recommend!

I've been coming up here from southern Oregon for decades ,fishing and camping, then moved here a…read moreyear ago. Parking downtown bayfront was always free until a couple months back. During the winter when this area is a ghost town the locals are not happy about a parking fee. The city gets a nice money grab during the summer, about 4 months, then locals are left to support that area of restaurants, plus pay to park. This does not set well with locals from my interaction as a vendor at various markets. I love this place and will support it in other ways. Maybe a yearly pass sticker for county residents could work

Photos
City of Newport - Views from one of the piers along the bay front

Views from one of the piers along the bay front

City of Newport - Another park along the trails around Nye Beach all about whales!!

Another park along the trails around Nye Beach all about whales!!

City of Newport - One of the many fish plants along the bay front- tons of fresh seafood here! Newport is the Dungeness Crab capital of the world!

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One of the many fish plants along the bay front- tons of fresh seafood here! Newport is the Dungeness Crab capital of the world!

Ripley's Believe It or Not! World of Adventure - Just a cool artifact

Ripley's Believe It or Not! World of Adventure

3.4(99 reviews)
3.3 mi

SO MUCH FUN! Just went to Ripley's Newport for the first time today and had a blast! My wife and I…read morewere highly entertained and had a wonderful time here. Growing up on the Ripley's Believe It Or Not books as a kid and visiting a few of them when I was younger, finding out there's a Ripley's Believe It Or Not in Newport is what got us to make the six hour drive down there and it was so worth it! First of all, Ripley's is right there on the incredible Newport waterfront just a rock's throw away from world class restaurants, several great shops and the famous Sea Lion dock where for 10-11 months a year, you can watch dozens of Sea Lions just below your feet and all over the Bay. We had the best time hanging out down there, trying all the restaurants and watching the Sea Lions. Ripley's was divided up into four different parts. You have the Ripley's Believe It Or Not section, you have the Wax Museum section and you have two different game sections. I was kind of worried if I was going to enjoy Ripley's. Would middle aged old broken down me love this as much as twelve year old me? Yes, yes I did! We had so much fun going through the museum of the odd and the interesting of Ripley's. All of the neat exhibits, interactive things and photo opportunities were hilarious and so much fun. We laughed our way through the whole thing and loved it! There's many different sections to it. Also kids will love this place because there's a whole cave area you can crawl around in. The staff at Ripley's were excellent and so nice to us! I stupidly lost my ticket (which you need to access all the different things here) while broken down middle aged old me was army crawling through the Ripley's caves. The staff was so cool helping us and letting us into each different part of this venue even though I had stupidly lost my ticket. Very cool, very impressive, great people. The wax museum was a lot of fun. Tons of photo opportunities! And if you're going with your significant other or your family, you'll definitely want to take lots of pictures and save those memories. We enjoyed all of the different parts of the wax museum including my all time favorite thing at Ripley's which is the distortion tunnel! The two games there were a really cool addition! I've never experienced either one before but really loved playing my wife in both of them. The first one is a really fun game where you have to hit the most lights lighting in a sequence. And there I was, broken down middle aged old me running as fast as I could laughing like a moron slamming lights in sequence trying to beat my wife who was doing the same thing on the other side of the arena. The second game was so much fun where you could either work together to try to hit the most lasers or work together to try to avoid the lasers. I found myself throwing myself on the ground like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible and trying to worm crawl under a series of lasers that would've spelled our doom if we tripped them. The games were a really fun and unexpected addition to our Ripley's experience. I could see how this might not be for everyone. But growing up on Ripley's Believe Or Not, this was such a wonderful experience. We originally came down to Newport on a complete whim because we were shocked there was a Ripley's so close to us. Not only did we absolutely love this Ripley's but we discovered Newport which is an absolutely amazing coastal town and probably our new favorite holiday destination. 6/5 would recommend for anyone with a sense of humor or who enjoy weird and silly things. Ripley's was about two hours for us and it was perfect going there and then enjoying the rest of the Newport waterfront, all of the sights and the world class restaurants there.

A very informative and quirky visit with lots of sights to see and learn. The sculptures were cute.read more

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Ripley's Believe It or Not! World of Adventure
Ripley's Believe It or Not! World of Adventure
Ripley's Believe It or Not! World of Adventure

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Yaquina Head Lighthouse - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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