Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site — Attraction in Newport

A small but wonderful area in Newport, OR. The area is home to the historic Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, which sits at the highpoint of the recreation site. It overlooks the beach below which boasts small sand dunes and the North Jetty.

There is parking where the road passes through the main site, though it could possibly get a bit crowded on busy summer days. The area around the lighthouse has a number of picnic tables for those who want to spend time eating and taking in the sights.

One of the highlights at this site is an overlook which is comprised of a wooden deck. From here, you can see the historic Yaquina Bay Bridge in its entirety spanning the bay. You can also see the North and South Jetty, which marks the channel for Naval vessels to make safe passage in and out of the harbor.

One of the best times to see the bridge is just before sunrise. In the instances I have gone during that time, very few people were there. Sunrise from the lookout is beautiful...but it doesn't end there. That's the time all of the fishing vessels start departing the harbor. There's also a good chance to see a Coast Guard vessel as well. On my last visit, I observed 30 vessels departing the harbor.

You can also follow a sidewalk next to the main road and walk under the bridge. The sidewalk will actually take you down to the bayfront if you follow it far enough.

Great place. A lot to see, and a...

This is the worst place that I have been to on the coast since I been here in Oregon. We arrived here on Friday night. Upon check in we realized that the person who took reservation didnt note the request for a second floor room with a king bed didn't get it... Went to restaurant to eat dinner where I ordered one of the crab dishes. Oh boy what a bad choice. I broke off one of the legs and proceeded to crack it open. Whoa the smell from it was so bad I couldn't eat it. I call the server over and politely asked him to take it to the back and smell it, so he did. He came back and told me that the chef said it suppose to smell that way. SMDH. The game room sucked (out dated) The work out room was a danger. (Ceiling tiles missing, exposed wiring) Back exit was locked (fire hazzard) Room was out dated (carpet was gross, cob webs hanging from ceiling, coffee maker sucked, WiFi sucked.) Pool area out dated and a danger. (Trip hazards all over, Gross, slimy, smelly Jacuzzi) No beach access like advertised (stairs are condemned) This is not a nice place for a get away. Clarion should...

Beautiful views.. my great experience came from a worker who was cleaning bathrooms and changing trash can liners. Very friendly woman who was happy to help direct my husband to a spot for us to get water! She knew the layout of the recreational area very well and pointed us in the right direction.

The only reason for one less star is because we hiked on a path less traveled down to the beach and came across an angry homeless man. He cussed us out and he was probably doing drugs right about the time we came into contact with him. He said he was camping, but it was obvious to see he had been there for a prolonged amount of time. There was trash and toilet paper surrounding his tent. Might have been a scary and unsafe experience for kids if they had decided to play...