Goonies Film Locations in Astoria, Oregon and Beyond

Historical Kids West

There are several absolute classic hits for the 80’s crowd and the Goonies is one of them! Whether you’re a Steven Spielberg fan or a film fam, Goonies brings out the adventure in all of us. Famously filmed in Astoria, Oregon, these Goonies Film Locations are worthy of your road trip to the Pacific Coast! Although the Goondocks itself isn’t a real place, Astoria very much is!

I’m so thankful my kids LOVE travel as well as 80’s movies so when we drove 9000 miles and tent camped across the country, we made it a point to visit the Goonies film locations in Astoria, Oregon! Below are some favorites not to miss for the real Goonie at heart!

From the list below, I recommend starting at the Film Museum, visiting all of the houses and Astoria locations first, then enjoy as much time as you can at the beaches and state park!

the Oregon Film Museum (former Clatsop County Jail)

The Oregon Film Museum should be your first stop in Astoria, Oregon. Located on 732 Duane Street in the old Clatsop County Jail, this is where Mrs. Fratelli springs Jake Fratelli out of jail. While the county jail is mostly untouched from the 80’s and predominately Goonies related, you’ll also see other great film exhibits for Twilight, Kindergarten Cop, National Lampoon and more.

If you’re not a Goonies buff you may not enjoy the film museum as much but you can go inside the famous jail cell and even lay on the bed! There’s FANTASTIC Goonies artwork and life sized cutouts with plenty of opportunities for photo opps. The film museum is pretty small so this will not be a long stop.

Don’t miss the actual jeep used by the Fratellis parked right in front of the jailhouse!

Cannon Beach

Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock are famously used in many movies, but in the Goonies it is seen as the police chase the Fratellis through the streets of Astoria before ending up in the middle of a motor rally on Cannon Beach. This is where the Fratelli car chase ends.

Haystack Rock is also the rock that the Goonies used to navigate the map – it’s one of the tallest sea stacks in the world! What you don’t typically see in movies is actually how green the top of Haystack Rock is! It’s actually a protected area for puffins and other sea birds. At the base of Haystack Rock is a prime spot during low tide to see many amazing animals in tidal pools like starfish, sea urchin, and so many more.

You can learn more about tidal pool animals on the Pacific Coast here.

Ecola State Park

scenic ocean view Ecola Beach State Park

One of the most beautiful views in the area is found in Ecola State Park. (also seen in Twilight!) Several areas in the park were used for the Goonies film. The Fratelli’s hideout (Lighthouse Lounge), the Goonies treasure hunt when they were on their bikes (Indian Beach trail), and several others.

However, the abandoned old Lighthouse Lounge cafe that was used as a hideout by the Fratellis was actually built specifically for the movie and later removed so it is no longer there.

Cauldron Point – Goat Rock Beach

The final scene from the Goonies film was actually shot at Goat Rock Beach in California although many people assume it was shot at Ecola State Park as well.

Flavel House Museum

The Flavel House is a gorgeous historic museum now but in the Goonies it’s where Mikey’s dad, Mr. Walsh, worked as a museum curator. Located in Astoria at 441 8th Street, you can watch the Goonies cycle down the hill past the museum in search of One Eye’d Willie.

The Flavel house was once the retirement home of Captain George Flavel. It’s a whopping 11,600 square feet and was built in the late 1800’s. You can step back into the 19th century and explore the house and it’s grounds on a self-guided tour. There is much history of the Astoria area here and a great way to spend an hour or a few hours if you have them.

the Walsh family home

The Walsh family home is the famous headquarters for the Goonies! Perhaps one of the most iconic scenes from the film and the trickiest to access! Please do NOT drive up to the house – it is a dead end street for residents only and you will not easily be able to turn around. Please follow any signs you see posted on the street out of courtesy for the residents.

You will need to park a few blocks away and walk uphill for this sacred location! It is located at 368 38th Street and is also near Data’s house. As with any personal property please look only from the road and do not walk up to the house!

Data’s House

Remember the zipline that stretched from Mikey’s house to Data’s house in the Goonies? Yep – you can see this blue house on 304 38th Street. In fact it’s a good place to park near before walking up to the Walsh house.

Mouth’s House

Although far lesser known in the film, you can drive by Mouth’s house at 32 Skyline Avenue in Astoria.

