A Local's Guide to the North Oregon Coast

UPDATED JULY 1, 2025.

Meet us on the North Oregon Coast! We live and work in the Nehalem Valley, central to the “tri-villages” area of Manzanita, Nehalem, and Wheeler: 

• Manzanita is an artistic little beach town. It has a walkable Main Street separate from Highway 101 with restaurants and boutiques that ends on a 7-mile beach connecting to Nehalem Bay State Park. 

• Nehalem is a vibrant little town on the Nehalem River with a boat launch, creative small businesses, and locally-famous food carts. 

• Wheeler has sweeping views of the Nehalem Bay with waterside restaurants, thrift shops, and a railroad station for railriders and trains. (Fun fact: Wheeler is named for the same family as former Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler!)

As makers of Oregon leather goods and full-time residents of Tillamook County, we've listed some of our favorite places to do, eat, and stay for visitors coming to our area of the North Oregon Coast.

• Tillamook Rail Riders: bike on train tracks with a group!
• Manzanita Beach Bike Rentals
• A bike route from Portland to the Coast is in the works! Advocate for the Salmonberry Rail-to-Trail
• Long distance Oregon Coast bicycle adventures

• Neahkahnie Mountain South Trailhead: sweeping views of the Nehalem peninsula (3 miles, steep uphill)
• Nehalem Spit Loop at the Nehalem Bay State Park: a loop around the Nehalem Bay forest, jetty, and beach (5.2 miles, flat but variable terrain)
• Rockaway Beach Big Tree Trail: boardwalk trail to an old growth cedar tree (1.1 miles, easy)
• Soapstone Lake Loop: a lovely inland wooded walk around a small lake (3.2 miles, easy)
• Saddle Mountain: epic views from the Pacific to Mt. Hood on a clear day on a Coastal Range mountain peak (5.2 miles, uphill)
• More hikes: Northwest Coast Trails Coalition

• Manzanita Beach: free beach wheelchairs available for those with limited mobility from the Manzanita Visitors Center
• Nehalem Bay State Park
• Hug Point
• Oswald West

• Art galleries, boutiques: downtown Manzanita, Wheeler, and Nehalem. 
  • (Bonus: check out Revival in Nehalem for a selection of Walnut Studiolo products while you wait for chowder, ice cream, fish & chips, or donuts next door!)
• Boating - canoe, kayak, SUP rentals: Wheeler Marina (Wheeler)
• Bookstores: Cloud & Leaf Bookshop, used books available for sale raise funds at Manzanita Library (Manzanita)
• Crabbing: Kelly's Brighton Marina (Brighton)
• Events calendar: Manzanita Visitors Center (Tri-Villages)
• Farmers market: Manzanita Farmers Market: Fridays 4-7 pm during the summer (Manzanita)
• Massage and spa: Pauseful, Spa Manzanita (Manzanita)
• Pinball arcade: North Coast Pinball (Nehalem)
• Pottery, art classes and lessons: Hoffman Center for the Arts (Manzanita), North Coast Mudworks (Nehelam)
• Surfing: Nehalem Surf Works (Nehalem). Indian Beach at Ecola State Park (a filming location for the 1991 movie Point Break!)
• Theater, performances: NCRD Performing Arts Center (Nehalem)
• Thrifting: Hope Chest (Nehalem), several shops on Main Street in Downtown Wheeler - including our landfill reduction nonprofit store, Heart of CARTM (Wheeler)
• Train rides: Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad (Wheeler)
• Workshop tours: Would you like to see the Walnut Studiolo workshop (Mohler)? Learn more about visiting us >>>

For local foods and local food supporters, check out the North Coast Food Trail.

• Breakfast and Lunch: Yolk (Manzanita)
• Bakery, Breakfast and Sandwiches, and Weekend Dinners: Wanda's (Nehalem)
• Coffee & Newspaper: Manzanita News and Espresso (Manzanita)

• Contemporary & Local: Offshore Grill (Manzanita), The Salmonberry (Wheeler)
• Chowder: Buttercup Chowders and Ice Creams (Nehalem)
• Corn Dogs and Kitsch: The Original Pronto Pup (Rockaway Beach)
• Crab on the Dock: Kelly's Brighton Marina
• Fish & Chips: Riverside Fish & Chips (Nehalem)
• Ice Cream: Buttercup Chowders and Ice Creams, Nehalem Food Mart (Nehalem), Schwietert Cones & Candy (Manzanita)
• Indian: New Taste of India (Rockaway Beach)
• Oysters at the Source: The Fish Peddlar at Pacific Oyster (Bay City), JAndy Oyster Company and Gardens (Tillamook)
• Pizza: Marzano's (Manzanita)
• Thai: The Happy Elephant (Manzanita)

• De Garde Brewing: traditional wild yeast Belgian-style beers and wines (Tillamook)
• Dixie's Vino: French-style small bottle shop with a knowledgeable proprietor and a curated selection (Manzanita)
• Nehalem Bay Winery: funky and nontraditional winery in a historic creamery (Mohler)
• RustyMoose Whiskey Bar: cozy cocktail bar with a hidden back patio (Manzanita)
• San Dune Pub: comfortable wood pub with good food (Manzanita)
• The Winery at Manzanita: outdoor fire pits with a view of the ocean and a second story porch (Manzanita)

• Coast Cabins: impeccably designed with beautiful Japanese landscaping and evening bonfires (Manzanita)
• Sunset Surf Motel: on the beach with a pool (Manzanita)
• Vacation rentals and more places to stay >>>