Whale watching in Manzanita is mostly whale watching from Neahkahnie Mountain, because the pullouts on Highway 101 just north of town sit hundreds of feet above the water and give you the widest view of the migration route on the whole north coast. Some 20,000 gray whales swim past here twice a year. With a little timing and a pair of binoculars, you'll see some.
The two migrations
Southbound (mid-December through January): Whales heading from Alaska to the Baja lagoons. Peak numbers around the last week of December into early January, when a good day at a headland can produce dozens of sightings. This overlaps with Oregon State Parks' Whale Watching Week, when trained volunteers staff viewpoints, including the Neahkahnie Mountain historic marker turnout, during winter school break.
Northbound (late March through June): Whales returning to the Arctic. The pace is slower and more spread out, and mothers with calves come through last, in May and June, often hugging the coast closer than the December whales. Spring break week has volunteer-staffed sites again.
Summer bonus: A couple hundred grays skip Alaska and feed along Oregon all summer. They're most reliable off Depoe Bay, but a few work the kelp beds off Neahkahnie and Cape Falcon.
Where to stand
- Neahkahnie Mountain viewpoints (Hwy 101 pullouts): There are several paved turnouts between Manzanita and Oswald West. The one with the historic marker and the low stone wall is the classic. Park fully off the road; traffic is fast here.
- Neahkahnie Mountain summit: A roughly 1.5-mile climb (steep, leashed dogs fine) from the south trailhead off 101. The top is about 1,600 feet up, with a view from Tillamook Head to Cape Lookout on a clear day. Whales look like commas.
- Cape Falcon: A flatter 2.5-mile trail from the Oswald West lot to a headland nearer the water. Better for actually seeing whale bodies rather than just blows.
- The beach: From Manzanita's sand you can occasionally see blows past the surf line, especially in May and June. Less reliable, more coffee.
What you're actually looking for
You almost never see a whale first. You see the blow: a puff of mist about 10 to 15 feet tall that hangs for a second or two. Grays typically blow three to five times over a couple of minutes, then dive for three to six minutes. Once you spot one blow, keep your eyes on that patch of water and wait. Scan slowly with your eyes first, then bring binoculars up to the spot.
Morning light with the sun behind you (east) is best from the mountain. Calm seas help enormously; a blow disappears against whitecaps. Overcast, windless days are quietly perfect.
What to bring
- Binoculars, 8x or 10x. Bigger isn't better; you'll shake.
- Layers and a wind shell. The headland is 10 degrees colder than town.
- Patience and a thermos. Twenty minutes is a fair trial; an hour is better.
- A tide table isn't required for whales, but it will tell you whether to do tide pools after.
Turning it into a weekend
Whale season and storm season overlap in winter, and that's a great argument for a house with a hot tub. Puffin Lane is about a ten-minute walk from the beach and a five-minute drive to the Neahkahnie pullouts, so you can check the water at breakfast, go up when the wind drops, and come back to the cedar tub before lunch. Seven people fit, and dogs are welcome on the leash-required trail.
The rest of the year's good stuff, Short Sand Beach surfing, Nehalem Bay kayaking, the Tillamook Creamery run, is on our Manzanita things-to-do page. If you're bringing the dog, our dog's guide to Manzanita beach covers the rules and the rinse-off.
Honest expectations
Some days you'll see 30 whales. Some days, fog, and you'll see the inside of a cloud. Late December and late March give you the best odds. Winter also brings the highway's fog and rain, so build in a second morning. If the whales don't cooperate, Neahkahnie's view of Manzanita and the Nehalem spit is worth the stop anyway. We've stood up there in horizontal rain with a coffee and called it a good morning. You will too.