Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area

Accepts national park pass but is not a national park. Very friendly rangers. Short walk to the lighthouse and beach, but the walk up is a lot of stair climbing. Bring good shoes for the beach as the tide pools are fun to explore but are very slippery at low tide. At high tide you will hear the amazing sound of millions of rocks being moved every time a wave comes in. Hidden gem of the Oregon coast.

Rain or shine. Oregon coast has always to offer. This place is one of my favorites to visit. The view is amazing, the sound of waves on the rocks is so relaxing. Kids enjoy they will learn a lot about this place.

I came with family because I absolutely love lighthouses. This one is no exception. Despite being a windy day, it was a beautiful place to go and we didnt have to pay to park. Located on the edge of the coast, it was quite windy but there were whales visible from the lighthouse. Tide pooling was closed, but a quick hike up the hill was worth it for the amazing view! Staff were friendly too. They have it set up so its a one-way walk, and the visitor center is closed. But you feel safe going and exploring the area. Definitely would go back!

A lovely lighthouse on the coast near Newport. The road all the way up to the lighthouse is closed but its just a short walk from the parking lot to the lighthouse, maybe a little over a quarter of a mile. The view of the coast from here is gorgeous and for some reason they are not charging entry fees at this current time. Spotted a whale which was pretty neat. We went on a gorgeous sunny day with hardly any wind and the flies were a bit annoying but other than that, a wonderful stop.

Not open due to renovations and well, you know but the beach was fantastic as the walk up the hill

We are happy we made a stop here. The ticket for a car costs $7 and can be used for 2 days. Its a beautiful area full of view points. You can drive all the way to the end where you have the lighthouse and then take the steps down to Cobble Beach where you can see the tidal pools. There are walking trails that lead to the hills or just along the areas near the main drive. Nice place to enjoy the nature and see the magnificent waters, we saw surfers, seals, birds. If youre lucky, you might even see whales!

Beautiful lighthouse and amazing views (I assume.) We visited during the wildfires so it was so shrouded in smoke that it was a bit eery. Definitely cool. With current restrictions the lighthouse itself was closed and being renovated. No fee was charged for accessing the park area for this reason.

This is one of our favorite places. We purchased an annual pass (very reasonable).High tide and the soothing “rock ‘n roll” of the cobblestones are such a unique beach experience. Low tide tide pool viewing is spectacular. The lighthouse and views of Agate Beach and Yaquina Bay Bridge to the south and Otter Rock and Depot Bay to the north are very picturesque. Viewing seals and abundant bird life with the occasional treat of a Gray Whale blow spout is what makes all of this among our favorites.If visiting, please be cognizant of the wildlife and considerate of this being their home.

Great ocean views. I could sit and watch/listen to the waves for hours.

This place has a lot to offer! All of the park staff was extremely friendly and willing to answer any questions you may have. Not only did it make it desirable to go check out the extremely cool lighthouse (theres something about them to me that makes them feel like Im experiencing history first hand) BUT you also get an opportunity to check out sea life too. Assuming you can walk down the several flight of stairs you can go down and with low tide (recommendation: call first and ask when the tide is the lowest so you have the best viewing possible) but you can even touch the sea life! This was a very neat stop and would encourage anyone to go visit this place. There is a fee to get in like most National Parks but I thought it was extremely reasonable (~$7 I think) for what you get to experience. P.S. dont forget your National Park stamp book if you have one!

Nice place to take a walk, watch the foamy tides hit the rocks, and sight wild life if you are lucky. You can also take a tour of the lighthouse, we didn’t, but there were three slots, (1, 2, and 3 pm) all full. There is parking pretty close to the lighthouse, you can also park at the information centre, see their little nice exhibit and walk from there. We were surprised that they accept the national park annual pass for entry. So do show it if you got it. We enjoyed our visit.

I thought it was going to be boring turns out it was it was very interesting. Fun to go on the little tour about the lighthouse and learn the history of it. Also a bonus was the tide pools, my son loved it. Plus great views all around.

After a short walk from the parking lot, you’ll be met with a breathtaking view of the coast with a lighthouse in the background. Tours of the lighthouse are available, but need to be reserved if I remember correctly. The beach isn’t packed, but there are a lot of people. There are multiple flights of stairs leading down to the rocky, scenic beach. Be cautious on the beach, it can be hard to find your footing on the wobbly stones and slick rock. I would recommend wearing sandals or sneakers. There is a lot of interesting wildlife in the tide pools, such as urchins, starfish, and crabs. I throughly enjoyed my visit and I guarantee that you will too!