Astoria Coffee Company

The Astoria Coffee Company in the film where Rosalita is seen crossing the street as the Fratellis speed past with the cops in pursuit is located at 304 37th St.

Lower Columbia Bowl

Remember the scene where Chunk is holding his pizza and milk shake and sees the car chase through the window? This is viewed from the Lower Columbia Bowling alley – 826 Marine Dr.

The Now Movie Locations has even more then vs. now film photos from the Goonies!

Nearby Places NOT to Miss!

If you’ve made the trek to Astoria there are a few places within driving distance that make an amazing addition onto your journey! Below are a few places in Oregon (and beyond) to consider adding to your itinerary.

Fort Stevens Park – military fort, beach, shipwreck Peter Iredale
Seaside Aquarium – feed the sea lions & swing at the beach
12 Waterfalls Scenic Loop on Columbia River Gorge
More destinations on the Oregon Coast
Portland – Voodoo Donuts, Shanghai Tunnels, Chinatown, Old Town Pizza (haunted)
Wings & Waves Waterpark
Brigittine Monks Monastery – artisan chocolates, fudge & truffles
Mt. St. Helens volcano (furthest away approx. 70 miles)
Ape Caves (approx. 104 miles)
Sea Lion Caves – Florence, Oregon

Camping and Exploring at Fort Stevens State Park

Campgrounds Historical West

Camping and exploring at Fort Stevens State Park in Hammond, Oregon (near Astoria) is such a fun experience no matter what age you are! The area is rich in history, adventure, and wide open spaces! It’s also home to the Peter Iredale shipwreck which has been some of my most popular content on my site!

Although I’ve lived in the south and Midwest, I have found my way back to this park several times over the past decade. My entire family is huge fans of the Goonies (filmed in Astoria), so Fort Stevens State Park is a GREAT place to camp and explore nearby.

The state park is located at the mouth of the Columbia River and expands almost 4300 acres! My first visit there I made the mistake of leaving just one short day to visit the park so the next time I made it out there we decided to camp on site and leave more time to explore!

Exploring Fort Stevens:

Fort Stevens was the primary military defense system on the Columbia River from the Civil War through World War 2. There’s a great museum on site full of displays and even a military vehicle you can climb into! Most of the fort and military structures can be self-explored! Any areas you are not allowed are clearly marked off – mostly due to deterioration and safety issues.

There are two things I really love about Fort Stevens:

The beach!
Exploring the fort!

Of course there are so many things to do here, but those are my two favorites! I do recommend, however, that you bring sweatshirts and/or rain gear if you plan on exploring because the weather on the coast can be quite chilly, windy and wet!

I highly recommend bringing a flashlight (or use a flashlight app on your phone) as tunnels can be dark! If you love urban exploring our country’s old military forts like this are fantastic places to explore! (Fort Pickens in Pensacola, Florida is another great fort similar to Fort Stevens.)

Fort Stevens was the first military fort my kids really remember exploring. It’s amazing to see how visiting a location like this can really capture their interest far more than a history textbook in school! It really makes tangible locations come alive for them.

Fort Stevens is the only Civil War era earthen fort on the west coast and as you can see in these photos many of the structures and concrete artillery gun batteries are open for exploration. In the summer time they even offer underground tours but you need to call ahead of time.

Unfortunately we were not able to line up a tour with the dates we were in the area but I definitely want to take one the next time we go back!

You can see the toll time and weather has taken on the fort. I really appreciate that most of the structures are still open for walking through though!

Make sure to wear good walking shoes when you visit Fort Stevens Stat Park as there are 15 miles of multi-use trails in the park! There’s even a disc golf course and a freshwater lake (Coffenbury Lake) which allows swimming, kayaking, fishing (stocked with rainbow trout) and boating.

And of course there’s the beach too! Everything in Fort Stevens is clearly marked so you don’t need my directions to get around! Once you drive into the state park just look for the large signs pointing you in the direction you need to go. It’s so much larger than I had expected it to be!

My kids here were 4, 9, and 11 years old when we visited and they all had a great time! This vehicle near the visitor’s center was especially cool for my kids to climb into!

Throughout our road trips across the USA we have come across quite a few areas where Meriwether Lewis had been. Battery Lewis was built in Fort Stevens in the late 1800’s and was of course, named after Captain Meriwether Lewis.

