24 Hours In Yachats: Your Itinerary For Exploring This Delightful Coastal Town In Oregon

There are so many charming towns up and down the 363 miles of the Oregon Coast, but Yachats has an extra special place in our hearts. This delightful coastal locale has it all: a charming downtown, abundant scenic vistas, amazing restaurants, and quaint accommodations. We've put together the following itinerary for 24 hours in Yachats, Oregon, and we hope you'll make this town your next day trip destination!

Yachats is a charming town that's hailed as the "Gem of the Oregon Coast." Located in Lincoln County, this town in the Central Oregon Coast is home to fewer than 1,000 people, but just about everyone who visits falls in love with this little gem.

Nature lovers have plenty to see and do in Yachats. A swirling, thunderous, white-capped force of sheer power, there's no place in the world like Thor's Well, located at Cape Perpetua in Oregon.

There are many theories about this unique rock formation, known as the "drainpipe of the Pacific;" in fact, some say the waters flow straight into the underworld. No one is quite certain exactly how it formed, either; but one theory is that the well was once a sea cave until the roof collapsed, leaving a hole on the coast that is roughly 20 feet deep.

The beaches of Yachats are peak Oregon Coast: flush with colorful sea stars and commanding sea stacks, with tide pools for days.

Stroll up and down the beaches of Yachats and see what treasures you find!

Be sure to check out Heceta Head Light during your morning adventures. The most photographed lighthouse in the country, it's located 13 miles south of Yachats and is well-worth seeking out.

Built in 1894, the 56-foot tall lighthouse shines a beam visible for 21 nautical miles, making it the strongest light on the Oregon Coast!

Return to town for lunch, which is a Yachats favorite: Luna Sea House.

This turquoise blue seafood shack on the Oregon Coast dishes up the lightest, crispiest, most melt-in-your-mouth fish and chips in the state. Dine al fresco and enjoy the delightful ambiance of this beguiling coastal locale.

Post-lunch, it's time to hit the trails. One of the most wonderful things about the Oregon Coast is that it's a wholly unique ecosystem where forest meets ocean. Old-growth trees and verdant greenery abound in the forests of Yachats, and we particularly love the Amanda's Trail Hike. This trail connects Yachats with the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, and revisits an important, but heartbreaking, period in Oregon history.

The trail is a memorial to the forced relocation of Native Americans to the Siletz Reservation, and their subsequent relocation from that reservation when white settlers began to claim coastal lands of the PNW. The trail's namesake was a blind Coos woman who was captured and forced to march 80 miles up the coast to a reservation. This is a hauntingly beautiful trail that's worth checking out, even if you don't complete all 7.4 miles.

In fact, Amanda's Trail Hike connects to the larger Oregon Coast Trail, a portion of which can be accessed outside our accommodations for the night, the Overleaf Lodge.

The trail runs parallel to the immensely scenic Oregon Coast, and is completely rapturous at sunset.

Before dinner, check in to the Overleaf Lodge, one of the best accommodations on the Oregon Coast -- and all of Oregon, really.

The Overleaf boasts 54 rooms with epic coastal vistas; depending on when you visit, you might even spot a migrating whale or two! Seven room types combine features like fireplaces, balconies, kitchens, and two-person bathtubs overlooking the sea, making for an amazing overnight getaway with a special someone -- or even by yourself.

For dinner, we're headed to one of the most celebrated restaurants on the Oregon Coast: Ona Restaurant and Lounge.

Ona was inspired by the native Chinook language, meaning shell fish. Owner and executive Chef Michelle Korgan offers locally sourced and globally inspired cuisine for a fusion of PNW seafood and international flavors you can only get here in Oregon. Add the restaurant's sublime scenery, and you've the makings of a memorable night out, indeed.

With amazing restaurants and shops and the forest and ocean all within reach, the most difficult part of visiting Yachats, Oregon, is deciding just what to do. While this 24-hour itinerary is a solid start, you might want to extend your visit into a multi-day adventure, and we fully support that.

When was the last time you visited this Oregon Coast town? Are there any places you'd add to this itinerary for Yachats? Curious about what to expect in this town? Check out this YouTUbe video from Visit The Oregon Coast:

Share your favorite places in this town in the comments below, and if you'd like to see your favorite town featured in a future Only In Oregon travel feature, nominate it and tell us why!