Nice place. Entrance fee but they accept National Park annual pass.

I love lighthouses. Very easy walk to the lighthouse. Unfortunately the visitor center was closed because of covid. Views from the lighthouse are awesome. I saw whales on the walk up to the lighthouse.

If youre going along the Oregon coast, this is a must-see. They have tours of the lighthouse and and information center. It cost $7 to get in but its totally worth it. Its a nice walking trails and beautiful scenery all around. The tour was free and so well worth the time. It takes around 30 minutes and the guide is just full of information about the lighthouse in the history. So glad we stopped here!

So beautiful. We went down to the tide pools and the rangers were so helpful and friendly, we walked around and saw all kinds of critters and marine life. I would not plan on seeing the tide pools if you have bad ankles or knees, however, as it is about a four story staircase to get down to them and the cobblestones are extremely difficult to walk on, the easiest way I found to walk on the stones was to just stay low to the ground and let yourself fall as needed.We attended a whale watching session that was fun, and took lots of photos of the entire trip. My 5-day park pass was $10 for the car, a three day would have been $7. Motorcycles are $3.

Beautiful location, parking, restrooms and more.

They are not charging the 7 dollar fee! The buildings are closed but the walkways are open and have plenty of room to physical distance. My daughter lives the walk and watching the birds and waves.

Great hiking place with all sorts of beautiful views. Visit the beach if you can and if youre lucky you might see a whale, while looking out by the lighthouse.

Due to covid, all of the buildings are closed, as is the road to the light house, but its a very nice walk. They have also suspended all lighthouse tours. But, they are no longer charging a fee to park! Still very beautiful

In addition to the lighthouse there are some easy hiking trails and a tide pool area on the beach (great for kids).

Awesome tide pool experience! Bring the kids, and the dogs! There are ample park ranges to assist with where to find things and to tell you what youve found. Its a really great place to spend a few hours looking at seals and their pups as well as lots of sea life in the pools.Footing can be tricky for the elderly though.Go! It is so worth it. Theres even a light house!

Beautiful and historic this lighthouse is still in operation protecting our seas. The photo says it all. Be prepared to pay an entrance fee as it is run and cared for by the national parks system. Park passes will get you in, ( you can purchase one there)I highly recommend going through the interpretive center, also. You can sign up for tours of the lighthouse while you are there.

Had a very Nice time at this state park with my mom before she had cancer surgery and unfortunately did not win the battle due to complications and passed away recently. I am so glad she decided to visit here before the surgery and see how beautiful this area is and how well kept the state parks are. Theres a nice lighthouse, eagles flying around and nesting, beautiful cliffs overlooking the ocean and a very beautiful lagoon type area. Theres also a great informational building with attractions and a little theater room and gift store. I highly recommend visiting this place, there is a fee but I think it was only $6 or close to it.

Visit this place you will not regret it! I brought my dog and he was able to easily make the trek. I parked by the main parking lot and took the trail up to the lighthouse.There are also stairs to go down to the beach. Wear decent shoes? The rocks are slippery and you will like break your neck in flip flops. Black sand and shiny black rocks, lots of driftwood as well. Its stunning and a great place to photograph the water and light house.

Lighthouse is closed right now but still worth the stop

Absolutely beautiful, worth the $7 entrance fee, which was waived when I visited on account of covid closing the lighthouse and some of the buildings. Would still highly recommend, especially after covid is over.

Beautiful lighthouse!! It was cloudy, rainy and windy the day we went but location is beautiful.

This place is such a fantastic mix of some of my favorite things - lighthouses and birds! The light is quite picturesque and Im sure on a sunny day would make for some incredible pictures. What I didnt know visiting was that this is also a huge refuge for seabirds! The rocks are nesting grounds for Common Murres (the penguin-like birds in the pictures below) and for Brandts cormorants! We also got to see a group of seals resting on the rocks down in the tidal pool area. This whole area was such a great surprise and I only wish I had more time to explore and hike!

Have visited twice. Absolutely loved it! The views of the ocean are amazing! Unfortunately, there were no more tours either time, but Im sure well catch one at some point.