It was deactivated in the early 1900s. It is a two story battery containing a shot room, a powder room, shot chambers, and tool rooms (although there are no guns currently on display in this battery).

Just walking through the fort you can imagine how huge the guns and equipment would have needed to be to fit mounts inside the fort. Imagine the work it would have taken in the 1800’s to put these weapons into place!

The Peter Iredale Shipwreck:

Another popular “attraction” inside Fort Stevens State Park is this famous shipwreck. This is some of the remains of the Peter Iredale shipwreck. You can see more photos and read more about its history here.

This area of the northern Oregon coast is known as what has been called the “graveyard of the Pacific”. We’re talking over 2000 shipwrecks in this area alone! If you’re interested in more shipwrecks that you can view and explore without getting wet read our article here!

Camping in Fort Stevens State Park:

The Fort Stevens campground is one of the largest campgrounds in the Oregon State Park system. It has over 500 campsites (including yurts and deluxe cabins!) and can accommodate everything from RVs to hikers! We tent camped during our stay here. You can get reservations for the campground here. We spent roughly $40ish/night with hookups and dump station.

giant starfish on oregon coast beach tidal pools

History & Where to See the Peter Iredale Shipwreck – Oregon Coast Travel

Historical Oddities West

Shipwrecks are so fascinating to me, but I had long given up hope of seeing many since I am not a diver. That is, until we stumbled across the Peter Iredale shipwreck on the Oregon Coast! I’ve since written the article on Where to See Shipwrecks Without Getting Wet for those of you who don’t dive but are interested in viewing history!

the Peter Iredale Shipwreck on the Oregon Coast

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the Peter Iredale shipwreck multiple times over the years (as I’m deeply in love with the Oregon coast!) and the sad but fascinating thing about the shipwreck site is that erosion and weather has vastly changed the ship over the years.

It’s been a local landmark since 1906 and is one of the most photographed shipwrecks in the world! (mostly because of it’s complete accessibility in low tide!) You can discover more things to see on the Oregon Coast here!

The History of the Peter Iredale:

Oregon Shipwreck Peter Iredale Shipwreck — Our first visit to the Peter Iredale Shipwreck in 2014

The Peter Iredale was a four masted steel ship in the Pacific Coast Wheat Fleet whose home port was Liverpool, England. She was originally 287 feet long, 30 feet wide, 23 feet deep – but that of course has changed over the years since her grounding.

Why did the Peter Iredale run aground?

On October 25, 1906 there was dense fog causing visibility to be difficult, and strong southeast winds which pushed the Peter Iredale into the breakers in Clatsop Spit. <Clatsop Spit is a giant sand pit (formed due to the sediment of the Columbia River) located on the Pacific Coast long U.S. Route 101 between Astoria and Tillamook Head.>

The sand pits there have taken over 2000 vessels in its history known for its danger of running ships aground just like it did with the Peter Iredale. The area became known as the “Graveyard of the Pacific”. Although there were no casualties the day the ship ran aground (in fact the ship occupants could have just walked to shore!), the ship was deemed a total loss.

two boys standing in front of Peter Iredale Shipwreck

In order to salvage some of the cost of its damages, the steel plates (above ground) were salvaged by the Pacific Iron Works of Astoria. It was stripped of everything of value. and today you can see the remains of what is left! (Although the rudder is now on display in the parking lot of the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria.)

looking through Peter Iredale shipwreck to ocean

Due to the salt water you can see that the rust and weathering is taking its toll on this ship. There used to be much more of the ship visible. Today, during low tide, you can just make out the bare outline of the length of its ship where the masts fell as you walk around the shipwreck. You can see tons of photos of the Peter Iredale over the years on Google with a simple search.

(The shipwreck is visible no matter what the tide is at!)

Where is the Peter Iredale Shipwreck?

The shipwreck is inside of Fort Stevens State Park in Hammond, Oregon (just outside of Astoria). Fort Stevens is also part of Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. Once you’re inside the park just follow the signs to the shipwreck! You can’t miss it! They’ve done a fantastic job with their signage in the park!

The signs will take you to a parking lot along the beach. Just walk to the top of the sandy hill next to the parking lot and you can’t miss the shipwreck – it’s literally right there on the coastline! I will warn you, however, that it can be extremely windy and COLD – even in the middle of summer! I highly recommend bringing a sweatshirt or jacket!

close up of rusty shipwreck remains on beach

Every time we’ve gone down to the beach it’s been very windy, bone-chilling, and sometimes even rainy. Check out some of the animal life you can see along the Oregon coast here!

