Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area
Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area near Newport, Oregon
Yaquina Head is a stunning headland located in the state of Oregon, United States. It is home to the Yaquina Head Light and managed as the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area by the Bureau of Land Management. This location also includes part of the National Landscape Conservation System, commonly referred to as National Conservation Lands.
The United States Congress named the 95-acre (38 hectare) headland an Outstanding Natural Area in 1980. The area’s average elevation is 108 feet (33 meters) above sea level, and it is located along U.S. Route 101, about 55 miles (89 kilometers) west of Corvallis.
The area boasts five trails that are all less than half a mile, and you can enjoy hiking by the ocean, through forests of Douglas fir and Sitka spruce. If you’re more into watching than doing, there’s also whale-watching, bird-watching, as well as visiting an interpretive center and touring a lighthouse.
A Little About the Yaquina Head Lighthouse
The lighthouse, situated at the westernmost point of the basalt headland, has been in operation since 1873 and stands 93 feet tall. Its light functions as a guide for ships travelling along the west coast at night. To learn more, head on over to our Yaquina Head Lighthouse page.