Tillamook Coast Life Blog
Three Day Wheelchair Accessible Itinerary: Day 1
Getting to the Tillamook Coast
If you’re too far from Tillamook Coast to drive, you’ll most likely be flying. Since there are no major airports in the area, you’ll want to fly into Portland International Airport. It is about an hour and a half drive to Tillamook from Portland.
It is highly recommended to have a vehicle for your visit due to how spread out the area is. Tillamook Coast is full of small, quaint towns to explore, and having a vehicle will give you the freedom to explore as much as you want.
Where to Stay: Accessible Hotel Options
Due to the older infrastructure for many buildings, you won’t be able to find guaranteed accessible rooms in every town in Tillamook Coast. However, you have a few options for accessible hotels.
Garibaldi is an ideal town to book a hotel because it’s located between many of the top attractions and things to do. When you go out exploring for the day, you’ll have many options closer by. The first is Manzanita. However, it’ll be more of a drive to some must-see sites, such as Cape Meares Lighthouse. Manzanita to Cape Meares is about an hour. If you don’t mind driving that far, then Manzanita is a great place to stay.
Check out The Hotel Garibaldi which had a roll-in shower, grab bars, and turning space in both the bedroom and bathroom. Complimentary breakfast was also available each morning. The bed doesn’t have any space underneath, so if you use a Hoyer lift, consider bringing or purchasing bed risers.
3 other hotel options with detailed information:
- Garibaldi Inn at the Bay – Located in Garibaldi
- Coast Cabins – Located in Manzanita
- Ocean Inn – Located in Manzanita
Day 1: Explore the Natural Beauty
Itinerary for the day:
- Three Capes Scenic Route
- Lunch: Pelican Brewing Co.
- Explore Downtown Tillamook and/or Rockaway Beach
- Dinner: Pacific Restaurant
Three Capes Scenic Route
Begin your adventure with the Three Capes Scenic Route, a scenic 40-mile drive that winds through some of the most beautiful parts of Oregon’s coast. This route takes you to three remarkable capes: Cape Meares, Cape Lookout, and Cape Kiwanda, each offering spectacular views, accessible paths, and unique attractions.
At Cape Meares, you’ll find an accessible path leading to the historic Cape Meares Lighthouse, where you can enjoy stunning coastal vistas. The path is moderately steep, so manual wheelchair users might need assistance when returning. Across the parking lot from where the Lighthouse path is, is a short accessible trail that leads to the impressive Octopus Tree, a giant Sitka spruce with a distinctive shape that is worth seeing.
Next, make your way to Cape Lookout, where accessible viewpoints offer breathtaking panoramas of the Oregon coastline. You can enjoy the beauty of the Pacific Ocean and the surrounding old-growth forest that encapsulates the Pacific Northwest.
End your scenic drive at Cape Kiwanda, known for its dramatic cliffs and the iconic Haystack Rock rising from the sea. This is also a great place to stop for lunch.
Lunch: Pelican Brewing Co.
If you’re hungry at this point, Cape Kiwanda (Pacific City) has Pelican Brewing – a delicious restaurant with a variety of items on the menu. The fish ‘n’ chips and clam chowder are outstanding. If you’re not too hungry and want to start heading back north, Pelican Brewing also has a location in Tillamook.
Explore Downtown Tillamook and Rockaway Beach
After lunch, spend some time in the afternoon exploring downtown Tillamook’s charming shops. If you enjoy beer or wine, de Garde Brewing is the place to go. If you would like to explore more shops, Rockaway Beach has a nice stretch of shops right next to the beach.
Dinner: Pacific Restaurant
Finish your day with a delightful meal at Pacific Restaurant, located in Tillamook.
This story was featured in Wheel the World’s Accessible Tillamook Coast blog. Read the entire piece here.
Our Wheel the World project has been funded in part by a grant from Travel Oregon.