10/8/2020. Parking lot near lighthouse is closed. Will have to walk 0.3 of a mile to see. I only spent 10 minutes site seeing

Great views! Light house area closed due to it getting painted. Tied pools closed due to covid. Otherwise you could walk everywhere

This is my favorite beach location to visit. Its less than $10 for a car and you have several days to visit many times off of one ticket purchase. There are seals that can be seen from the lower area as well as from up near the lighthouse. The facilities are kept nice and clean while preserving the safety of the wildlife and visiters. This place is also wheelchair accessable.

This Federally maintained area is a superb stop along US 101 if youre making your way down the coast. Vast numbers of migratory birds are present in the summer, as well as hundreds, if not thousands of seals. There are excellent tidal pools that are accessible via trail. Grey whales can be observed migrating from this point as well. The old Yaquina Head Lighthouse is worth a stop in itself. This area is covered by the America The Beautiful Pass if you have one.

If you are in Newport you definitely dont want to miss going over to the lighthouse. Beautiful scenes in every direction here and we had a great time exploring the tide pools with our kids. There were several helpful guides to point us to where the sea-life was and educate us on what we were looking at. I would love to go back again sometime.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse original structure was built back in 1871 or 1872 depending where you look on the web. Lighthouse was opened up an operating in 1873. Amazing Cliff Lane View. There is 258 glass panels and the top portion of lighthouse. It took 4000 bricks to build the structure. Its the tallest lighthouse in Oregon, standing at 93ft. And 114 steps to reach the top . In 2002 the movie The Ring was filmed here.

This was a very nice natural area. The lighthouse was pretty nice, and the cobble beach was amazing. The other cove attached to this area was also nice; it was a regular sandy beach. Would recommend a stop if you have time.

No charge to get in, nice walk. No rain. Great time to visit

Very cool place to visit and the beach and rocks are worth the small trek.

Great in winter when less people are around. Harbor seals like it too

This was an amazing light hike even for a fat woman like me. It felt good to get out and enjoy the ocean and the scenery. The path is a little narrow but, it was still beautiful.

Very pretty area. Kids would have fun checking out Black Pebbble Beach and spot sea animals like mini crabs, sea lions and whales. Besides checking out the light house. There is also a 360° view hike. The hike was easy and you get some beautiful views and nice picture opportunities. A little museum at the beginning of the hill is also include in the ticket price n is nice to check it out too. There is picnic tables on the back of the museum. You can bring your cooler in n have a picnic there.

Bring layers, its hot and cold and windy then freezing and then hot and rainy and hot and sunny and thats just before you get out of the parking lot. the views are spectacular. go to the bathrooms ..... follow the hidden trail up the side of the hill you wont regret it!

Nice and renovated path, disability accessible for wheelchairs and cars with disability passes. did not see any seals that day but that beach usually has seal spotting. beautiful views

Amazing! Light house tour is cool but the tide pools will blow your mind. Lots of animals including seals and star fish urchins. Rangers are great.

Super cool place with tide pools and beautiful views. If youre a tourist, you can get a 5-day pass to 16 Oregon Coast parks for only $10! Definitely worth it because a few of those listed parks were ones I had planned to visit anyway! I saw a Stellar seal lion laying on a rock and lots of California Sea Lions. Im pretty sure thats what these were. I also visited the Sea Lion Caves, so Im pretty much an expert on seal identification. Just kidding. But you should check this one out. The sound of the water receding from the pebbles is insane! The weather was stormy when we went last weekend but it was still fun.

Nice place to escape from the valley and relax.

Amazing as always beautiful and so much to do you can spend the day here.

Beautiful! Very fun hikes! Beautiful views. The tide pools were awesome!!

The lighthouse was cool, the tide pools were interesting for the kids to wander around and see the sea life, Lemon slugs, Starfish, enemies, etc. There is a seven dollar charge at the entrance for the day. Your national parks pass will get you in. There is a separate charge for tours of the lighthouse that take about 45 minutes. Nice spot to get out and stretch the legs.

Unexpected visit but turned out great! This place is well organized, maintained and has a lot of things to discover, with or without kids. Theres a short hike up to the hill where you can see the light house and 360 degree panorama. Its well worth the effort, dont miss this!

Best time to visit is a couple hours before low tide.

We had no idea what to expect when we decided to check it out. We saw the rocks from our hotel and thought it may be a good place to see some creatures at low tide. Almost didnt pay the $7. 00 entry fee, but so glad we did, it truly was exceptional. Not only were the tide pools so much fun to explore, the bird roosts and seal lounge were really cool. And it didnt require a major time commitment to enjoy.