We absolutely LOVE exploring Fort Stevens State Park though and usually camp there when we are in the area. Fort Stevens was a military installation which guarded the mouth of the Columbia River. Although it was built near the end of the Civil War, it’s 4300 acre park, shipwreck, and military structures are open to the public for exploration today!

Explore More Popular Posts:

Animals in the Tidal Pools and on the Oregon Coast

Nature West

It’s no secret that the Pacific Coast is one of my absolute favorite places in the USA to road trip. Below are some of the animals in the tidal pools that you’ll see on the Oregon Coast as well as up and down the Pacific Coast.

Ochre Sea Star

These big purple and orange starfish are always my favorite to look for on the Oregon coast tidal pools! The further north I travel on the coast the more I tend to see although you can find these sea stars along the entire coastline.

Definitely look for them at Canon Beach and the northern areas of the Oregon coast clinging to rocks!

Fun Facts about the Ochre Sea Star:

Its Latin name is Pisaster ochraceus.
They come in purple, orange and brownish-red.
Scientists aren’t sure how the sea star gets its colors.
Ochre sea stars can live for over 20 years!
They eat barnacles, snails, limpets and mussels.

Sea Slater:

If you’re looking for sea slaters you’ll be looking for cliffs on Oregon coastal beaches like Seal Rock and Ecola Beach State Park where sea slaters love to hide inside the cracks. (Although they can be found along the entire Oregon coastline.

These are very skittish creatures and it took me quite a while to get the photo I did above as they move quickly! These critters tend to hang out in rock crevices at around high tide lines so don’t look too low if you’re searching for them.

Fun Facts About the Sea Slater:

Its Latin name is Ligia pallasi.
Also known as a rock louse or sea roach.
Sea Slaters are isopods.
They breathe using pleopods which require the animal to stay moist.
They live up to 2 years.

Check out this interactive map to see where Sea Slaters live!

Giant Green Anemone:

green sea anemone tidal pools Oregon Pacific coast

Giant green anemone are easy to spot and prolific along the Oregon coastline! These were easiest and the first wildlife for my children to spot along the coastline as we drove up the Pacific Coast Highway.

If you gently lay your one finger on the top of the anemone you can watch it’s sticky feeling tentacles close up around your finger. You are triggering it’s response to capture its prey.

Fun Facts about the Giant Green Anemone:

Its Latin name is Anthopleura xanthogrammica.
They can be found as far north as Alaska and as far south as Mexico.
It mostly eats small fish, crabs and mussels.
They use stinging cells to capture prey (although they are harmless to humans).

Purple Sea Urchin:

sea urchins in Pacific ocean tidal pools oregon

These fragile beauties are a little harder to spot in tidal pools than anemone but just as beautiful! You never know when you peer over that next rock into a tidal pool when you’ll find an army of purple sea urchins!

Fun Facts about the Purple Sea Urchin:

Purple sea urchins are edible! People eat the meat inside called uni.
Sea otters and sea stars also eat purple sea urchins.
Overpopulation of purple sea urchins are damaging California’s kelp forests.
Purple sea urchins can “walk”.
The toothlike plates that surround an urchin’s mouth are called “Aristotle’s lantern.”

Crabs:

Shore crabs: (like the one shown above)

Shore crabs are the most common crabs found on the coastline. These guys can be found both in the water and on the shore!

Hermit crabs:

Contrary to popular belief hermit crabs can actually smell dead or dying snails and then will use their shells as a home, they do not kill snails for their shell. Although they may battle other hermit crabs over the same shell.

As hermit crabs grow larger they need to continually find larger shells. They are also nocturnal which makes them hard to be found on the shore line!

Sand crabs:

Sand crabs look far different than your typical “crab” appearance you might expect, and can be found burrowing in the shifting sand of the shore line under the waves. These wave breaks bring fresh plankton which is food for the sand crab.

You can actually monitor the health of a beach based on the sand crabs. It is also referred to as the Pacific Sand Crab or Mole Crab. DID YOU KNOW? Sand crabs can only move backwards! Not side to side or forward!

