Things to Do in
Waldport Oregon
Restaurants
Coffee: There are 3 drive-through coffee kiosks nearby…one downtown, one on the east side of town on Hwy 34, and on the south side of town on Hwy 101.
Coffee Cafe (to sit down for a visit with a friend): Café Chill…newest place in town.
Baked goods: Don’t miss Pacific Sourdough Bakery, open Thursday-Saturday, 10 am - 3 pm. This place is famous and well worth any wait in line.
Breakfast: Hilltop Café or Café Chill or, on Sunday, Greenside at Crestview Golf Course (winter hours Sat/Sun only 8 am-1pm.)
Seafood: Luna Sea Fish House in Seal Rock…a great local restaurant.
Mexican food: Fresh Mexican or Azul.
Pizza: Grand Central Pizza (take out only).
Hamburgers: Skosh, and the deli in Ray’s grocery store.
Lunch (or breakfast): Hilltop Café.
Deli sandwiches: the deli in Ray’s grocery store.
Ice Cream and Sweets: JillyBeanz and Indulge (in Seal Rock).
Local color: The Salty Dawg or the Flounder Inn (a bar).
There are sometimes food trucks near the community center. This changes regularly…could be Mexican, Thai or fish and chips.
Shopping & Downtown
Waldport has all the basics…Ray’s grocery store (541-228-9266), Ace hardware store (541-563-3199), Hi-School pharmacy (541-563-4848), and Dollar General (541-248-1771).
There’s also a public library, a bookstore (Well-Read Books), a quilt shop (Quilters Cove), a yarn and custom wood products shop (Tidewater Creations), and three vintage/thrift stores (L’il Joe’s General Store, Enough, and the Waldport Flea Market).
The Alsea Bay Bridge Visitor Center/Waldport Museum is just on the south side of the bridge.
beach Access
The bayfront beach is an 8-10 minute walk from the house. Walk down our road and turn right to go past the church. Turn right on Minor Park Road, going down toward the Alsea Bay Wayside. You’ll find a trail down to the Bay on your right by the entrance to the KOA, labeled “nature walk”. Or, take the steps on the left up to the bridge and you can walk to town. The distance from our house over the bridge to town is a little over a mile.
The ocean beach is a 3-minute drive from the house. Drive back out to Hwy 101 and turn left. Turn left again at the next street, Bayshore Drive. You’ll see a mini-mart there. Go down the hill and turn right at the stop sign on Westward. At the intersection of Westward and Oceania you’ll see the Bayshore Beach Club. Park there and walk behind the building to the trail that crosses the sand dune to the beach. This is beach access point 67B.
Alternatively, turn left or right on Oceania. Along this street you will several crosswalks painted on the street that say “BEACH ACCESS”. Park anywhere nearby and walk across the dunes to the beach. There are yellow signs posted in the dunes at the access points, approximately every quarter mile…67B, for example. Pay attention to which one is posted at your beach access point so you can go back over the dunes in the same place!
Tidepooling and agate hunting
Seal Rock State Park. You’ll be on the beach on the south side of Elephant Rock.
Quail Street. Drive north on Hwy 101 for 3 miles. Turn left at Quail Street. You’ll find about 5 parking spaces at the end of the road. This very short road has many potholes, but the beach access is an easy walk.
North side of Elephant Rock. Drive north on Hwy 101 for 5 miles. Turn left at Curtis Street. You will need to walk south on the beach for about a mile.
Farmers markeT
Waldport Farmer’s Market: Wednesdays 10 am-3 pm, May—Oct at the Waldport Community Center, 265 NW Alsea Hwy 34.
Whale watchinG
Gray whales migrate south along the coast toward Mexico from mid-December through mid-January. They migrate north toward Alaska from late February through May. Best places to see them: Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint, Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay, Rocky Creek State Scenic Viewpoint, Cape Foulweather, Devil’s Punchbowl State Natural Area, Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, Yachats State Recreation Area, Cape Perpetua Turnout, Sea Lion Caves, and Heceta Head Lighthouse.
Crabbing
You can crab off the dock at the Waldport marina. Be sure you have a shellfish license. Crab pots can be rented at Dock of the Bay to use off the dock. They also rent small boats if you want to go out on the bay. No guarantee that you’ll catch any but it’s fun. BE SURE TO GET YOUR CRAB COOKED AT THE DOCK. If you don’t catch any crab, you can buy fresh fish and crab at Luna Sea in Yachats, Local Ocean in Newport, on the Chelsea Rose fishing boat on Port Dock 3 in Newport or at the South Beach Fish Market in Newport.
Bicycles
Bicycles for the street can be rented at the Green Bike Co-op. They also repair bicycles. Please don’t take their bicycles on the beach.
Annual eventS
You can browse upcoming events at: findyourselfinwaldport.com
Beach, Bike and Blues Festival…Held in September (Sept 13, 2025).
Waldport Great Garage Sale…Held in early June (June 7/8, 2025).
Beachcomber Days…Held in mid-June (June 14/15, 2025).
Fireworks over Alsea Bay…July 3.
Holiday Lights Tour…Held in early December.