6 Small Towns to Visit on the Pacific Coast This Summer

Summer is when the small towns of the Pacific Coast come into their own. Glass floats turn up on the beaches at Lincoln City, Oregon, hidden there on purpose for whoever finds them first. The Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor stacks sea arches and hidden coves along the cliffs north of Brookings. Across the water from San Francisco, Sausalito trades the city rush for a slow walk along the bay. Spread across California, Oregon, and Washington, these towns are made for a summer visit.

Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, is a one-square-mile town on the California coast in Monterey County, next to Monterey Bay. Its walkable downtown has no street addresses, just a village grid of courtyards, galleries, and restaurants like La Bicyclette. Carmel Beach spreads white sand along the west edge of town, and Mission Trail Park threads wooded paths just inland.

South of downtown, the Carmel Mission Basilica centers on a stone church completed in 1797, part of the mission Junipero Serra founded in the 1770s. Farther down the shore, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve protects headlands, coves, and offshore kelp forests along the Pacific. Both lie within a short drive of the town center.

Brookings, Oregon

Brookings, Oregon, is a quiet town on the state's southern coast, near the California line. Harris Beach State Park, on its north edge, has wide beaches, tide pools, and offshore sea stacks, including the large Bird Island. Chetco Point Park, closer to downtown, reaches out to tide pools and ocean overlooks on a small peninsula.

Just north of town, the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor protects about 12 miles of cliffs, sea arches, and hidden beaches along US-101, including Whaleshead Beach and Lone Ranch Beach. In town, Azalea Park is the center of the community calendar, and its stone-and-wood chapel, Capella by the Sea, overlooks the grounds.

Anacortes, Washington

Anacortes, Washington, is the mainland gateway to the San Juan Islands, set on Fidalgo Island north of Puget Sound. Its downtown harbor takes in Seafarers Memorial Park and the trails of Cap Sante Park, which climbs a small peninsula for views over Fidalgo Bay. The Cap Sante Marina lines the waterfront below.

The best-known spot is Washington Park, a wooded city park on the west end of town. A loop road and trails lead past Sunset Beach and the Washington Park Overlook, with campsites and picnic areas among the trees. Ferries to the San Juans leave from the terminal just south.

Sausalito, California

Sausalito, California, faces San Francisco across the bay, just over the Golden Gate Bridge. Its waterfront downtown centers on the Sausalito Boardwalk and Dunphy Park, which has waterfront trails, picnic lawns, and beach volleyball courts. Bar Bocce, Joinery, and Barrel House Tavern serve along the water nearby.

Above town, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area spreads across the Marin Headlands. The Point Bonita Lighthouse stands at the end of a cliff path on the headland's tip, and Tennessee Beach lies at the end of a short valley trail down to the ocean. Both look out on the open Pacific rather than the bay.

Lincoln City, Oregon

Lincoln City stretches along seven miles of the central Oregon coast, one of the longer beach towns in the state. The D River State Recreation Site marks the mouth of the D River downtown, and Nelscott Beach and the Roads End State Recreation Site bookend the town with wide sand and tide pools. Roads End is known for its rock formations at low tide.

The town leans into its arts scene, too. The Lincoln City Glass Center lets visitors blow their own glass floats, a nod to the ones hidden on local beaches each year. The Connie Hansen Garden Conservancy and the North Lincoln County Historical Museum round out a rainy-day afternoon.

Friday Harbor, Washington

Friday Harbor is the main town on San Juan Island, reached by ferry across the Salish Sea in northwest Washington. It brings visitors for spring and summer whale-watching, with tour boats like Western Prince heading out for orca and the Whale Museum covering the Salish Sea up close.

The San Juan Islands Museum of Art shows work by regional artists in rotating exhibits. The San Juan Islands National Monument protects headlands and shoreline around the island. On the west coast, Lime Kiln Point State Park is one of the best places in the country to watch whales from shore.

A Summer Along the Pacific Coast

The Pacific Coast rewards a slow summer. Carmel-by-the-Sea packs galleries and a 1797 mission into one square mile. Anacortes guards the ferry landing for the San Juan Islands and a wooded park at the edge of town. Friday Harbor sends boats out after orca and has a museum devoted to them. All three make the coast easy to reach for a few days at a time.