How to Elope at Cape Kiwanda

Cape Kiwanda packs a lot into one relatively small stretch of coastline. Massive sand dunes, yellow sandstone cliffs, long stretches of beach, views across the Pacific, and Pacific City right there when you’re ready for coffee, dinner, a beer, or a hot tub at the end of the night.

It’s part of Oregon’s Three Capes Scenic Route, along with Cape Meares and Cape Lookout, and it’s one of those places where we can build a really full elopement experience without spending half your wedding day in the car.

Maybe you climb the dunes before your ceremony, ride horses on the beach, go out on a dory boat, meet your family for lunch, or disappear together for a few hours before heading back out for sunset. Or maybe you spend most of the day barefoot on the beach with your dog and a really good picnic.

We don’t need to do everything Cape Kiwanda has to offer. We just need to figure out which pieces actually sound like you.

Cape Kiwanda Elopement Locations

Cape Kiwanda gives us a surprising amount of variety for one location. There are rolling dunes, long stretches of sand, eroded yellow sandstone, cliffside viewpoints, and Haystack Rock sitting offshore. From higher up on the cape, you can also look north toward Cape Lookout and across a huge stretch of the Oregon Coast.

The Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area is the obvious place to start. The dune rises steeply from the beach, and once you’re up there, the landscape feels completely different from what you were standing in a few minutes earlier. Down below, we have much more open beach for a ceremony, picnic, first dance, time with your family, or whatever else belongs in the day.

And yes, the dune is steep. It’s soft sand all the way up, so we’ll take that into consideration when we’re talking about shoes, what you’re carrying, who you’re bringing, and how much climbing you actually want to do on your wedding day. We’ll check current conditions, closures, tides, and park guidance while we’re planning and make smart decisions about where we explore.

Cape Kiwanda can also get busy, especially during summer. If seclusion matters to you, I’d rather think about the season, day of the week, and time of day than show up on a sunny Saturday afternoon and hope everyone else decided not to.

What to Do During Your Cape Kiwanda Elopement

A Cape Kiwanda elopement can be as relaxed or as full of adventure as you want it to be. You can say your vows beside the ocean and spend the rest of the day wandering the beach, or we can build in a few things you genuinely want to experience together.

A few ideas:

• Rent ATVs with Sandlake Tsunami ATV Rental and head out to the Sand Lake dunes.
• Book spa treatments at Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa. Add a massage or facial at Tidepools Spa, or spend some time soaking in the ocean-view hot tub.
• Book a horseback ride on the beach with Green Acres Beach & Trail Rides. Ride together along the Oregon Coast with the ocean on one side and the dunes stretching out around you.
• Plan a beach picnic. Bring your favorite food, something good to drink, blankets, pillows, and enough time to actually sit there and enjoy it.
• Finish the night in a hot tub under the stars. Bonus points for an ocean view.
• Have a beach bonfire. If current fire rules allow it, bring out the camp chairs and end the night around a fire on the beach.
• Go dory boat fishing with Pacific City Fishing. Pacific City’s dory boats launch directly from the beach, which is a pretty unique way to spend part of your elopement day.
• Have a beer at Pelican Brewing overlooking the beach and Haystack Rock.
• Take a mixology or cooking experience at Headlands. Mixology, oyster shucking, crab shaking… if eating and drinking your way through part of your wedding day sounds fun, I’m in.

You don’t need to schedule an activity every hour of your wedding day. Pick one or two things you’re genuinely excited about and give yourselves enough time to actually enjoy them.

Best Time to Visit Cape Kiwanda for Your Elopement

Cape Kiwanda is beautiful year-round, but the best time to visit depends on the kind of wedding day you want. Summer brings longer days, warmer weather, and a better chance of sunshine, but it’s also the busiest time of year on this stretch of the Oregon Coast.

If you’re dreaming about long days outside, beach picnics, horseback riding, or spending as much time as possible exploring, summer can be great. If having fewer people around matters more, spring and fall are worth considering. You’ll trade some predictability in the weather for quieter beaches and plenty of that moody Oregon Coast atmosphere.

Winter can bring rain, fog, wind, and big waves, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I don’t automatically think blue skies make for a better wedding day. Some of my favorite coastal conditions are the ones that feel a little wild.

Whatever season you choose, we’ll plan around the weather, crowds, tides, and what you actually want to do rather than picking a month because some wedding blog told you it’s the “best.”

