Routes to the Coast

The ODOT website shows three seperate construction zones along Highway 26 between Portland and the coast. If drive to the coast early on a Friday morning do you think I%26#39;ll encounter long waits? (I consider an hour of cumulative waiting to be a long time.) What about alternative routes? I could go either Highway 30 or Highway 6. Which is more scenic? On a previous visit I drove Highway 30 from Portland to St. Helens and, to be honest, I didn%26#39;t think it was anything special. Does it get better further west?

Routes to the Coast

where are you going? Astoria, Cannon Beach or other??

Routes to the Coast

None of the drives TO the coast are especially scenic, at least by Oregon standards - probably Hwy 26 is about as good as it gets (fastest), with Hwy 30 close behind. You get views as you go up the coast range, but other than that, it%26#39;s pretty bland. The fun is along the coast itself. The minor highways are usually slower and not really any more scenic - lots of trees and good views from atop the coast range.

To answer your last question - yes, it does get better further west, but it%26#39;s still not that thrilling, IMHO.

I haven%26#39;t decided yet. Where I go or don%26#39;t go depends on how much aggravation I have to endure to reach that place. I%26#39;m considering the Three Capes Loop and I%26#39;m also interested in Ecola and Oswald West state parks.

I can%26#39;t imagine a cumulative wait of an hour on hwy 26. I drove it a few weeks ago, and it doesn%26#39;t seem there%26#39;s much to be done, so I%26#39;d be surprised if the delay would be more than 15 minutes, total.

Decide where you want to go, and take the appropriate route. If it%26#39;s Three Capes Loop, take hwy 6, which I think is just as scenic as 26, maybe even more so. The section paralleling the Wilson River is particularly nice. Regardless, I%26#39;d not take hwy 30. It%26#39;s more scenic west of St. Helens, but actually best traveling from west to east, with Cascade peaks on the horizon.

I prefer Highway 6 to Highway 26 and Highway 30 over the both of them...but again, it all depends on where you%26#39;re looking to go. Based on your info, I%26#39;d take out Highway 6 to Tillamook then head North along the 101. It%26#39;ll take you past some great scenery, great views, cute towns and it won%26#39;t add all that much time to your trip.

But then again, like said before, I doubt that the delays on 26 would be nearly that bad.