If you’re looking to get away with your family for a week or a long weekend to have some fun, rest, and relax, then Cannon Beach has it all. Along the coast of the Pacific Ocean in northwestern Oregon is the sleepy seaside town of Cannon Beach. The Oregon coast features sandy beaches, rocky landscapes, and protected nature areas, so you have options for your destination. Up and down the coast are different coastal towns with their own vibe and attractions. Here are the top 12 locations to find a vacation rental around Cannon Beach.
1. Cannon Beach
At Cannon Beach, you and your family can walk along the beach and take photos of the iconic Haystack Rock, a moss covered rock that juts out of the ocean and resembles a haystack. Wander along the streets in the downtown area ducking in and out of the galleries and one-of-a-kind stores to find a unique souvenir. Stop in Icefire Glassworks to learn more about how they blow glass and take home a unique piece for your mantel.
2. Seaside
Travel north up Highway 101 to the town of Seaside with its vacation rentals located along the beach front. Fill your days walking on the beach, biking around town, and horseback riding on the beach. If the weather turns rainy or cold, take the kids to Seaside Aquarium that dates back to 1937. This small aquarium features a lot of information on seals and a touch tank, where your children can touch sea creatures.
3. Gearhart
Choose one of the unpainted cedar shingled homes close to the Gearhart Ocean State Park as your vacation rental and enjoy waking up to unspoiled beach views each day. Practice your golf swing on the Gearhart Golf Links with its 18-hole greens, and it’s open to the public year round. At Gearhart Bowl & Fultano’s Pizza, the entire family can spend an evening bowling and enjoying a pizza with all the toppings.
4. Surf Pines
Spend your days exploring the beach in the Del Rey Beach State Recreation Site, biking, fishing, and reconnecting with your family in the small beach community of Surf Pines. The state park includes trails for you to take a trail ride on horseback. Book an exciting escapade with LorÂ’s Tours, and take a kayak tour, a hiking tour to look at wildlife in the state parks, or spend an afternoon testing your courage on a zip line with a knowledgeable guide.
5. Sunset Beach
In the small town of Sunset Beach, you and your family can choose between saltwater and freshwater with the Pacific Ocean to the west and Sunset Lake to the east. Fill your days fishing, boating, flying a kite on the beach and biking around the town. To try something unique, visit Discover Paragliding and take to the skies for some amazing views of the beach, lake and town below you.
6. Arch Cape
To the south of Cannon Beach along Highway 101 sits the small coastal community of Arch Cape. Take your family to the Hug Point State Recreation Site to enjoy a picnic lunch at a table nestled in a forested area before exploring the beach area. Make sure to check the tide tables so you don’t get stuck at the point waiting for the tide to recede.
7. Neahkahnie Beach
Slow down and enjoy life when you take your family to Neahkahnie Beach for some much-needed downtime. Just south of Oswald West State Park, this town is a great home base to explore the park on foot or on horseback. Alternating between beach areas and bluffs, this park offers access to the water and stunning views of the Pacific Ocean. Enjoy a picnic lunch that you packed at your vacation rental at one of the designated areas.
8. Manzanita
Rent a home along the coast with views of amazing sunsets as the sun dips below the western horizon. Enjoy days of boating, sunning on the beach, biking around town, and hiking at the nearby Nehalem Bay State Park. If you want to enjoy a horse ride on the beach or through the park, you can stop by Oregon Beach Rides and schedule a trail ride for some quality family time.
9. Brighton
Take in the beautiful scenery as you drive south along the Oregon Coast Highway to arrive in the town of Brighton along the Nehalem Bay. Take a canoe or kayak out on the bay to explore the banks or try your luck fishing for your supper. Try to plan a trip to arrive to attend the Annual Nehalem Bay Crab Derby or the Oregon Ocean Day Beach Cleanup Celebration both in June.
10. Nedonna Beach
Nedonna Beach offers your family a vacation filled with biking, flying a kite on the beach, and spending time together. Load the kids up in the car and take a break from the outdoors to learn about cheese production at the Tillamook Cheese Factory, and bring some home to enjoy as a snack with crackers. Ride out to the Cape Meares Light House, the shortest lighthouse in the area, and enjoy the breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean.
11. Rockaway Beach
If your family loves to be at the center of the hustle and bustle, then the town of Rockaway Beach has a vacation rental for you. Explore the tidal pools on the beach, wander through the downtown shops, and visit one of the local cheese factories for a tour. For dinner in the evening, pick up a pizza from Upper Crust Pizza. If your family are early risers, take them to Grumpy’s Cafe for a filling breakfast.
12. Barview
Escape the crowds and regroup in peace and quiet when you select a vacation rental in the small Barview area. Nestled along the tributary from the Pacific Ocean that feeds into Tillamook Bay, this town provides plenty of chances to get out on the water or bike around the local area. Hop in the car, take the family to the station, and hop a ride Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad for an amazing afternoon.