Manzanita & Nehalem Bay Wine Country

A 2-mile arc of sand at the base of Neahkahnie Mountain — the beach faces directly west and catches the full Pacific swell, making it one of the coast's finest surf beaches. The morning walk north toward the mountain delivers a perspective of the headland that few visitors reach; the cliffs above the north end hide tidal caves accessible at low tide.

A sand spit between the Pacific and the Nehalem Bay estuary — the bay side has a calm water kayak launch, crabbing, and a 1.8-mile loop trail through Sitka spruce; the ocean side faces the open Pacific with consistent beach walking for miles. The estuary supports Dungeness crab and Coho salmon runs; the bird life includes brown pelicans, great egrets, and occasional peregrine falcons hunting the spit.

A Manzanita institution in an old beach bungalow — morning pastries and evening dinner with equal seriousness. The evening menu is small and changes with availability: fresh halibut, local Dungeness crab, and house-made pasta are the reliable anchors. The single room fills quickly; arrive before 7 PM or reserve.

A small-production winery in a converted 1930s creamery building in Nehalem — the tasting room pours estate Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and the coastal specialty fruit wines (cranberry, blackberry) that reflect the surrounding Nehalem Valley agriculture. The setting in the creamery's original tile-and-wood interior is one of the coast's most characterful tasting experiences.

The smallest town on the Nehalem Bay has the bay's best waterfront access — kayak and canoe rentals from the lodge dock, a bay kayak loop past the estuary's heron rookeries and crabbing grounds, and the Nehalem River mouth where coho salmon stage in fall. The lodge restaurant serves fresh crab pulled from pots in the bay that morning during crabbing season (summer).

One of the Oregon coast's most beloved destinations — a short 0.5-mile walk through old-growth rainforest delivers a sheltered cove where the surf runs consistently good, the forest grows to the tide line, and the Necarney Creek runs cold and clear through the beach. The Cape Falcon Trail climbs 2.5 miles to a headland above the cove for 180-degree Pacific views. The isolation of the cove, despite its proximity to Highway 101, makes it feel like a discovery.