Would have gave it 5 stars but the lighthouse was closed for painting. Still beautiful though.

We had a super fun time visiting the lighthouse and the Rocky Beach. We saw sea life there too! Dont take the rocks its bad luck.

Like the name, its outstanding... But COLD AND WINDY.

Great park! Lots of waking and hiking areas. Wheelchair access to the light house and overlook. Acess to the beach, with cool black sand. At the overlook we even saw whales. The park rangers were also willing to answer the questions asked of them and were knowledgeable about the area and wildlife.

Not too many people here and they wave the entry fee. Nice hike up the hill with great views of the lighthouse and the ocean

Very picturesque with a lovely hiking trail above the light house

Thoroughly enjoyed this stop on my road trip down Route 101 on the Oregon Coast. I love storms and waves crashing and YHONA delivered. Lots of birds and ocean life in the tidal pools and has the most picturesque lighthouse on the coast by far!

In summer, watch for the juvenile bald eagles screaming about whose nesting site is best!

Peaceful setting. Covid protocols are in place

Covid has impacted this place... Otherwise 5 stars.

Secluded, beautiful area along one of the most picturesque coastal stretches in the US. Id never heard of an outstanding natural area designated park unit but the description is apt.I arrived just after opening to a foggy daybreak. Sunrise through the clouds was magical as were the numerous masses of nesting seabirds, tide pools teeming with life and a handsome, stoic lighthouse.Very accessible and family friendly place. Lots of kids and older folks. Visitors center was well done and staffed by friendly folks. Not much to see there exhibit wise but the real exhibits are just out the door.At the tide pools you can see anemone, urchins, starfish, barnacles, mussels, clams, seals and countless seabirds. A park staff member is located at the bottom of the stairs to warm people not to step on mussels and will provide you with a laminated sheet to help you identify what youre looking at! First park Ive been to where Ive seen this.Well worth the trip and the small fee.

Beautiful lots of walking currently due to the virus and social distancing.

This place was really super spectacular, romantic and unique. There is so much to see and describe here but I just love it..

7 dollars to get in but well worth it for the extraordinary views. There are 2 bald eagles that live in the area making it spectacular. This was one of the highlights of the trip.

My family and I loved this place! We spent hours watching 2 whales and some of the harbor seals swimming around Cobble Beach... plus, the lighthouse is beautiful in its own right!

The tide pools are amazing. Great place to take the kids. The rangers there are wonderful.

Beautiful place to visit. Pay to enter $7-14 depending on the number of people in your car. FREE with National Parks Pass. There is a large indoor learning center. Get your tickets to enter the lighthouse there. Lovely views from the lookout areas. Wheelchair/stroller access to overlook the cobblestone beach. Beach access is down 130ish wooden stairs. There are outlook points if you need to stop and rest on the way back up. The beach is cobblestone which makes for an enchanting sound at high tide. Rangers are available at low tide to share information about sea life and tide pools as well as answer any questions. Back at the top there are other hiking trails. Overall delightful place to spend half a day. (Dogs are welcome on the beach, not near the wildlife bird nesting area or inside buildings.)

Beautiful dayLighthouse freshly paintedCompletely restored.Beautiful walkBut confusing parking

Loved it, it was so incredibly beautiful! Highly recommend not missing this, its a must see.

Great views. Staff was friendly. There is a charge for the lighthouse tour. You can walk around it. There are great viewing stations all around it. There are 2 restrooms available across the parking lot. You can take the stairs down to the tide pools. Rocks are slippery even when dry. Wear tennis shoes.

One of the state parks along the coast. Its pretty cool for the kiddos, tide pools will keep them entertained for a couple hours. The flies are horrendous. The view makes it worth it from the lighthouse. Wear your walking shoes!!

Had a beautiful visit here. This is well worth the stop! There is an opportunity to see ocean creatures down at the tidal pools. You can also catch some gorgeous views from the lighthouse itself and the walking trails nearby.

Always love coming here. Beautiful views. The tidal pools are fun too.

ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE WHALES!!!! They are amazing! This place, even though under construction, is an amazing place to venture!

Tide pools were great. Beautiful place.

A Great Place to see seals, whales and abundant birds. Depends on the season what you will see. Trails a museum. 8$ per car. The pass is good for 3 days though.

This is a beautiful area, it is popular but not super crowded. The walk to the lighthouse (if you park at the main building where the tours start) is nice, not long of a walk. Great opportunities for pictures and when I was there, someone had set up some supplies and was painting the lighthouse which was really cool to see! Great history and meaning behind this lighthouse.

