Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area

This is a great place, a true example of BLM doing it right! It must be one of the most beautiful views on the Oregon coast.

I have visited this area twice now (different vacations). The tide pools are spectacular, the cove is fun, and the whale watching is one of the coolest things I have ever seen! We came the first time during nesting season for the birds, which was cool to see, and the second time we came in the summer, when all the babies have grown up.
This is the surrounding area of Yaquina Head lighthouse, so try to get a tour and climb up to the top of the lighthouse and learn about how it works too!

They don’t allow large groups to go together. Our extended family met together from far away places and couldn’t go in, even though they allow sixteen so only eight of us could go. We had eight random people we had to go with. Doesn’t make any sense.

We stopped, but the lighthouse was closed. However, we got to enjoy the breath taking views. We also took the stairs down to the waterfront where we encountered the best tide pools!

I visited the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area with my family of four during our stay at nearby South Beach State Park. We have an America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Pass that covered our otherwise $ 7 entry fee.
Unfortunately, there was a thick covering of fog that obstructed what I’m sure would have been an amazing view. However, a ranger helped us spot a grey whale — one of several that have been hanging out in the area lately. We also saw lots of harbor seals and several species of birds. The tide was pretty high so we couldn’t see the tide pools that are often visible. The cobblestone beach was very cool.
The lighthouse was not open for tours up inside, but it was beautiful from the outside.

Beautiful views of some amazing Oregon coast scenery I highly recommend! Also, if you’re into bird watching there are crap loads of birds here. They all look relatively the same to me, but if you’re a bird watcher this is a good place.

A few days after the government shutdown ended (for now), we visited Yaquina Head. We got there at 11am, the first tour occurred at noon but was booked, so we signed up for the 1pm tour. It does seem like if you have a busy schedule, you should get there when the interpretive center opens to sign up for a tour. After signing up, we went to lunch and came back about 30 minutes before the tour started to walk around.
Admission into the park is generally $ 7 but with a lifetime membership for the National Parks, the entrance is free.
The park is very well maintained. You can walk or drive from the Interpretive Center to the lighthouse. We walked — it was ¹⁄₃ of a mile. Near the lighthouse is an amazing view point down some stairs. You can actually walk to the pebbled beach there. It was nearing high tide so didn’t stay down there long but it was a gorgeous view of the coast. There weren’t any seals on the beach the day we visited.
The tour of the lighthouse was 45 minutes. We enjoyed learning about its construction, the life of a lighthouse keeper in the late 1800s, and the history of the lighthouse through the 1960s. It’s about 114 steps to climb to the top and there are places to stop along the way. The stairs and railing were well built and I didn’t feel like I would slip and didn’t experience any vertigo. The lens at the top is the original lens and the lighthouse is still active today.
This is the first lighthouse we climbed up/​got to go inside and we think it was a great one for that.

Disappointed. Went back after the initial visit to try to get in the lighthouse and couldn’t again. The passes are all given away in the morning and I would have had to wait over an hour for the next tour. You can see other coast areas for free, but if you want to spend $ 7 to see the outside of the lighthouse it will be worth it to you.

Check the tide tables and come here at low tide. The tide pools are great and they have plenty of helpful rangers to answer any questions you might have. We had a great time!

Of course it gets five stars. The light house is a snore (what one isn’t?) and no one could go in the day I visited anyway.
This location is home to THOUSANDS of murres each spring, seals and their pups, and I even saw a whale!
The day I visited it was free. I don’t know if it is worth it to pay, but it might be.

This place definitely has some outstanding views! I absolutely love the view of the coast, and I thought the $ 7 (for our whole car) I paid to get in was totally worth it.
To start with, they have their Interpretive Center, which is a nice little area to walk around and get more information on the local wildlife. They have some great animal murals and even a seal statute to take a picture with. The staff there was totally friendly and helpful as well! You can park in the lot there and walk the short distance to see the tide pools and the lighthouse. The view of the coast there is absolutely gorgeous, and you can walk down to the beach to check it out. It’s very well maintained there, but also fairly crowded.
The lighthouse was closed on the day we visited, and they actually had some students there whale-​watching. Unfortunately, we did not see any whales while we were there.
I believe they also had hiking trails up the hills there and a few other places to check out the tide pools. I will definitely go back to explore more next time I’m in the area.

This place is amazing. Those photos you see of the Oregon Coast in magazines were probably taken here. If you decide to hit up the tide pools wear shoes!
If you wear sandals you will regret it.

Well tended, very pretty and enjoyable. Excellent if you like lighthouse tours. Excellent visitor’s center. We reported our wildlife spotting to the staff; a pair of dolphins off the point of the Quarry trail.
I was particularly impressed with how accessible this park is; there are several accommodations for wheelchairs that I did not see in any other park or trail visits.

Yes, that is the name and there is truth in advertising. This natural area maintained by the BLM is truly outstanding. It is also well worth the price of admission ($ 7 day). More on that later.
There are a couple of reasons to visit Yaquina Head:
1) The lighthouse. The tallest and most beautifully maintained on the coast.
2) Tide pools. We were directed to Quarry Bay by the Hatfield Marine Science Center. The trail was blocked off when we arrived because this location is also home to seals and is a nursery of sorts when they have young pups. So it was glorious nature viewing of a different sort. There are also tide pools on the beach close to the lighthouse.
There is also an interpretive center and some lovely views of the coast. Four stars because some other sections of our coast are more dramatic, but this is a wonderful area in its own right.
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Want to save money? Several government agencies banded together to offer the Oregon Pacific Coast Passport.
Rather than individually pay the day use fees, you pay a few dollars more for a 5-​day pass that includes all the parks in the program. Pretty ideal for a longer trip to the coast.