Keep in mind that our weather is mild and temperate, but extremely changeable--both through the course of the day and as you travel even short distances east or  west.  Bringing along a sweatshirt or windbreaker is strongly advised, even in summer.  On the other hand, hiking in the woods will warm you up, so dressing in layers to accommodate changing conditions is strongly suggested.  Although summers on the west coast are drier than on the east coast, raingear may be handy.   (I like to think of it as a charm to ward off rain!)  

While we have many fine restaurants with elegant settings on the Oregon Coast, dress still tends to be informal.

Sturdy hiking shoes or boots are standard fare for those interested in visiting any of our many fine trails.  You might also want to bring along rubber boots or old tennis shoes for digging clams or exploring tidepools.  (Check out our page listing the low tides for this year in our area.)

Looking for some materials to read up on the natural history of our area?  Here are a few selected references:

Schultz, Stewart.  1990.  The Northwest Coast:  A Natural History.   Portland, OR:  Timber Press.

McConnaughey, Bayard & Evelyn.  1985.  Pacific Coast.   Audubon Society Nature Guide.  New York:  Alfred A. Knopf.

Pojar, Jim; Andy MacKinnon, ed.  1994.  Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast.  Edmonton:  Lone Pine Publishing.

Orr, Elizabeth & William; and Ewart Baldwin.  1976.  Geology of Oregon, Fourth Edition.  Dubuque, IA:  Kendall/Hunt.

We also post snapshots of regional climate, natural history, and human history.