Other Animals in the Tidal Pools:

Barnacles
Chiton
Snails
Limpet
Sculpin
Sand Dollar
Nudibranch

Other Sea Creatures that Wash Up on the Beach:

One of my FAVORITE ways to see new sea creatures that wash up on Oregon beaches is by following the Seaside Aquarium FB page! They do a fantastic job of posting curious things washing up on the beach and educating the public about what they find!

During our trip to Hug Pointe State Park, one of my favorite spots on the Oregon Coast, my daughter found a huge jellyfish on the shore front at low tide!

I HIGHLY recommend NOT touching anything washed up if you don’t know what it is! Several types of jellyfish (among other sea creatures) can still leave quite the sting if touched!

Man times you’ll find jelly blobs on the beach which I’ve always generically referred to as comb jellies growing up in Florida. However jelly blobs can be a huge number of different things such as sea gooseberry, hooded nudibranch, eggs from sand snails, lugworm eggs, jellyfish and much more!

Other places to visit in Oregon:

Are the Sea Lion Caves Worth Visiting in Florence, Oregon?

Nature West

The Oregon Coast is my absolute most favorite place to be in the United States – hands down! I LOVE the ocean, caves, and had seen sea lions up and down the coast. So I was wondering if it is worth seeing the Sea Lion Caves in Florence, Oregon? The reviews online are pretty brutal but here are the pros and cons. Then you can decide are sea lion caves worth visiting?

My kids and I were on a 9000 mile road trip (yes 9000 miles!) so as you can imagine our budget was meticulously planned out. When planning our trip I had decided not to visit the Sea Lion Caves based on reviews and cost as we drove through Florence simply because we wanted to spend our money elsewhere. It’s not cheap. Adult tickets will run about $14 each which is a bit steep.

I knew we would see sea lions up and down the coastline, and although we’re pretty hard core cave fans, we didn’t have an unlimited budget on such a long trip. BUT we literally drove past the Sea Lion Caves on US 101 and we had some serious FOMO (Fear of Missing Out!) so we turned our van around and decided to visit. We literally drove past it and turned around to go back! Crazy I know!

Why did I turn around? Because of this sign right here in the front of the building. The Sea Lion Caves is the LARGEST sea cave in the USA. I’ve been in 40+ caves in the USA and I just literally can’t drive past a cave without stopping. And how could I pass up seeing the largest sea cave in the US!?

Open in 1932, the Sea Lion Caves is a privately owned wildlife preserve and bird sanctuary. None of the animals are caged or enticed to be here. This is a natural safe haven for sea lions, birds, and whales.

I gulped a little as I paid the admission price and prayed it would be worth the cost. There’s no doubt the view was stunning as pretty much any ocean view off of US 101 is!

I honestly wasn’t really sure what to expect. Most of the reviews I’d read online had simply said it was an expensive way to see a bunch of sea lions. But it ended up being more than that. Although of course viewing the sea lions in the cave is touted as the experience, there were other things to see and do. For us, it was a great way to pass an hour or so after driving in the car for so long.

As we were walking down the steep hill to get to the cave entrance I realized that there were several observation areas looking out to the ocean. It wasn’t until I got to the furthest one and looked down that I saw hordes of sea lions basking in the sun. If you’re going to visit, make sure you go down every long path or stair case – the views will be your reward!

We’d seen sea lions up close at Pier 39 in San Francisco as well as some in Astoria and at Yaquina Head, but I’d never seen SO MANY in one area! I wish I’d brought binoculars to see them closer but it was very cool.

Before we went down into the caves we also saw a mama whale with her baby hanging out in the cove area. It was the first time any of us had seen a whale in the wild so it was an amazing experience. It was hanging out there for the full 1-2 hours we were there and constantly on the water surface rolling around. My kids were so excited!

Once you take the elevator to get down into the sea cave it’s much more than JUST a sea cave! They have signs and exhibits you can read about that tell you more about this famous sea cave. In the middle of the floor is also an area where you can see a sea lion skeleton. I wasn’t expecting such a nice set up.

As you can see above the amount of sea lions inside the sea cave doesn’t disappoint! We also saw (and heard) plenty of pigeon guillemot which was a new species for us to see. They were quite interesting!

Be forewarned though – the sea lion caves smell exactly as you would imagine with hundreds if not thousands of sea lions in and out! It was really fun though watching the sea lions swimming about and loudly barking. I could have stayed there and watched much longer if my kids weren’t with me!

