Oregon Coast Aug/Sept

[QT Luong]

I will be driving from the SF Bay area to Crater Lake next week. Once at Crater Lake, I will have about with 3-4 days left in Oregon before returning to California. I plan to be mostly on the Oregon Coast. So far, I have photographed mostly on the southern part of the Oregon Coast. Would it be worth it to go as far north as Cannon Beach ? What would be the locations not to be missed on the coast for scenics/landscape/travel shots? Should I even try to look for forest/waterfalls shots, or will it be too dry at this time of the year ?

Tuan.

[Robert Brummitt]

I will be at Florence, Oregon for the 28 to the 29th. Check out Hugg Point.

[Brian Ellis]

I don't have a lot of experience with the Oregon coast and so wasn't going to respond but since no one else has I'll mention a couple things.

I don't know how far north you've gone so maybe you already know Shore Acres State Park (or maybe it's State Reserve, it's Shore Acres something or other) near Charleston but the park itself and places in the immediate vicinity (Sunset Bay State Park, Cape Arago, et al) are places I've liked. Plenty of cliffs and seascape type photographs and then the wonderful "rock art" carved out by the sea that's on the north side of Shore Acres.

As you drive north from the Charleston/Coos Bay area you'll be driving next to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. This is a stretch of about forty or fifty miles of sand dunes.

If you go as far north as Yachats, park in the Adobe Resort parking lot and walk around the north end of the Resort to the edge of rocks above the ocean (takes about three minutes, the parking lot is huge and I don't think they'd mind you parking there even if you aren't staying at the Resort). There you'll see a path heading north along the ocean. The path goes on for a mile or so and I thought there were lots of interesting things along the way, especially in early morning or late evening with the tide out.

The area in between Florence and Yachats is one of the prettiest of all the Oregon coastal areas I think. However, access isn't easy because it's one of the few areas where you can't pull off to the side of the road. But if something looks sufficiently intriguing you should be able to find a way.

Cannon Beach is nice and you can make panoramic photographs of it from Ecola State Park or get down on the beach itself for the cliffs, rocks, etc. If you stay at The Inn at Otter Crest (not inexpensive) just south of Depoe Bay you'll be able to access their private beach which I thought was terrific at low tide for tide pools and that sort of thing. I happened to see one of the greatest sunsets there I've ever seen.

Cape Lookout is an area I see mentioned a lot but I didn't think the hike out there and back (five miles up and down and up and down and up and down, my wife and I refer to it as the "Death March") was worth it so I wouldn't bother. I wasted the better part of a day there.

I've only spent about five days total photographing in the area between Shore Acres and Cannon Beach so I'm not an expert. The places mentioned above are the only specific locales I remember but I think that if you drive along the coast almost anywhere between Florence and Cannon Beach you'll see plenty of things worth photographing. Oregon has done a very good job compared to some other states of keeping the coast accessable so you can photograph just about anything you can see.

I don't know of any waterfalls along or near the coast. Maybe they're there and I just haven't seen them. The major falls in central Oregon where I live haven't dried up but I don't know about other areas.

[Alan Davenport]

Ecola State Park was already mentioned and is worth your time. Also, if you have time you might check out Oceanside, near Tillamook. There are some interesting sea stacks at Oceanside, but which are only accessible via a tunnel that was dynamited through a basalt headland about 80 years ago, and I think only at low tide, FWIW.

[Christopher Perez]

I think Cannon Beach is nice. Not as much fun as Bandon. Still, nice. If you have the time, rent a house in Manzanita just south of CB. In between is an amazing old forest that is sometimes worth the effort to haul out a camera.

[QT Luong]

I think Cannon Beach is nice. Not as much fun as Bandon. Still, nice.

Does it mean I'd be better off staying in the South ? Last time I was in Bandon, it was raining so I didn't get much.

[Ben Hopson]

There is plenty to photograph on the Oregon coast and you probably would not be disappointed going to the Canon Beach area, but if you have the opportunity to catch Bandon when the weather is more agreeable you are in for a treat. If you do go to Bandon don't miss Shore Acres. It is well worth seeing and photographing. As Brian mentioned, it is in the Charleston / Coos Bay area and you may find some good photo opportunities in both those places as well.

The first year I went to Bandon (this September will be the fourth in a row) there was a foggy misty day, too iffy to be down on the beach, so we ended up going to the local junkyard and my best images from the week were from that day. At times there is a bunch of good abstract subject matter in the junkyard. Now it has become part of the trip to Bandon to check it out.

Ben

[brian reed]

I just got back from the Oregon coast, I had 3 blah grey overcast days, and I spent 2 days in Bandon and the wind never stopped blowing. I didn't get much 4x5 photo's.
However north of Lincoln City take the Munson Creek Falls turn off of 101. The falls is flowing quite nicely. also there are lots of moss covered trees you may find interesting.
On the Cape Lookout state park by Pacific City, on the three capes scenic drive, the trail that heads out to the point there are many nice moss covered spruce trees, very nice on a foggy day. If you like flower photos then Shore Acres is the place, especialy in spring and early summer. there were still plenty of flowers ,but the wind was blowing quite fiercely. Oceanside has the 3 arch rocks which you'll find many post cards of.
have a good one
BR

[Doug Dolde]

It ain't on the coast but the Painted Hills Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds is worth the trip. About an hour (or less) east of Prineville. When I drove down the coast from Vancouver Island to Cambria in May I made a detour to the Painted Hills. Amazing.

http://www.painted-with-light.com/images/site/OREGON/OR9.jpg

[Capocheny]

Great shot Doug!

My wife and I are looking to head down the Oregon Coast as well... so, your posting is perfect timing QT! :)

Cheers

[Graham Patterson]

Sounds like a popular destination this year - my wife and I will be around Florence and Lincoln City on the 29th / 30th, en route to Portland. Should make a pleasant change from I-5, even if the fog is in 8-)

[Stuart Lane]

I was at the Crater Lake area 5 weeks ago, and the waterfalls between Crater Lake & Glide along highway 138 were running very strong. Most require a bit of a hike, but many are less than a mile, uphill but good trails. Alas, I could not take an LF camera with me, but next time I'm driving, not flying!

[mdvaden]

Looks like a photo disappeared.

You've probably seen dozens of Oregon coast images, but here's some of my favorite spots in this album...

Oregon Coast Images (http://www.mdvaden.com/album_OregonCoast.shtml)

One thing about the Oregon Coast, if you want to do photography, you might want a back-up plan in case the fog remains all day. For example, if you are near Newport, maybe you can photograph inside the aquarium.

If you are near Oswald Park, maybe you can photograph ferns and trees in the forest - maybe birds.

It's common for the morning fog / mist to lurk around until 11am or 1pm. Not always, but it's common.

Lincoln City is okay, but from there, up to 20 minutes north of Tillamook, is not too dramatic.

If you want the famous angle of Cannon Beach's Haystack rock at sunset, note that there is "No Parking" enforced exactly where you want to take the photo. So you need to park several hundred feet away, and walk to the spot on the road uphill from one residence. That's if you want the uphill shot.