Visit Wheeler on northern Oregon’s coast for ocean sunsets, beach walks, clamming, antiquing and pedaling along the railroad during a one-of-a-kind sightseeing excursion. Wheeler has just 400 residents, who make this spot on Nehalem Bay their special home. Scenic Highway 101 serves as the town’s main street, leading to neighboring Manzanita and Nehalem.
Spend a quiet day in town, shopping for art deco items, antiques, unique jewelry, local pottery and woven baskets.
With its oceanside setting and open spaces, Wheeler and surrounding Nehalem Bay Area feature fishing, boating, hiking and birding. Start in Waterfront Park, which offers amazing views of the bay, the river estuary and Neahkahnie Mountain.
Head to the estuary and try digging for soft-shell clams. This is also prime razor clam territory. If you’d like to learn more about digging and how to obtain a permit, contact the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Birdwatchers frequent the Wheeler area for birding opportunities. Among the best places to spot fall migratory birds are Nehalem Bay, Alder Creek Farm, the Nehalem Meadows sewage ponds and the Nehalem Fish Hatchery. Watch for overwintering birds, as well, including mallard and wigeon ducks, kites, and hawks.
Explore Nehalem Bay State Park, located on a 4-mile-long (6-kilometer) sand spit. The park features sand dunes, a forested bike path, kayaking, clamming, crabbing and beachcombing for pretty shells.
Perhaps the most memorable sightseeing excursion in town, Oregon Coast Railrider Cycling offers pedal-powered quadricycling on an out-of-use section of the Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad. Start in Wheeler and travel beside the Nehalem River for about 2 hours, enjoying the beauty of local dairy farms, tidal estuaries and dense forest. You’ll cross rivers on historic trestles, offering even more expansive area views.
Wheeler is less than a 2-hour drive from Portland and 30 minutes from Tillamook or Cannon Beach. Expect to be impressed by this hamlet on the seashore, where friendly residents and the vast Pacific Ocean will give you a hearty welcome.
