Pacific Coast Scenic Byway - Oregon

Wild Siberian irises grow on golden bluffs above a beach at Cape Blanco on the Pacific Ocean.

The fluid and living blue-green waters of the Pacific offer a striking contrast to the stable gold rocks and dry vegetation on the coastline. Looking to the south, past the headland, Cape Blanco offers one of the most scenic spots along the Oregon coast.

The Oregon National Historic Trail runs along a wood fence as a crystal sky hangs overhead.

Set behind glass is a model of the old Alsea Bay Bridge.

Oregon's state engineer, Conde B. McCullough, oversaw the building of many of Oregon's historic bridges.

A timeline shows the events from 1930 at the Alsea Bay Interpretive Center.

A painting at the interpretive center shows the new Alsea Bay Bridge.

As travelers follow the bend in the road, they come across an expansive view of the Pacific Ocean.

A truck rounds a bend on the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway and catches an eyeful of the ocean.

Puffy white clouds hang over the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean.

White surf crashes against the rocks on the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean in Oregon.

An aerial view shows a truck passing by the shoreline of the crashing surf.

Thickly forested trees block the shoreline of blue green ocean water.

A visitor peeks over the edge of a rock lookout on the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway.

A delicate spider's web is strung between two branches.

Peeking through trees at this overlook, the traveler can see clearly the rugged shoreline of the Pacific Ocean.

Peeking through trees at this overlook, the traveler can see clearly the rugged shoreline of the Pacific Ocean.

White clouds cover the tip of forested hills along the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean.

The Pacific Coast Scenic Byway brings the traveler to the tumultuous spot where the ocean meets the land.

A boat takes refuge in a harbor off the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway.

Boats line the harbor on the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway.

A smaller boat zips around the clear blue waters of the tree edged harbor.

Cars line up so that visitors can take advantage of the well placed overlook for the Pacific Ocean.

A house up on the hills of the shoreline looks down on the churning waters of the ocean.

A white lighthouse with a red roof still stands as a beacon of safety and warning on the Oregon Coast.

A visitor strolls on a sandy beach beneath an arch bridge on Oregon's Pacific Coast Scenic Byway.

This bridge in Oregon seems to naturally grow from the sand.

Engineered for endurance and elegance, this bridge on the Oregon Coast has withstood the test of time.

A prominent rock formation rises above the waters of Cannon Beach.

Bicyclists at Seal Rock take a moment to view the water.

The Alsea Bay bridge spans over the serene blue waters on the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway.

This model represents the old Alsea Bay Bridge, designed by Oregon State Engineer, Conde B. McCullough.

This interpretive center tells about the life of Conde B. McCullough, as well as early Native American life in the area.

From the bluffs, the beach and ocean at Cape Blanco spread out across a misty horizon.

A small stretch along the coast can be seen against the rough edged cliff walls.

Pushing constantly against the rocky coast that meets it, the blue waters of the ocean are watched over by a lighthouse on the coast.

The Pacific Coast Scenic Byway in Oregon combines a drive along the beach with a drive through the forest. The byway is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and pine-covered mountains to the east.

The Pacific Ocean and the entrance to the Sea Lion Caves can be seen from the Sea Lion Caves Visitor Center on the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway. The Heceta Head Lighthouse is visible in the distance.

The Cape Blanco lighthouse stands on the farthest western point in the continental U.S.

A clear summer day shows the extent of Bandon Marsh.

This particular spot on the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge offers a bench for visitors to take a seat while enjoying the wildlife.

This new overlook area, which is under construction, will include parking for vehicles, buses, and RVs as well as a small viewing platform.

This observation deck offers a picture perfect view of Bandon Marsh Wildlife Refuge.

Fly over Bandon Marsh to enjoy a different perspective of the beautiful green landscape of this Wildlife Refuge

Giant Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock trees accent the sheer cliffs of the coastline at Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge.

The Cape Meares Lighthouse, available for tours from April through October, contrasts with the clear blue sky at Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge.

The observation deck at Cape Meares is the perfect place to watch for migrating whales, sea birds, or the indelible horizon.

This peculiarly shaped Sitka Spruce, nicknamed the \"Octopus Tree\", can be found along one of the many trails at Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge.

The Oregon Coast Trail, which meanders along the entire coastline of Oregon, offers the opportunity to spot elk, bald eagles, and other forest animals.

Located in the top center of this slide, the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center is located in Lane County on the Central Oregon Coast. This center provides information about the flora and fauna of this diverse region and provides maps and other interpretive material to such defining features as the magnificent Devil's Churn.

This depicts a typical pastural setting along rural US 101 away from the coast in Tillamook County.

The Yaquina Bay Bridge is a marvelous example of a historic Conde McCullough Bridge. The second longest of the McCullough bridges, this structure serves as the Gateway to the Newport Marina and Waterfront, one of the busiest maritime activity centers on the Oregon Coast.

Deep blue ocean and misty tree-covered coastline provide a backdrop to Heceta Head Lighthouse, one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world. Also on this property is a beautifully restored lighthouse keeper's home that is open for interpretive tours.

The blue green of the ocean creates a startling contrast against the white surf of the waves crashing against the rocks on the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean in Oregon.

A misty outline of the water can be seen as waves crash against the rocky beaches of Cape Perpetua.

Oregon's Pacific Coast Scenic Byway receives their designation plaque at the Designation 2002 event at Union Station in Washington DC.

A Great Egret fishes in a pond along the Oregon coast.

The mighty Pacific Ocean crashes against the rocks along the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway in Oregon.

Wild irises and lupines grow in profusion on the bluffs above the beach at Cape Blanco.

This slide shows an example of the historic CCC rock wall work on Neahkahnie Mountain, high above the beautiful Pacific Ocean in fabulous Tillamook County.

The Cape Creek Bridge, another McCullough engineering masterpiece, sits high above Devil's Elbow State Park, one of the many beach accesses in Lane County, just south of Cape Perpetua. Directly adjacent to this structure is the historic Heceta Head Lighthouse.

A rock spire juts up from the sand, and driftwood lays scattered on the beach at Cape Blanco on the Pacific Ocean.

Weathered driftwood litters one of many beautiful and rugged beaches along the coast of Oregon.

The Yaquina Head Lighthouse can be clearly seen against the bright blue of the Oregon sky.

A clear summer day shows the extent of Bandon Marsh.

This photo gives a birds-eye view of a scenic pullout at Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

A sunny day shines over the roads, bridges and estuary at Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

The deep teal ocean crashes and foams against the rocks that trail out away from the land at Coquille Point.

This interpretive panel provides information about Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.

The lush vegetation comes to an abrupt stop as the land becomes the sheer face of a cliff against a clear blue sky at Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.

In the green and shallow ocean off of the coast of Harris Beach State Park, the geography of the land under the water can be seen if you look closely from overhead.

Visitors to Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge stop at Haystock Rock to view the nesting tufted puffins.

A lighthouse watches over the gigantic rocks that protect this small harbor from the perils of the sea.

Thousands of sea lions and seals gather onto the sandy beach of this small island, part of Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.

The deep greens of the rich vegetation run down the mountain until the mountain itself meets the ocean in an array of scattered rocks.

Guardian of the island, this lighthouse looks out to the white-foam sea at Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.

Shadowed by the sun, Three Arch Rocks appears flawless from the Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint.

The blue sky shines through the small arches in each of the rocks at the Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge.

Three Arch Rocks monitors the progress of the waves coming into the shore at Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge.

The starched remnants of trees stand as a reminder for a time when this marshland was drained and converted to a pasture and the restoration of the marshland killed off the trees.