World-famous for their butter and ice-cream, Tillamook has more than cheese-sampling and dairy farms to offer the traveler. Just over an hour's drive from Portland, urban passers-through are also drawn to the area by picturesque Tillamook county beaches and the promise of solitude. Like other towns on the Oregon Coast, Tillamook has its fair share of rain. This, however, keeps the country lush and green, the farm-land fertile and the estuaries well-watered and teeming with life.
For a better look at Tillamook's inlets, outlets, bays and coastal rain forest, consider an approach by paddle, either kayak or canoe, keeping a pair of binoculars handy for a glimpse of bald eagles, great blue herons or any number of other coastal birds that make their home along these waterways.
Sandy beaches around the bays beg for some barefoot wandering, and beachcombers should always go on the lookout for fossilized clam shells and agates. A few lucky ones find prized glass fishing floats from Japan washed up after a winter storm - but short such treasure the sunsets here really are sufficient reward.
In Tillamook Bay, beds of clams are there for the digging, though if you have wheels, head a little way south to Netarts Bay, one of the best places on the coast to go clamming or crabbing. Sand Lakes, to the south, is known for its dunes and is a popular recreation destination for Off Highway Vehicle users and others up for a little sandy sport, while the hills and forests in the general area are ideally suited (particularly on sunny days) for hikers. A short drive away is Cape Lookout State Park, a popular paraglider/hanglider haunt that also offers vistas, trails, a two-mile stretch of beach and campsites.Whales cruise by this stretch of coast year-round, though the prime time for spout spotting is between the months of November and April.
Tillamook is located 75 miles west of Portland on Highway 26 and 45 miles north of Lincoln City on the Highway 101. To learn more about the area, please select a topic of interest from the navigation bar on the left.
