CENTRAL COAST • OREGON COAST CITY GUIDE
Lincoln City stretches for miles along the Central Coast, combining seven miles of beach with Devils Lake, Siletz Bay, forest trails and a collection of neighborhoods that once existed as separate towns.
HISTORY & CHARACTER
Lincoln City was incorporated in 1965 after the consolidation of several neighboring coastal communities. Taft, Oceanlake, Delake, Nelscott and Cutler City joined together, while the Wecoma area had already been absorbed into Oceanlake. The result is a long, linear city whose neighborhoods still carry their older names and personalities.
The land around Siletz Bay and Devils Lake has much deeper Indigenous history tied to the Siletz and other Native peoples of the central coast. Later communities developed around fishing, logging, tourism and Highway 101.
Today Lincoln City is known for beach traditions as much as scenery. Handmade glass floats placed along the beach through the Finders Keepers program echo the days when Japanese fishing floats sometimes washed ashore and became prized beachcombing finds.
DID YOU KNOW?
When the consolidated city needed a new name in 1965, residents considered several options. Lincoln City won, but Surfland was among the alternatives — a name that would have given Highway 101 a very different address today.
LANDMARKS • SCENERY • EXPERIENCES
Lincoln City is bigger and more varied than a single beach stop. Give yourself time to explore the lake, bay, forest and different shoreline neighborhoods.
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Explore broad sandy stretches for beachcombing, storm watching and sunset walks. Public access points are scattered throughout the city’s long shoreline.
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The freshwater lake just behind the ocean supports paddling, fishing, birding and quieter water recreation when Pacific surf is rough.
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At the south end of town, the bay and river create estuary habitat, calmer water and good opportunities to watch seals, birds and changing tides.
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Nearby forest trails range from sweeping headland views at Cascade Head to the suspension bridge and waterfall at Drift Creek Falls.
Beach and tide in Lincoln City, Oregon. Photo by M.O. Stevens via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).
Beach at Roads End State Park in Lincoln City, Oregon. Photo by Justin Lonas – Moviegoer84 at English Wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
NATURE & WILDLIFE
Siletz Bay supports harbor seals, herons, egrets, bald eagles and migrating shorebirds. Gray whales pass offshore and some feed along the central coast in summer and fall. Roosevelt elk and black-tailed deer live in nearby forests, while Devils Lake attracts ducks, osprey and other waterbirds.
SEASONAL WEATHER
Typical daytime high / overnight low ranges. Coastal weather can change quickly, so treat these as seasonal guideposts rather than a forecast.
Highs about 54–62°F • lows 40–47°F
Highs about 62–68°F • lows 49–54°F
Highs about 56–66°F • lows 44–52°F
Highs about 49–55°F • lows 38–44°F
ON SCREEN AND KNOWN FOR
The 1971 adaptation of Sometimes a Great Notion used the nearby Siletz River and Kernville area, just south of Lincoln City. The river bends, timber country and working-waterfront atmosphere helped define the film’s Oregon setting.
In town, the short D River, seven miles of beach, glass-float tradition and string of distinct districts give Lincoln City an identity of its own.
Photo: Becherka, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
GOOD TO KNOW
Lincoln City follows Highway 101 for roughly seven miles. A stop that looks close on a map may still require driving, especially in summer traffic.
Each beach access has different parking and terrain. Low tide is best for long walks, but winter sneaker waves demand extra caution.
One neighborhood may be sunny while another is foggy. Keep layers in the car and expect conditions to change quickly along the shoreline.
LOCAL HISTORY • CULTURE • STRANGE & TRUE STORIES
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THE COAST KEEPS GOING
Keep traveling town by town for more local history, viewpoints, beaches, wildlife and stories from communities up and down the coast.
Local history, unusual facts, community stories, events and useful reads connected to this city.
Lincoln City’s Finders Keepers tradition grew from the old thrill of finding Japanese glass fishing floats washed ashore. Today local artists keep that beachcombing magic alive.
Read story →The first warning is simple: Don’t go upstairs. That is what the story seems to say, not in a sign nailed to the wall, not in…
Read story →The Oregon Coast is a place of majestic beauty, where the rugged Pacific meets ancient forests and mist-shrouded cliffs. But as the sun dips below the…
Read story →