Beautiful area! Love the tide pools and the neat cobbles. Cant take dogs in the tide pools or up to the lighthouse, itself, but still loved going there. Saw a pod of whales when we were there last, plus all the birds and sea lions!

This was the only tall lighthouse we saw on the coast. All of the other lighthouses were short and unimpressive. The scenery was stunning, probably because it is a national park site. We were able to go down on the beach and explore the tide pools filled with sea urchins, star fish, crabs, and other small creatures. Also loved watching the sea lions sunbath and hundreds of common murres chatter away. Two whales were close to shore just circling the hour or so we were there. Must either arrive first thing in the am to get tickets or visit recreation.gov the day before to be able to tour the inside of the lighthouse.

A must see stop when in Newport. The lighthouse is surrounded by birds and blooming plants in the spring. The tide pools are some of the best around. Its free to get in with the America the Beautiful pass.

Tidepools, a lighthouse, and wildflowers! What a beautiful place to visit. Theres a fee, but doesnt it feel good to support our park systems? This lighthouse is gorgeous and the tour is fun. Definitely worth the stop!

I go here at least once a week - take some time to get out of your car and explore the multitude of trails! Tons of animals to see if you’re patient enough to look for them! Always a beautiful experience here!

Along with the light house this truly is an outstanding natural area. There are stairs that lead down to tide pools that are always fun to explore.

This is simply spectacular. Beach with round black rock, full of sea-life. The low-tides are amazing.

Lots of outdoors stuff besides the lighthouse which is cool by itself. There are 2 short, rewarding trails and the cobblestone beach/tide pool never gets old. Great for an hour or 3.

Very accessible for older folks (or very young folks, but keep them close!), lots of interesting places that can be easily gotten to. The interpretive center was great, and would be a welcome respite on a cold wet day. Lots of cool historical displays and beautiful display on the wild residents. Ask in the interpretive center if the lighthouse is open for tours (it isnt always). The birding was very good! Saw black oystercatchers, and pelagic cormorants on the rocks, tufted puffins in the water, a bald eagle on the cliff near the lighthouse, and a peregrine falcon on the cliff by the interpretive center, in January!

Great great Interpretive Center! Wonderful displays some give the feeling of being in a lighthouse. Educational film. Two parking lots, one much closer to the lighthouse.

This was easily one of the most outstanding activities we did on our 2 week vacation to and from the west coast. The tide pool area has diverse wildlife and I kind of eeked out over the cuteness of the seals. Although they require you to watch the big animals from a distance you can touch the tiny sea animals in the pools. Binoculars are recommended. Although dogs are allowed, many people with dogs only got so close as the rocks were hard to navigate. Amazing place and worth the $7!!

The tide pools are so incredible. Saw lots of different sea anemones, urchins, sea stars, and seals. Great for nature enthusiasts of all ages!

Beautiful area. Mesmerizing views and just place to reconnect with nature

One of the neatest places I have been to. Loved the sea life and the park service lady gave me a laminated card to identify all the sea life.

Unique round black rock beach! Beautiful views. Lots of whales and seals and birds.

Loved the lighthouse and tide pools. We went at low tide, early in the morning and saw a large variety of sea life. Lots of tide pool critters, seals playing in the waves, a whale feeding just off shore, a large variety of birds, baby sea gulls. It is a beautiful place. The staff was very informative but a bit snobby, they dismissed questions about the whales and just talked about the seals and baby sea gulls. The kids were interested in knowing what the whales were doing so close to shore. The view from the point is absolutely amazing and we have come back to see the lighthouse year after year. Well worth the stop.

Such a cool park. There are some beautiful little beaches. The trails are nice and well kept. The light house is wonderful. The ocean is majestic from the view decks. My family had a wonderful time here. The 7 dollars to get in with a small vehicle is totally worth it.

Absolutely breathtaking. I highly suggest you visit this area.It does cost about 7 bucks for a vehicle to get in and 3 bucks for motorcycle. If you are military just show your ID and you can get in for free.There is a swarm of some funky little flies so make sure to bring something like a light coat to cover your arms and possibly a hat.Theres a nice little trail up a hill/cliff and the view is pretty amazing from up top.You can walk down to ocean too where youll see some seals and sea lions along with whales in the background. The black rock/dirt is pretty cool to witness too.

Beautiful public space. Helpful staff and great nature hikes.