Pronounced YAH-hots, and meaning “dark water at the foot of the mountain,” this small seaside town sits at the base of the Oregon Coast Range along the Pacific ocean.
Instead of sandy beaches, much of the coastline near Yachats is rugged black basalt, the result of lava flows some 50 million years ago, that produces surging sea landmarks like Devil’s Churn, Spouting Horn, and Thor’s Well.
Cape Perpetua, one of the best viewpoints on the Oregon Coast, is located a few miles south of town. In Yachats itself are galleries, restaurants, shops, breweries, a botanical preserve, and a city park built in restored marshland. In no particular order, we’ve made a list of places to try and things to do in this unexpected and quaint little town.
- The Drift Inn: casual, family-friendly restaurant with a full bar, homemade bread, fresh, wild seafood, and hand-tossed, wood-fired pizza. Stay for the nightly live music at 6 PM.
- Ona Restaurant & Lounge: a fine dining experience in a relaxed family-friendly atmosphere featuring coastal cuisine as well as craft cocktails, and thoughtfully selected small vineyard and boutique Northwest wines.
- Touchstone Gallery: represents 120 Oregon artists offering whimsical, sophisticated, and graceful designs in jewelry, glass, ceramics, paintings, bronze, and sculpture—all designed to lift your heart, mind, and spirit.
- The Green Salmon: fair trade coffee & tea house and organic roaster with a from-scratch bakery.
- Bread & Roses Bakery: small, independent bakery and cafe creating healthy and delicious breads, pastries, soups, desserts, and coffee drinks.
- 804 Trail: hiking trail from Yachats State Park on the north side of the Yachats River to a sandy beach 1.7 miles to the north providing expansive ocean vistas and access to tide pools and pebbled coves.
- Yachats Brewing + Farmstore: creates high-quality brews celebrating the unique beauty and culture of Yachats, Oregon.
- Heceta Head Lighthouse: one of the most beautiful lighthouses in the world. The Heceta Head Lighthouse and Light Keeper’s home are circa 1894 and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Smelt Sands State Recreation Site: excellent whale watching and photography viewpoint, the park is known for tide-pooling, rock fishing, and the yearly smelt run (smelt are small, silvery relatives of salmon).
- Styx, Stones, n’ Bones: offers a broad selection of agates and other semi-precious stones, fossils, crystals, geodes, and gems.
Visit our website to learn more about sweet homes where you can stay relaxed while you explore the unexpected and quaintness that is Yachats.