I love the ocean and my hubby loves the secluded deep forest. Is there a beautiful location we would enjoy together? I would like to understand the different areas better. Studying maps and websites, I'm more confused. Help to know Oregon's different options would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Two words - North Carolina.
Nice beaches and mountains/national forest just a few hours (within an easy day drive) from each other...

How about Big Sur in California or Glacier National Park in Alaska?

From Ecola State Park, north of Cannon Beach, on down, the central Oregon coast is a combination of rain forest, newer forests, sandy coves, cliffs, beautiful vistas, rocks jutting out of the water, scenic towns, touristy towns, and both. Also, some major sand dunes. The coast is almost all public, with many state parks for camping and scenic towns along the way. Check out Cape Lookout, for a great rain forest hike jutting over the water. There is camping at that State Park and sandy coves. Check on Yerts to rent. Get a guidebook to the Oregon coast. You can't go wrong.

Definitely California. You can find nice Sequoia/Redwood forests very close to the coast (especially up North or Big Sur I believe). I definitely recommend California as well (anywhere for that matter), it's a beautiful state to visit with lots of different things to do, and beautiful sunsets.

Hawaii would be good as well (never been, but it's even nicer than California from the pictures I've seen).

Maine

The southern Oregon and Northern California coasts. Spectacular ocean scenery and amazing forests including fabulous Redwood groves.

The N. Calif coast is dotted with state parks the incorporate both ocean/beaches and deep forests with roaring rivers.

This is a no-brainer...Olympic National Park in Washington State. Check out gorp.com for descriptions of this and other state & national parks.

Thank you all for your replies. We are asking specifically about Or. and live in CA. We are also concidering WA, thanks Susanne, I will deffinately check Olympic area. Thanks Coast, I had been looking at Cannon Beach area, so maybe I'm close and will read about Ecola......I'm grateful for the guidance. OR seems to have dramatically different regions, like California.

Cambria along the Central California Coast would be a perfect match for your needs. Wooded resorts right near the ocean. Breathtaking scenery and a charming little town with cute shops and good restaurants. Similar to Canon Beach - only so much better!

Hey. It wasn't that hard, everybody. Oregon is one of the few places that fills the bill, folks. I love NC, but I wouldn't say a few hours between forests and beaches is what bodi was asking for. As for Big Sur, a gorgious drive, but I don't recall a lot of forests on the coast. It's like a bald Oregon coast. I will admit, N. CA is a big yes, for the coast/forest combo. The Olympic Peninsula offers a bit of that on the northwest coast, but harder to access than the OR coast and the drive doesn't begin to compare - no vistas, just trees and tree farms and clear cuts. It's sad. I guess Maine qualifies, but I only remember rocky beaches (a long time ago). Nope, in all the US, the Oregon Coast stands out as accessible, yet remote, with old growth forests towering above sandy coves. And miles and miles of beautiful driving, with plenty of geographic variety and places to hike. If you haven't been there, discover Oregon!

Don't know if you want to stay in one place or travel, but 2 years ago we drove from Seattle to San Francisco, seeing plenty of ocean, big trees, plus Mt. St. Helens along the way. Not real secluded, but I imagine someplace in Pacific Northwest might fit that requirement. Also, ocean is nice to look at along this route, but I wouldn't recommend swimming unless you are a polar bear.

I apologize for failing to express myself better. I posted in the 'Oregon'forum, and stated "Help to know Oregon's different options would be appreciated". Sorry I wasn't clear.

Coast [email protected], Thank You, for speaking my language & helping me, you are correct, we hope to enjoy both forest & coast near-by. Living 40 years in California near the ocean and Redwoods is painful to leave, so Oregon looks like the place we would be happiest in our final years.
I appreciate everyones nice attempts to help me.

bodi - just for your FYI. There is no "Oregon" forum. All threads end up on the general United States forum. Clicking on Oregon simply allows one to search for information.

Please forgive me.

You could do what we did last spring and combine a trip to the Oregon coast with a visit to the Columbia Gorge. We cut through McMinnville from point A to B to see the Evergreen Aviation Museum, which was fabulous. You can do a loop around the Gorge along the Oregon side over to the Washington side, both interesting in their ways.

Most of the Oregon coast is forested. The only areas not are in the dunes area near Reedsport or Florence. Otherwise lots of big trees and crashing waves with few people on 365+ MILES of PUBLIC beach and headlands. The only state in the Union that can claim that! As for what someone said about Olympic Penisula here in Washington...yep...around Forks area it's clear cut after clear cut right up to the road. At least in Oregon thewy hid those massive clear cuts from the main roads (just don't go to far from the road in some places). Clear cuts are so hideous...if you want to see a really huge and ugly one take the "back road" from 101 to Shore Acres State Park in Oregon near Coos Bay.

Hi bodi

I live in humboldt county on the coast and have driven the entire Oregon coast on vacation 3 or 4 times. coast reply is dead on. Although most all of Oregons coast will fit the bill, my favorite spots for ocean and forest are Cape Perpetua just below Yachatas, the three cape loop which is just west of Tillamook, which includes (north to south) Cape Meares, Cape Lookout, and Cape Kiwanda and Ecola State Park. Take a week and drive the coast. If you are coming from Ca. then take 5 up to Eugene and cut over to the coast from there and drive up and around to Portland and back down. This is beautiful stuff.

Have fun
GP

Are you looking for a place to retire, bodi? Clarification would help in making recommendations - i.e. touristy vs. nontouristy. If you can abide the weather, the Oregon coast would be a great.