Completed in 1894, Heceta Head Lighthouse was built to guide ships along one of the most dangerous stretches of coastline. Today, it still boasts one of the strongest lighthouse beams on the West Coast, visible up to 21 nautical miles offshore.

Nearby, the famous Octopus Tree — a 300-year-old Sitka spruce with branches spreading like tentacles — is steeped in legend. Coastal stories claim it was once a ceremonial tree for Native tribes. The cape’s viewpoints offer wide ocean panoramas and, in summer, nesting puffins on the offshore rocks.

ATV’s on an endless stretch of sand dunes with nothing but blue skies and ocean views on the horizon? Heck Yeah!

The drive out to Cape Meares feels like a transition. The highway narrows, the forest thickens, and the air grows cooler and heavier with salt. Sitka spruce and hemlock line the road, their tops swaying gently as if whispering to one another. You instinctively lower the radio, where conversation drops off and everyone starts staring out the window.