Remember, we’re animal lovers and cave nuts so this attraction was a great experience for us. I definitely wish I had binoculars as well for inside the cave. If you’re truly on a strict budget and can’t spare the cost of admission it isn’t the END of the world if you skip it. But if you need to stretch your legs, can’t miss seeing a one of a kind attraction, or are obsessed with nature and caves like we are, you’ll want to stop here.

I’m really glad we turned around and visited the Sea Lion Caves in Florence, Oregon. It was a great place to stop and stretch our legs on the Pacific Coast Highway and we left feeling like it was worth the stop. Yes, it is essentially a tourist trap, but I’ve never been to anything like it and enjoyed our time there.

A lot of reviews said they spent 15 minutes there but with the 5 of us in our family watching the educational videos, reading the signs, taking both trails to see the various observation points as well as the extra staircase inside the cave we ended up being there about 45-90 minutes(ish).

You’ll need to be able to handle some short steep trails and up to 40 stairs to get around. Plus a bonus – there’s a pressed penny machine AND benches to sit at once you get down the stairs from the gift shop!

Other Pacific Coast Adventures:

Best Places to Stop when Driving Up the Oregon Coast on a Road Trip

Nature West

There are so many amazing places to visit on the Pacific Coast Highway but these are some of my favorite places to stop when driving up the Oregon coast on a road trip. Truly the best way to travel this vacation is to just hop in the car and leave yourself a minimum of a week to meander and wander up the coastline. That’s how we’ve approached this and to be honest I wish I could move to the Pacific Northwest – it’s the most beautiful place in the United States!

Ecola State Park Oregon Coast scenic view

We’ve actually done this road trip several different ways but this article will take you from the southern Oregon coast up to the northern Oregon coast. There are tons and tons of scenic stops along the way and if you have the time – take every single one! We didn’t find a bad view. It is absolutely stunning and gorgeous the entire way up the Oregon coast. Grab a water bottle and your jacket and let’s go!

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Coos Bay, Oregon

From a railway museum to a pioneer cemetery, printing museum, and several state parks – Coos Bay is steeped in history and beautiful views of the Oregon coastline. Choose your visit carefully or you could find yourself lost indoors in cool museums instead of enjoying the beauty outdoors.

Sea Lion Caves – Florence, Oregon

The Sea Lion Caves in Florence are pretty well known and a popular tourist spot for seeing gobs of sea lions. If you’re on a tight budget, however, you may want to skip this attraction and just keep an eye out for other sea lions on your way up the Oregon coast! If you’ve got the time and the funds though, this attraction is popular for a reason! Read more about it here!

Thor’s Well – Yachats, Oregon

Maybe you’ve come across a stunning photograph of Thor’s Well on Pinterest or Google – crashing waves spitting up outside of a hole in the earth at sunset. But what you might not know is that capturing those photos are incredibly dangerous and can only be done at high tide. (My photo above is at low tide.)

To be really honest this is probably the one stop I would have skipped simply because of the danger and the fact that it looks nothing like all of those gorgeous flowing waves you see online unless you’re risky enough to go at high tide.

Just before the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center in Cook’s Chasm, Oregon you can park on the west side of Highway 101. It isn’t well marked and you’ll have to climb down onto the rocks which are completely flooded at high tide.

Seal Rock State Recreation Site – Seal Rock, Oregon

Seal Rock was another fantastic surprise that we discovered along the coast on our road trip. It’s an absolutely ginormous rock cliff that you can fairly easily climb down to the beach next to. You can see my husband standing on a large rock with Seal Tower majestically overshadowing him! There are some tidal pools of course here as well but we really just enjoyed the enormous cliff structures and views of the ocean!

Yaquina Head Lighthouse – Newport, Oregon

In order to see Yaquina Head Lighthouse you’ll need to pay a fee to enter the grounds and understand that any tours that might be available fill up fast! We pulled in during the morning hours to grab our tour time and came back later to do the tour. However don’t let this deter you from going – it’s an absolutely breathtaking view and can be very windy so bring a jacket!

Behind and below the lighthouse are several flights of stairs that lead to the rocky beach below where you are sure to see sea lions or harbor seals in the ocean. Bring some good walking shoes for this rocky beach – you definitely won’t want to be barefoot here! There are also tidal pools as well.

