Portland to the Coast (Tillamook, Cannon Beach: how much, to live, beach)

[mamajoy]

We're going to be heading out to visit Tillamook and the coast. Are there any stops in between Portland and Tillamook to get out and stretch our legs. We'll be traveling with kids so breaking up a two hour drive is ideal if possible.Thanks in advance for any advice.

Also, we'll be there the third week in November. Will there be snow then? Should we be concerned about the roads? Thanks in advance. These forums are always super helpful.

[Sherwoody]

You would all love the forest center. They do guided tours through the trails around the property also. I would check if they are open that time of year.

Tillamook Forest Center

[mamajoy]

Thank you! That looks like an excellent place to visit. I've been trying to look for a stop between Portland and Tillamook and it's a shame that it doesn't come up as a suggestion.

Does the area get snow around that time of year? Should we be concerned about the driving conditions? First time visitors from Hawaii so all of this is very new and exciting.

[StealthRabbit]

Plan on wet (drizzle) and 40F (day and night)

Snow is possible, not likely. ~10%,

Plan your trip to avaoid the usual high traffic times (Friday afternoon, Sat AM and Sunday PM)

Drive 2 lane with your lights on.

Drive west coast from Southbound direction so you do not have to cross traffic when exiting for pictures and views.

Find a places to eat with some warm soup.

How much of the coast will you want to see?

In 40 yrs of commuting (15yrs with kids). I have never taken a 'rest break' between Coast and West gorge (~1:20) off traffic commute. Your style may vary. My car goes 1200 miles between gas stations, so my kids learned to live with very infrequent stops.

[mamajoy]

Hey, thank you for all the tips! We're really not going to see much on the coast. We're just going to the cheese factory and Cape Meares. The drive itself isn't too long but I like to try find things in between that may be often missed.

Thank you again, you guys have been wonderful.

[StealthRabbit]

Whoops... I meant to say southbound travel is preferred while sightseeing on the coast via Highway 1.

there are a few things to see around Tillamook / Cape Mears, / Oceanside

If possible the Cannon Beach loop to Tillamook avails some very beautiful Northern Oregon coastline.
my favorites are:
Ecola Overlook
Cannon Beach,
Hug Point State Park
and the driftwood beaches at Twin Rocks

[texasdiver]

There aren't really any good stops along the way other than a few pullouts to see the views.

Stealth is talking about taking highway 26 from Portland to the coast which is the most direct route and then driving south along 101 to Tillamook. This is a nice drive. The direct route to Tillamook is via highway 6 which is more curvy and less traveled. Going to Tillamook via 26 will add about an hour to the drive to account for the extra miles driving down 101 but it is very scenic.

Tillamook itself is not on the ocean, it is on Tillamook Bay. You have to go another 20 minutes or so to get to the actual ocean. But the beaches along the Tillamook coast are very nice and much more remote because they are off the main highway 101. You can drive over to Oceanside for some very nice beaches and then go up and visit Cape Mears State Park and lighthouse which is now a museum. Very nice.

[DKM]

It can be very stormy that time of year. You should make a backup plan in case a storm rolls through and closes the road because of slides and downed trees (personal experience). Rain and wind are likely but not certain. Snow is not out of the question on the pass, but unusual before Thanksgiving. I would take an AWD just to be safe.

[PippySkiddles]

Originally Posted by DKM

It can be very stormy that time of year. You should make a backup plan in case a storm rolls through and closes the road because of slides and downed trees (personal experience). Rain and wind are likely but not certain. Snow is not out of the question on the pass, but unusual before Thanksgiving. I would take an AWD just to be safe.

In all the years I lived there that Never happened.

[oregon911]

In November it gets dark really early and you don't want to be on Highway 6 when it's dark. The road is very curvy and there is no lighting. Your headlight is the only light source you'll have for many many miles.

Also the road has higher than average altitude and it gets snow unexpectedly. I've seen days where Portland was sunny and warm and it was snowy on Highway 6.

It's a great drive during summer though.