Hello everyone,
DH , myself and our 2 Westies are taking a road trip from the SF Bay Area to Yachats then back down the coast home.
we have booked our first night in Ashland with plans to head north inland and head to the coast near Eugene.
3 nights in Yachats, 2 nights in Gold Beach and last night in Mendocino.

Any suggestions on things to see, not miss in the above areas?? We enjoy hiking, I am into birding, the pups are low key but will be a factor as to where we go. On the plus side Oregon is much more dog friendly as far as parks and beaches.

Thanks in advance for any ideas shared

Yes, OR is very dog friendly overall. We have taken our dogs to the OR coast my entire life. For parks especially, be sure to keep them on leash.

Unless there is something you really want to see in Eugene, take 138 west from just north of Roseburg off I-5. You hit Rt. 38 at Elkton. About 5 miles east of Reedsport stop to see the Roosevelt elk at the Dean's Creek viewing area. Take a good hike at the Oregon Dunes before arriving at Yachats (pronounced ya-HOTS). I like 38 better than 126 to go to the coast even without the chance to see elk.
Maybe on the way home you can stop to see the "Trees of Mystery" for an up close look at some great Coast Redwoods. They have a chairlift up to a viewing platform that at times you can see to the ocean.

Thanks Tom always good to have alternative routes. We hope to find some things to explore enroute to Yachats etc

What month will this be? And can we presume you're familiar enough with the redwoods that you can shoot past the main groves on the way south?

I agree with Tom re using SR 38 out to the coast; IMO it's the fastest and prettiest of all the routes.

Perhaps you're familiar with the Oregon Coast Birding Trail - Oregon Coast Birding Trail

In the title is says September.

I did not know about the Oregon birding trail. Thank you, I will check it out.

Yeah, September. Doh! Sorry.

With any stops in the redwoods, Gold Beach to Mendocino can be a pretty long day. I'd wonder out loud if you might consider swapping one of the Gold Beach nights for one a bit farther south, around Eureka and Humboldt Bay. If you did, you could (a) enjoy a meal at the Samoa Cookhouse, a former lumber mill mess hall with hearty food served family style, and (b) think about a loop past the top of the "Lost Coast," the last remaining coastal wilderness in California. From Ferndale (a lovely little village full of terrific Victorian architecture) you can loop out to the top of the Lost Coast, then back to the Avenue of the Giants (another "don't-miss" part of the drive IMO.) Map - https://goo.gl/maps/UFq3VYE1Zkqug7bV9

We need the 2 nights in gold beach as there is this incredible restaurant we discovered several years ago....I just have to go back! Ferndale is a cool little town, we may need to wander around there. Thank you for the suggestions

Instead of staying IN Mendocino check out Little River Inn just 5 minutes south of town. Dog friendly and glorious views

https://www.littleriverinn.com

We stayed there on our honeymoon a million years ago!! Unfortunately, they didn't have a compatible room for the date we needed. So we're staying up the road a bit

One of my favorite stops between Florence and Yachats is Devils Elbow State Park There is a nice beach for the pups to play and a trail up to Heceta Head Lighthouse . If you want to continue walking, there is a trail behind the lighthouse that leads to a secluded beach only accessible by walking in. I think it is called Hobbit Beach.

Also stop at Cape Perpetua Visitors center where you can get trail maps of that area-. Not sure if dogs are allowed On those trails

In Yachats there is the 708 trail. You can walk from town to the Adobe Motel along the waterfront and then continue on a paved trail along the beach to thr Fireside Motel. Nice walk The pups will be tired

Devils elbow sounds intriguing....we will have to look into that.
yes, pup tiring trails are good trails! This will be their first beach/ocean experience, think they are gonna love it.
Thank you for the tips Sunbum

Be cautious with the dogs on the beach Oregon coast notorious for sneaker waves that pull you out. Two children lost this year already. The beach at Devils Elbow is a protected cove - not quite as treacherous.

Good to know, thanks. I am not even sure they will get close to the water! Might need to bring them over to the coast here to see what their reaction will be....

At Devils Elbow there is a creek that comes down from the mountains . Nice calm area for pets and kids to play.

I've stayed in Gold Beach before. There's a 4 or 5 star lodge there. The mouth of the rogue river is in gold beach and the salmon fishing will be good then. One option, is to get a guided trip on the river to fish for King Salmon. There're many hikes along the river there.

I second recommendation by Sunbum1944 to stop at Heceta Head Lighthouse. Yes, there is a trail that goes behind it to the top of the head. You can get a great view of the lighthouse from above, hike over the ridge with some stellar views of the coastline, and descend down to Hobbit Beach. This is really one of my recommended gems on the coast, and Hobbit Beach is lovely and not overrun. The hike from Heceta Lighthouse to Hobbit Beach and back is about 3.5 miles and worth the while.

I also recommend a hike up to the top of Cape Perpetua, a much more popular and crowded trail than hiking over Heceta Head to Hobbit Beach, but the views are crazy gorgeous. There are other can't-miss trails in this area, such as the Devil's Churn, Thor's Well, and Giant Spruce trails that can be accessed by parking at the Cape Perpetua visitor's center.

As far as towns go, Yachats (YÄH-häts) is one of my favorite little towns on the entire coast. Luna Sea Fish House or Ona are fantastic for fresh locally caught seafood, and the Yachats Brewery is always a favorite for craft beer and noshing. The town is cute as can be and fun to walk, and some nice walking trails along the beach (check out Yachats Ocean Road and Yachats State Park).

I'm not trying to sell you on visiting this area, but it's hard not to when it's so drop dead gorgeous. (Pics below taken by me on President's Day)


View of Hobbit Beach from the top of Heceta Head

Hiking up to the Heceta Head Lighthouse


Devil's Elbow from Heceta Head

Many Oregon State Parks will be open after June 9. The Oregon state parks do have dog friendly yurts that should be open by September. There has been a big spike in the number of people who are renting RV's in Oregon. It does give vacationers a lot more options as to where to stay.

Thank you TomFuller for the update on June openings. The photos by Jeverett are fantastic! We were in Oregon last October and upon returning home, immediately put it on the "must return!!' list!!