Where to Look for Tidal Pools on the Oregon Coast:

I grew up in Florida and one of my favorite things about the beach was the amount of sea life I could find everywhere! But NOTHING prepared me for the amazingness of tidal pools on the Oregon coast! I had never been to such colorful diversified tidal pools before! We stopped (I think) at literally every scenic point on the way up the coast so if you’ve never seen tidal pools before – LOOK FOR ROCKS!

Seriously – I quickly learned the first way to spot a tidal pool is to scan the beach for large rocks and boulders that sea life would attach itself and hide behind. Climb up on top of the rocks (but be mindful of strong waves!) and look down in between rock beds and at the base of large rocks for your most abundant sea life.

Lighthouses on the Oregon Coast

lighthouse spiral stairs on Oregon coast

As you can imagine with it being a coast line Oregon has no shortage of fabulous lighthouses. In fact just visiting lighthouses would make an amazing road trip by itself! This photo guide of lighthouses is perfect for your themed road trip! These are some of the lighthouses you can look up and schedule into your road trip:

*Tillamook Rock – abandoned and in the distance but seen from Ecola State Park
*Cape Meares
*Yaquina Head
*Yaquina Bay
*Cleft of the Rock – privately owned
*Heceta Head – visible from the Sea Lion Caves
*Umpqua River – Oregon’s first lighthouse
*Cape Arago
*Coquille River
*Cape Blanco
*Pelican Bay – privately owned
*Warrior Rock Light – on Sauvie Island

Mariner Square – Newport, Oregon

If you’ve got the time for an extra half day stop and a little cash to burn Mariner Square in Newport is another fantastic lazy day to walk around and enjoy the sunshine! There you’ll find the Oregon Undersea Gardens, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, and The Wax Works. (Don’t forget to check Groupon to save money on tickets!) Bigfoot fanatics especially will enjoy the Ripley’s here.

And the Oregon Undersea Gardens is small but the featured aquarium show in the bottom of the boat is absolutely top notch! I absolutely LOVED it! Just down the street is a fabulous little sandwich shop / fish market where you can eat your deli sandwich and watch them process the freshly caught fish in a production line through a glass window.

Depoe Bay, Oregon

Depoe Bay is a great spot to stop and stretch your legs or schedule a whale watching trip! If you’re looking for a great beachside town to relax in then I’d definitely consider this one! Otter Crest Loop, Boiler Bay State Wayside and Fogarty Creek State Recreation Area are all popular spots to stop here!

Haystack Rock – Cannon Beach, Oregon

You don’t have to have ever been to Oregon to know about Haystack Rock which is probably the most recognized rock formation across the USA. What surprised me, however, is the greenery I saw growing on the rock formation! Normally you only see the Haystack Rock outline so this was a pleasant surprise! In fact it’s a protect bird sanctuary and you cannot climb on the rocks past the base!

There are oodles of tidal pools here in Cannon Beach and this is where was saw the BEST giant purple and red / orange starfish on the coast! Look at the sides and bottoms of rocks just around the water line! There were plenty of tourists and it stays pretty busy here but is still totally worth going to see this iconic view! Finding lodging nearby is rather pricey, however, and camping is near non-existent. But we did pass Wright’s for Camping which is really close to the beach (but probably too tight for your biggest RVs!).

Ecola State Park – Cannon Beach, Oregon

Ecola Beach State Park was first brought to my attention in our quest to visit the Twilight film locations in the area and I wish we had spent more time here! This is definitely on my list to see when we go back to Oregon! The scenic views were my favorite on the coast and produced dozens of stunning ocean photographs like you see above. It stretches 9 miles of coastline with plenty of tidal pools to see, surfing opportunities, hiking trails, scenic views, secluded coves and even an abandoned lighthouse!

One note of caution if you are driving an RV or camper trailer, I recommend leaving them at your campground if possible! The road to get into Ecola State Park was narrow and windy and had me holding my breath in our tiny rental car! I was SO thankful we weren’t driving anything larger in!

Hug Point State Recreation Site – Tolovana Park, Oregon

Hug Pointe State Park Oregon coast beach

Hug Point is one of my absolute favorite accidental discoveries on our road trip up the Oregon coast. Be mindful of high tide times as you could technically get stranded if you’re not paying attention! Hug Point is an absolutely fascinating must see section of beach on the Oregon coast!

