Using an Oregon coast lighthouses map is the easiest way to plan a road trip that hits the state's nine historic lights without backtracking. Every one of them sits within a short drive of Highway 101, and because the highway runs straight down the coast, the smart approach is simply to visit them in geographic order, north to south. This guide walks that lighthouses on Oregon coast map from Astoria to the California line, noting which towers you can climb, which are working aids to navigation, and how to time your stops.
How to read the coast, north to south
Oregon's lighthouses cluster in three loose groups: a northern set around Tillamook and Newport, a central pair near Florence and Reedsport, and a southern group around Bandon and Port Orford. Driving 101 from Astoria to Brookings, you will pass all of them in a logical sequence, so pick up the ones that suit your schedule rather than trying to force every tower into one day. From end to end the coast is about 360 miles, an easy two to four day trip with hikes, beaches, and towns mixed in.
1. Tillamook Rock Lighthouse (view only)
The northernmost light, nicknamed Terrible Tilly, stands on a wave-battered basalt rock about a mile offshore near Cannon Beach. It was decommissioned in 1957 and is now privately owned, so there is no access, but the view from the Ecola State Park trails is unforgettable, a lonely tower surrounded by crashing surf. Pair it with the Ecola headland hike for the best vantage.
2. Cape Meares Lighthouse
South of Tillamook on the Three Capes Scenic Loop, Cape Meares is the shortest lighthouse in Oregon at just 38 feet, but it sits on a high headland so its beam once reached far out to sea. A short paved path leads down to the tower, which is open seasonally for interior visits. Nearby you can walk to the Octopus Tree, a massive Sitka spruce with a candelabra of trunks.
3. Yaquina Head Lighthouse
At 93 feet, Yaquina Head near Newport is the tallest lighthouse on the Oregon coast and one of the few you can climb. It anchors the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, which charges a small entrance fee and offers guided tower tours, tide pools, and a seabird colony on the offshore rocks. This is one of the best all-around stops on the whole route, especially at low tide.
4. Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
Just a couple of miles south, on the north side of Newport's harbor, Yaquina Bay is unusual: the light and the keeper's quarters share a single wooden building, a rare surviving example of this design. It served only briefly in the 1870s before Yaquina Head took over, and today it is a free museum furnished to its period. It is an easy add since it sits right in town.
5. Heceta Head Lighthouse
Perched on a headland north of Florence, Heceta Head is the most photographed lighthouse in the state and often called the most beautiful on the West Coast. Its 1894 tower still shines one of the strongest beams on the Oregon coast. A short uphill walk from the Devil's Elbow parking area leads to the light, and the former keeper's house below now operates as a bed and breakfast. Late afternoon light makes the white tower glow.
6. Umpqua River Lighthouse
Near Winchester Bay and Reedsport, the Umpqua River Lighthouse overlooks the river mouth and the Oregon Dunes. Its first-order Fresnel lens throws distinctive red and white flashes, and seasonal tours let you see the lens up close. A whale-watching platform sits nearby, making it a two-for-one stop during migration season.
7. Cape Arago Lighthouse (view only)
West of Coos Bay, Cape Arago sits on an offshore islet and is closed to the public, held in trust by a local tribe. You can see it from viewpoints along the Cape Arago Highway near Sunset Bay State Park. It is a quick photo stop rather than a tour.
8. Cape Blanco Lighthouse
North of Port Orford, Cape Blanco is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in Oregon, first lit in 1870, and it stands on the westernmost point in the state. The windswept headland is dramatic, and seasonal tours climb the tower. Because it sits at the far end of a long access road, it feels wonderfully remote compared with the busier northern lights.
9. Coquille River Lighthouse
At Bullards Beach State Park near Bandon, the Coquille River lighthouse marks the river entrance. It was decommissioned in 1939, restored, and is now open seasonally for interior visits. Its squat, rounded tower and the long beach walk out to it make it a relaxed final stop before the highway continues toward Brookings and the California border.
Planning your lighthouse route
The nine lights split naturally into day-sized clusters, so most travelers pick a home base or two rather than chasing all of them in a single push. Newport is the ideal middle anchor, with three lighthouses within a few miles. If you are building a bigger coastal trip, our the 14-day West Coast Road Trip itinerary runs down Highway 101 and passes most of these headlands, so slotting in a tower tour is easy. A few practical notes:
- Check tour seasons and hours. Interior tours at Yaquina Head, Heceta Head, Umpqua River, Cape Blanco, and Coquille River are usually spring through fall and staffed by volunteers, so days vary.
- Bring layers. Headlands are windy and cool even in summer, and fog can roll in fast.
- Time it with the tide and the whales. Yaquina Head's tide pools and the whale platforms at Umpqua and Cape Blanco reward good timing.
- Buy an Oregon State Parks pass if you plan several stops, since many lighthouses sit inside fee-charging parks.
