Camille's Arches: Twin Rocks Arch

Friday, July 17, 2026

Twin Rocks Arch

In June of 2026 we went on a trip to Portland, Oregon and planned to visit as many arches, waterfalls, beaches, and other beautiful sites as possible. One of the arches that I had marked was Twin Rocks Arch, which is located at Rockaway Beach. The Rockaway Beach street signs feature the arch. It appears to be the small town's main claim to fame. You can watch a video of our visit to Twin Rocks Arch here: Twin Rocks Arch

Twin Rocks Arch is located here: Twin Rocks Arch

We parked near the Twin Rocks Motel and walked down to the beach on a small trail. We could immediately see the Twin Rocks Arch, although we had to walk to the northern-most part of the shore before we got a really good look at the opening in the arch. I'd recommend putting Diamond Beach in your GPS and then you can start out on the northern end with a great view of the arch. We enjoyed walking along the sand on this crowded beach, and even poking our feet in the very cold water as the waves rushed onto the shore. Lots of people were sitting on the beach, but no one was swimming. Even in June the water was too cold for that.

We were lucky enough to be in Rockaway, Oregon when the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad rode into town. Their official website is here: Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad Scenic rides go along the Tillamook Coasts and begin in both Rockaway and Garibaldi. It is a 90 minute round-trip ride and costs about $36 per person including fees. It is a 30 minute ride in each direction with a 30 minute layover in between. If we'd had more time we would have hopped on and taken a beautiful coastal ride on a train. We ate lunch at El Trio Loco III on Highway 101 and then continued on our drive to Three Arch Rocks further south. Earlier in the day we had visited Arch Cape Beach to see Arch Cape Arch and then on to Indian Beach to see Sea Lion Arch, followed by Cannon Beach and finally to Twin Rocks Arch in Rockaway. Three Arch Rocks was our final destination of the day, although we viewed it from three different locations -- Oceanside Beach, Tunnel Beach, and the lighthouse at Cape Meares. It was a very fun and very full day!

driving to Twin Rocks Arch along highway 101

a rare sighting of the ocean along highway 101

We parked down this road to walk down to the beach

We parked by Twin Rocks Motel

we walked down this path to the beach

our first sighting of Twin Rocks Arch

Twin Rocks Arch

walking along the beach

as we walked along the beach our view of the arch opening changed

The Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad stops in Rockaway Beach, Oregon

We ate at El Trio Loco III in Rockaway Beach

Oregon Coast Highway 101

Driving along Highway 101 is very beautiful. It is not at all the experience that I've had driving the California coast. I expected to see sandy beaches, but instead I mostly saw very tall trees. It's not at all obvious that you are right beside the Pacific Ocean, because you can't see it most of the time. I don't recall ever driving through such tall trees as I did in Oregon. There are many beaches along the coast that you can stop at as you drive along Highway 101. There are a few small towns where you can stop to grab a bite to eat or purchase souvenirs. We stopped in Rockaway and ate lunch at El Trio Loco III in Rockaway Beach. We had wanted to eat at the Tillamook Creamery but it closed at 6 p.m. before we could make it back there after our adventures.

Arches in the Portland Area:

Natural Rock Arch

Phantom Natural Bridge

Three Arch Rocks

Places to Stay in Portland

We stayed at the Fairfield by Marriott located in Lake Oswego, which is located here: Fairfield Inn because it was centrally located to everywhere we wanted to go. There is not a hot tub, but there is a heated pool and there is a pretty good hot breakfast, which included sausage patties, scrambled eggs, spinach quiche, and sometimes sausage patties or bacon. There are also waffles, oatmeal, cereal, fruit, bagels, and bread. The room was comfortable and clean and the staff was friendly. Their official website is here: Fairfield Inn & Suites

Resources to enhance your visit to Portland:

These items might make your adventure to Portland more enjoyable. Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases. This is at no additional cost to you.

Best Easy Day Hikes Portland

Columbia Women's Arcadia II Jacket (this is the rain coat that I use)

Compact Travel Umbrella

Portland Family Adventures

Portland Hiking Guide

60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Portland

Arch Cape Chronicles

Oregon Coast Travel Guide