The Long Way
Benton County
A communication tower and building stand on a grassy hilltop under a cloudy sky.
Plate I. Marys Peak summit, Marys Peak to Pacific Scenic Byway. Photograph by Jsayre64, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
A bridge spans across a body of water with trees and sandy shores in the background.
Plate II. Alsea Bay Bridge, Marys Peak to Pacific Scenic Byway. From industry.visittheoregoncoast.com
Three hikers stand on a mountain ridge overlooking a sea of clouds.
Plate III. View from Marys Peak to Pacific Scenic Byway. From traveloregon.com
A vehicle parked on a mountain road overlooking a scenic valley under a blue sky.
Plate IV. Driving along Marys Peak to Pacific Scenic Byway. From visitcorvallis.com
A large arch bridge spans across a body of water under a cloudy sky.
Plate V. Alsea Bay Bridge, Marys Peak to Pacific Scenic Byway. From traveloregon.com
A dirt road winds along a grassy mountain ridge under a blue sky.
Plate VI. Mountain overlook, Marys Peak to Pacific Scenic Byway. From traveloregon.com

Marys Peak to Pacific Scenic Byway

Corvallis, Benton County, Oregon. State Byway; Year-round.

Details

Map. Corvallis, Benton County, Oregon. Larger map
Where
Corvallis, Benton County, OR. No street address stated. Directions
Getting there
72 miles.
Access
It's always tempting to make a beeline for Oregon's magnificent coast, but this byway encourages you to take it slow - not only to navigate the often narrow, twisting road but to discover the many attractions hiding just beyond the highway.
Phone
800-334-8118
Website
nsbfoundation.com
Managed by
City of Waldport, in coordination with Oregon Department of Transportation and Travel Oregon.

From the highest point in the Coast Range to the broad, sandy beaches of the Central Coast, one of Oregon's newest byways follows the Alsea River on a delightfully meandering 72-mile tour.

Notable Events

  1. 1938Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Project Administration crews began the Marys Peak Road in 1938; the road and original picnic ground were completed in 1941. govinfo.gov
  2. 1958The Air Force extended the road to the summit and built a radar station that was never used; it later removed the equipment and transferred the building to the Forest Service. govinfo.gov
  3. 1968Five miles of paved Forest road from Highway 34 to Woods Creek junction were completed. govinfo.gov
  4. 2014Kerry Kemp and colleagues at the City of Waldport revived the application to Oregon's Scenic Byways program during major construction on OR-20 between Corvallis and Newport. industry.visittheoregoncoast.com

People

  • Kerry Kemp, Waldport city manager who helped revive the state scenic-byway application in 2014.
  • Phil Warnock, Contact person for Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments' scenic-byway proposal.

Sources

  1. traveloregon.com/things-to-do/trip-ideas/scenic-drives/marys-peak-pacific-scenic-byway
  2. visitcorvallis.com/marys-peak-to-pacific-coast-scenic-byway
  3. nsbfoundation.com/sb/marys-peak-to-pacific-scenic-byway
  4. forestgrovenewstimes.com/2018/05/03/highway-6-between-banks-coast-named-a-scenic-byway
  5. industry.visittheoregoncoast.com/industry-news/waldport-welcomes-scenic-drivers
  6. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marys_Peak_summit_in_Oregon.JPG
  7. industry.visittheoregoncoast.com/industry-news/waldport-welcomes-scenic-drivers
  8. ocwcog.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/18-05-24-CWACT-FC-Agenda-Packet.pdf
  9. govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-A13-PURL-gpo90137/pdf/GOVPUB-A13-PURL-gpo90137.pdf
  10. forestgrovenewstimes.com/2018/05/03/highway-6-between-banks-coast-named-a-scenic-byway