Must-See Places to Play and Stay with Your Dog Along Scenic Highway 101
The amazing Oregon coast highway provides miles of dog-friendly beaches, dunes, and trails to explore and enjoy with our four-footed RV traveling companions. This epic RV road trip starts in historic Astoria, Oregon. It goes down the coast to Crescent City, California, where you can continue down the California Coast if you like. Every stop on this Pacific North West trip will have you and your dog enjoying every minute as you explore unique places together.
# 1 Start Your Dog-Friendly Oregon Road Trip At Lewis and Clark National Historical Park in Astoria
As the first American settlement west of the Rockies, Astoria is a port city drenched in the history of the West. Not far from this quaint city lies Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, where you and your best friend will find an incredible historic fort to explore along with miles of dog-friendly, scenic trails. You’ll even find pick-up bags and trash cans throughout the park.
Lewis and Clark Park is a great place to start your road trip because you and your dog can get a good hike through gorgeous trails before you begin.
#2 Play on The Beach with Your Dog at Cannon Beach
A 40-minute drive down Highway 101, is a pretty little town with a gorgeous sandy beach. Your dog can run and play in the sand and surf. Parts of the beach are leash optional. If your dog tends to get too excited by freedom, you could always use a long-line style leash. National Geographic even named Cannon Beach one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Cannon Beach boasts many great restaurants and pubs with patios if you get hungry.
#3. Play on The Beach with Your Dog at Hug Point State Recreation Site
Hug Point State Recreation Site is just 5 minutes North of Cannon Beach near the town of Seaside. Hug Point is a beachfront park at a historically significant location that used to be part of the stagecoach route down the coast before the highway was built. You can walk along the original stagecoach road north of the parking area at low tide, still harboring the wheel ruts carved into the rock.
#4. Stay At Nehalem Bay State Park
Nehalem Bay State Park is situated on a 4-mile sand spit. It features beach access, hiking trails, fishing, crabbing, clamming, and many other outdoor activities. Leashed dogs are allowed.
The many amenities at Nehalem Bay State Park include:
- 265 electrical sites with water
- 18 yurts (9 pet-friendly)
- Flush toilets with showers
- RV dump station
- Playgrounds
- See more on RV LIFE Campground Reviews
#5. Take a Dog Friendly Marine Adventure at Kelly’s Brighton Marina
Kelly’s Briton Marina is a dog-friendly marina located on Hwy 101 just north of Rockaway Beach. The marina offers RV parking, tent camping, kayaking, fishing, and crabbing. If your doggy friend loves boat rides, you can rent a fifteen-foot boat and go fishing, crabbing, or sightseeing. Leashed dogs are welcome to bring their family to the dock for fishing too!
#6. Explore Manhattan Beach State Park
Manhattan Beach State Park is a must for a nice break from the road and a chance for everyone to stretch their legs on trails or a beach. Just North of Rockaway Beach is a small (41-acre) park with scenic beaches overlooking sea stacks called the Twin Rocks. Hiking is also an option on the section of the Oregon Coast Trail that runs through the park.
#7. Take Fido for A Dog-Friendly Train Ride
If you’re a railway fan and a dog lover, the opportunity to ride a steam train with Oregon Scenic Train Rides is not to be missed. When you get to Garibaldi, make a whistle-stop for a 1-hour train ride down the stunning Tillamook coast with your little buddy. The fare is around $22, and you’ll get a different sightseeing vantage of the coast than you do from the highway.
#8. Take a Break at Port of Garibaldi RV Park
Port of Garibaldi RV Park is a Good Sam RV Park close to the town of Garibaldi. It has full hook-ups for 50 Amp or 30 Amp sites and WiFi at each site.
#9 Camp and Play at Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area
Drive South to Florence, and you’ll find Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. These dunes and beaches stretched over 40 miles of coastline. Here you can play and explore the dunes for the day and shake the sand out of your shoes to camp for the night. Choose from a serviced RV site or boondock in a dispersed camping campsite.
#10 Explore Otter Point State Recreation Site
Our dog friendly Oregon coast road trip’s last stop has dog-friendly walking and hiking on gorgeous beaches. Otter Point State Recreation Site boasts fantastic walking and hiking trails overlooking pristine beaches and unusual sandstone rock formations sculpted by wind and waves.
Are You Ready To Hit The Road?
RV LIFE trip wizard is the premier trip planning and routing tool for both 40-foot RVs and those traveling in a conversion van. Plot your Oregon coast trip, estimate costs, estimate drive times, and find gas stations, campgrounds, and more. Once you’re done planning, use the companion RV LIFE app to pull up your trip and turn your phone into an RV-safe GPS. Try Trip Wizard for FREE here.
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“#4. Stay At Oswald West State Park
Beautiful Oswald West State Park has RV camping with full hook-ups or water and electricity. It is nestled along the coast with stunning vistas, miles of hiking trails, and even more gorgeous beaches to explore with your dog.”
Oswald West State Park is a day-use-only park; the walk-in tent campground closed in 2008. There were NEVER RV campsites of any kind at Oswald West. The closest Oregon State Park that offers RV sites is five miles south at Nehalem Bay State Park.
Please correct this webpage. Thank you.
Nehalem Bay Management Unit Park Manager
[email protected]
Thank you for the correction, and for being a vanlifers reader. Nehalem Bay State Park has replaced Oswald West State Park in the post.