Before the Oregon Coast Highway was installed rocks were literally blasted out of the cliff sides so that stagecoaches could “hug” the shoreline and pass through the area. They could, however, only drive across these rocks at low tide.

You can still see a stretch or two of this original historic Oregon “highway” blasted into the side of cliffs. It’s absolutely stunning! It is slippery up on the “road” so be careful – but definitely walk it! It’s worth the view!

waterfall Hug Pointe State Park Oregon beach

If you want further down the beach a little ways you’ll be delighted to find some waterfalls and a rather large sea cave that you can walk into as well! But bring a flashlight – it’s very dark in there! And again, be mindful of the tidal times! When we stopped at Hug Point the first time we had absolutely no idea what was there and so this was one of my favorite discoveries!

Seaside Aquarium – Seaside, Oregon

The Seaside Aquarium is small but absolutely fantastic! I highly recommend going here and if nothing else following them on Facebook. They are super active there and frequently share images of what has washed up on the seashore there! My personal favorite was feeding the sea lions! Look how cute he is! They do tricks and everything too and the fish you buy for them is extremely reasonable!

Oregon Film Museum – the Goonies Trail – Astoria, Oregon

Aside from visiting film locations for the Twilight movies was my husband’s passion to see anything related to the Goonies movie from the 1980’s! Unless you are a die hard Goonies fan, I would not recommend visiting the Film Museum. It is rather pricy and very small. My husband, however, was totally geeking out like I had never seen before so I was happy for him.

The museum is actually the old Clatsop County Jail and was actually used in the opening chase sequence for the Goonies. There are a few other film props in the museum but all I remember is Goonies props and decor everywhere! If you’re looking for an AWESOME Goonies gift check Etsy here!

And of course in town we HAD to visit the Goonies house! It’s up a steep dead end hill so we had to park and walk up. Do a google search though because last I heard they had closed the road off to Goonies fans due to privacy issues. As you can imagine there are tens of thousands of people clogging their little street each year! I’m so thankful we got the chance to go!

Fort Stevens State Park – Hammond, Oregon

This photo is in front of the Peter Iredale shipwreck – right on the shoreline at Fort Stevens State Park! This is another location we should have spent more time at – although it was FREEZING the day we went in June! Fort Stevens State Park has 4300 acres including beaches, this shipwreck, forests, wetlands, and a military defense installation used from the Civil War to World War II that is quite impressive! They even have a campgrounds there!

We could have spent hours walking through the old fort area and another few hours up and down the beaches – just an absolutely (huge!) fantastic place with very good signs directing you to different areas of the park.

the Oregon Film Museum (former Clatsop County Jail)

Cannon Beach

Ecola State Park

Cauldron Point – Goat Rock Beach

Flavel House Museum

the Walsh family home

Data’s House

Mouth’s House

Astoria Coffee Company

Lower Columbia Bowl

Nearby Places NOT to Miss!

Exploring Fort Stevens:

The Peter Iredale Shipwreck:

Camping in Fort Stevens State Park:

The History of the Peter Iredale:

Why did the Peter Iredale run aground?

Where is the Peter Iredale Shipwreck?

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Purple Sea Urchin:

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Crabs:

Shore crabs: (like the one shown above)

Hermit crabs:

Sand crabs:

Other Animals in the Tidal Pools:

Other Sea Creatures that Wash Up on the Beach:

Other places to visit in Oregon:

Other Pacific Coast Adventures:

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Coos Bay, Oregon

Sea Lion Caves – Florence, Oregon

Thor’s Well – Yachats, Oregon

Seal Rock State Recreation Site – Seal Rock, Oregon

Yaquina Head Lighthouse – Newport, Oregon

Where to Look for Tidal Pools on the Oregon Coast:

Lighthouses on the Oregon Coast

Mariner Square – Newport, Oregon

Depoe Bay, Oregon

Haystack Rock – Cannon Beach, Oregon

Ecola State Park – Cannon Beach, Oregon

Hug Point State Recreation Site – Tolovana Park, Oregon

Seaside Aquarium – Seaside, Oregon

Oregon Film Museum – the Goonies Trail – Astoria, Oregon

Fort Stevens State Park – Hammond, Oregon

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Where we’ve been