8 Quirkiest Oregon Towns You Didn't Know Existed
Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast, a foodie, a craft beer connoisseur, or a lover of history and the arts, the Beaver State can provide all your heart desires. However, one of the best ways to take in all that Oregon has to offer is through the quirky small towns that exemplify Oregon’s culture, spirit, people, and its oneness with its stunning natural surroundings. Here are 8 of its quirkiest towns you didn’t know existed, but will never forget.
Cannon Beach
Cannon Beach is the perfect little Oregon town for those who like a balance of the outdoors and relaxing days in town, sipping coffee and taking in some culture. Cannon Beach has miles of sandy beach close to its downtown core. The beach’s most popular feature is Haystack Rock, a sea stack that adds to picturesque sunset photos and a perfect backdrop for picnics and slow beach strolls with family and friends.
Cannon Beach is also connected to Ecola State Park, which gives visitors access to hiking trails, scenic overlooks, secluded beaches, and the possibility of spotting elk and whales. You can then take a break from the outdoors by sipping coffee at popular establishments like the Sleepy Monk Coffee Roasters, or learn more about this quirky town by visiting the Cannon Beach History Center & Museum.
Mount Angel
Mount Angel is definitely up there when it comes to quirkiness. It’s the home of the Glockenspiel, a percussion instrument that is one of the largest outdoor musical instruments in the United States. It’s also home to the Mount Angel Abbey, a Benedictine community founded in 1882 by Benedictine monks from Engelberg, Switzerland. Spirituality, however, is not the only business these Benedictine monks are into; they are brewers of beer, which you can sample at their very own Benedictine Brewery.
The town center and main streets are known for their Bavarian-style architecture, which is prominent on many storefronts and adds to the town’s old-world charm. But the best way to enjoy Mount Angel's amazing little quirks is to stop by in September and join in on the festivities at Mount Angel’s Oktoberfest, which is a big part of the town’s identity.
Yachats
Captivating rock formations, geological wonders, and good restaurants make this one-of-a-kind town a must-visit Oregon destination. If you start your journey at the Yachats State Recreation Area, you’ll be enthralled by the captivating rock formations that shape the coastline, and during low tide, you’ll very likely find anemones in tidepools. Once the high tide comes in, the area becomes a great spot to watch whales or enjoy the sunset with a loved one.
Yachats is also home to geological wonders such as Thor’s Well, a partially collapsed sea cave where ocean waves surge in and out of, and Spouting Horn, a blowhole that shoots mist of water high into the air when waves enter a narrow channel close to it. To end the day at Yachats, you have to visit at least one of its many great eats, such as Yachats Brewing, which not only has a fine selection of beer, stouts, ciders, and meads but also serves up unique dishes like lion’s mane cakes and kimchi kraut.
Bandon
Bandon has a charming downtown district with well-preserved history, art galleries, unique restaurants, and stunning views of the Pacific Ocean from its coastlines. Bandon’s Old Town has one-of-a-kind boutique shops, art galleries, and restaurants. You can enjoy decadent Belgian chocolates from Coastal Mist, buy unique local glass art from Vines Art Glass, or dine at the scenic Lord Bennet’s Restaurant or the cozy Alloro Wine and Bar Restaurant.
From Bandon’s Old Town, you can take an easy stroll through the scenic Port of Bandon Boardwalk or learn about the culture, nature, and history of the surrounding area at the Bandon Historical Society Museum. But you can’t leave Bandon without visiting its most significant landmark, the Coquille River Lighthouse. It's a great place to enjoy sunsets and take in the natural scenery of the Coquille River and the Pacific Ocean.
Depoe Bay
This coastal town in northwest Oregon is known as the “World’s Smallest Harbor” and the “Whale Watching Capital of the Oregon Coast.” Its unique harbor covers just six acres but is connected to the Pacific Ocean through a 50-foot-wide, rock-bound channel with a narrow entrance. The surrounding cliffs that shelter this harbor create a dramatic coastal backdrop, making it a great spot for photography and taking in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean.
If looking at the Pacific Ocean isn’t enough, you can pick one of the many whale watching charters in Depoe Bay, such as Whale’s Tails Charters, to see gray whales, humpback whales, and even orcas. Whale watching season is usually between June and September, but visiting Depoe Bay’s Whale, Sea Life, and Shark Museum is a fun consolation if you missed whale watching season. Finally, you can’t leave Depoe Bay without sampling the town’s famous saltwater taffy, made by Ainslee’s Salt Water Taffy, which has been around since 1947.
Joseph
Joseph is the town you go to in Oregon if you want a relaxing nature treatment by lakes, rivers, rolling mountains, or riding in a gondola. Surrounded by the majestic Wallowa mountain range of northeast Oregon, Joseph is often called the “Little Switzerland of America,” making it a perfect town for unforgettable hikes and horseback riding. You can also swim, fish, and picnic with your family on the shores of Wallowa Lake, or go rafting or kayaking on the Wallowa River.
But if you truly want to take in one of the most beautiful landscapes in Oregon, ride up a gondola on the Wallowa Lake Tramway to the top of Mount Howard. Be sure to bring your camera up this ride, which will take up to an elevation of 8,000 feet, presenting you with a panorama that will take your breath away. Aside from stunning natural wonders, Joseph is also rich in art and culture, and home to the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture and the Wallowa County Museum.
Florence
Florence is known for its charming, historic Old Town, livened up with unique shops, art galleries, and well-preserved historic buildings. You can find unique sculptures and paintings at art galleries like Sticks and Stones Gallery and Wind Drift Gallery, or score a unique gift at boutique shops such as The Uncommon Collective and Rivals Hollow. You can also marvel at late 19th-century and early 20th-century buildings like the William Kyle and Sons Building.
Florence is also a great base for outdoor activities at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, where you can hike in vast sand dunes or pump up your adrenaline by dune buggying or sandboarding. If you venture 11 miles north of Florence, you can spend a day with sea lions at America’s largest sea cave, appropriately named Sea Lion Caves. And if you think Florence couldn’t get any quirkier, you can get your J.R.R. Tolkien on and hike through the forests and coastal areas of the Hobbit Trail.
Tillamook
If you love cheese, artichokes, and locally brewed beer, this quirky coastal town of northwestern Oregon will not disappoint you. At the iconic Tillamook Creamery, you can watch cheese being made and indulge in the various flavors of Tillamook Creamery ice cream. However, if you’re lactose intolerant or have had your fair share of dairy, you can venture over to Bear Creek Artichokes, where you can find locally grown artichokes and other freshly grown products.
When you’re done with the cheese, ice cream, and local produce, you can sip on some of Tillamook’s finest local beers at brewing companies, like de Garde Brewing and Pelican Brewing Company. De Garde uses a rare brewing method called spontaneous fermentation that has made it one of the best brewery companies in the world, and Pelican Brewing Company’s taproom offers a wide selection of its famous Pelican beer, which you can sip while enjoying a beautiful sunset on its oceanfront patio.
Oregon is proof that quirks are not necessarily bad. They can create lasting memories in unlikely places, calling on all your senses to pay attention and receive the simpler but truly finer things in life. Oregon’s quirky little towns will provide travel stories that stand out among mundane and repetitive ones spent in bustling and generic urban centers and tourist traps. So, if you’re ready for unlikely adventures that will change your view on what travel is, the quirky towns of Oregon have to make your bucket list.
