The Portland to Manzanita drive is about 90 miles and two hours on a good day, and it's a huge part of why this town is Portland's beach. West on Highway 26 through the Coast Range, a few miles south on 101, and you're parking two blocks from seven miles of sand. Here's how to time it, where to stop, and when to take the other road.
The route
From Portland, take Highway 26 west (the Sunset Highway) past Hillsboro and North Plains, up over the Coast Range, and down to the junction with Highway 101 near Seaside. Turn south on 101, pass Cannon Beach and Arch Cape, go through the tunnel, climb around Neahkahnie Mountain, and drop into Manzanita. Simple. GPS will occasionally try to send you down Highway 53 through Nehalem as a shortcut; it's a fine road but saves nothing and skips the best viewpoint.
Once in town, Laneda Avenue is the main street and runs straight to the beach. Puffin Lane is a few minutes from there, on the golf course side.
Timing
The whole drive lives or dies on Friday afternoon. The Portland-to-Banks stretch of 26 backs up hard from about 2 to 7 p.m. on summer Fridays and holiday weekends. Two fixes:
- Leave before 1 p.m. and you're at the beach for dinner.
- Leave after 7 p.m., eat in Portland first, and arrive in the dark to a quiet town.
Sunday afternoons are the mirror image coming home; leave the coast by noon or after 6. Weekdays are easy at almost any hour. Winter weekends are lighter but the pass can see snow and ice, so check ODOT's TripCheck before a January trip.
Stops on Highway 26
Banks-Vernonia Trail (Banks). A paved rail trail that's a great leg-stretch for dogs and kids. Trailhead just off 26.
Sunset Rest Area. Near the summit of the pass. Clean restrooms, tall trees, and a bit of the World's Largest Sitka Spruce lore nearby (the tree itself fell in 2007; the stump is still off Highway 26 at the Klootchy Creek park further west).
Camp 18 (milepost 18). The mandatory stop. A giant log lodge restaurant with a logging museum around it, huge breakfasts, and cinnamon rolls that could anchor a boat. Weekend mornings get a wait. Dogs can walk the grounds and look at the old steam donkeys while you wait for a table.
Elderberry Inn (Elsie). A roadside cafe with pie. Less crowded than Camp 18. Marionberry, if they have it.
Stops on Highway 101
Cannon Beach. Haystack Rock, galleries, and crowds. Great for a walk at low tide; painful for parking on summer weekends. If you're staying in Manzanita, save it for a midweek day trip.
Oswald West State Park / Short Sand Beach. The trailhead lots are right on 101 between Arch Cape and Manzanita. A half-mile walk through old growth to a cove full of surfers. Worth the stop even if you're only 15 minutes from your house.
Neahkahnie viewpoint. The pullouts on 101 as you round the mountain give you the whole Manzanita beach and Nehalem Bay from 500 feet up. Stop here. Take the picture. You've arrived.
The Highway 6 alternative
Highway 6 runs from Hillsboro to Tillamook through the Tillamook State Forest, then you head north on 101 through Rockaway Beach and Wheeler to Manzanita. It's about the same time, sometimes a little longer, and it's the right call in three situations: when 26 is jammed, when you want to stop at the Tillamook Creamery on the way in, or when you're heading down to Pacific City or Neskowin later. The Tillamook Forest Center along Highway 6 is a good rainy-day stop with kids. Highway 6 has more curves and fewer services, so top off the tank in Hillsboro.
What to bring in
Manzanita has a good little grocery on Laneda and a Saturday farmers market in summer, but selection is small and prices are coastal. If you're cooking for a group, do a big shop in Portland or Hillsboro. Firewood is available in town if the house has a fire pit and burn rules allow. Fuel up in Seaside or Tillamook; Manzanita has a station but it's the only one for miles.
Once you're there
Park the car and forget it. The beach, Laneda's shops and restaurants, and the bakery are all walkable from most of town. For the days you want to roam, Nehalem Bay State Park's bike trails and kayaking, Neahkahnie Mountain's summit hike, and Short Sand are all under 15 minutes away. Our Manzanita things-to-do page has the full list.
Two hours from your driveway, and the loudest sound is surf. That's the whole pitch for this town.