Awesome Cape Kiwanda Airbnbs + Places to Stay

Where you stay can become a real part of the elopement instead of simply being where you sleep. Maybe you want huge windows overlooking the ocean, somewhere private in the trees, a hot tub for later, an outdoor shower, a kitchen where you can cook together, or enough space for your dogs and a few family members.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Modern Oceanfront Luxury with Floor-to-Ceiling Views

This modern oceanfront home is such a beautiful place to stay for your Cape Kiwanda elopement. I’ve completely fallen in love with the huge windows and unbelievable ocean views, especially if you’re planning to get ready here before heading out for the day.

Offbeat Luxury Hart’s Camp Lodging

These renovated Airstreams are such a fun, offbeat option for your elopement. The interiors are adorable for getting-ready photos, and the outdoor showers are still one of my favorite parts. There’s something about all that steam outside that photographs SO well.

Hart’s Camp is also dog-friendly and right across from Pacific City Beach, making it easy to explore Cape Kiwanda without spending your entire day in the car.

Ocean Views For Days

This spot along the coast is true to its name. Located in Cloverdale, Oregon, this Airbnb has the most GORGEOUS views of the coast (and Haystack Rock!) through huge floor-to-ceiling windows. Imagine waking up to that view on your elopement morning.

Modern Ocean Front Cabin with Views

If you’re eloping at Cape Kiwanda, why not stay at this stunning spot in Pacific City right on the beach?! Complete with a patio facing the ocean, this beautiful house has incredible views of the Pacific and is the perfect place to sit outside together and take it all in.

Beautiful Beach Front Home with Hot Tub + Dogs Allowed!

This adorable beach home has the cutest interior, and the location simply can’t be beat! The back patio has space for a cookout, while the front patio has a secluded hot tub facing the ocean. Just imagine ending your elopement day soaking under the stars together.

Haystack Rock Lookout Luxury Home with Hot Tub + Patio

This luxury cabin on a hill above Haystack Rock gives me all the cabin-chic vibes! The secluded patio has space for a backyard barbecue AND a hot tub, perfect for an under-the-stars moment with your new partner for life.

Headlands Coastal Lodge + Spa

Headlands Coastal Lodge + Spa is right at Cape Kiwanda, with beautiful ocean views and plenty of ways to make your stay feel like part of the elopement experience. Between the oceanfront rooms, spa, hot tub, and easy access to the beach, you can spend the day adventuring and come back to relax together without having to go far.

Elopement Vendors near Cape Kiwanda

Eloping doesn’t mean you have to do everything yourselves! Depending on what you have planned for your Cape Kiwanda elopement, you may still want a few amazing vendors to help bring everything together.

• Florist
• Hair + Makeup Artist
• Private Chef or Caterer
• Videographer
• Adventure Guide or Outfitter
• Baker

You definitely don’t need all of them. We’ll figure out which vendors make sense for the day you’re planning.

Where to Eat Near Cape Kiwanda

Where will you sit down and celebrate your new marriage? Pacific City has some great options whether you’re looking for a casual beer on the beach, a beautiful dinner overlooking the ocean, or coffee and something sweet before heading out for the day.

Pelican Brewery

Pelican Brewing really is a one-of-a-kind spot. You can enjoy a fresh beer and casual bites while literally running your toes through the sand on the beach. Plus, you get beautiful views of Haystack Rock, the ocean, and the surrounding dunes.

Meridian Restaurant & Bar

The chefs at Meridian serve beautiful Pacific Northwest coastal food with ingredients from the sea and local farms. While you eat, you can take in views of Haystack Rock and the Pacific Ocean through the huge windows overlooking the coast. It’s such a romantic option if you want something a little more elevated for your elopement dinner.

Stimulus Coffee + Bakery

Stimulus Coffee + Bakery is the perfect little stop for coffee and breakfast before heading out for your elopement day. They have plenty of espresso and brewed coffee, baked goods, breakfast options, and vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free choices too.

Best Breweries Near Cape Kiwanda

Pelican Brewery

Like I said before, Pelican Brewing is quite a spot! It’s hard to beat drinking a beer right on the beach with views of the ocean, Haystack Rock, and the sand dunes. Plus, the beer is pretty good too!

How to Get to Cape Kiwanda

Closest Airport

Portland International Airport is the most practical major airport for most couples flying in for a Cape Kiwanda elopement. From Portland, you’re looking at roughly a two-hour drive to Pacific City depending on traffic, weather, and road conditions.

I’d recommend renting a car even if we design an elopement where you barely touch it once you’re in Pacific City. It gives you flexibility for groceries, flowers, catering, surrounding beaches, vendors, and anything else we decide belongs in the trip.

Example Cape Kiwanda Elopement Day Timeline

One of my favorite things about Cape Kiwanda is how much of the day can happen within the same small area. Hart’s Camp, Stimulus Coffee + Bakery, Pelican Brewing, Headlands, Pacific City Beach, and the Cape Kiwanda dune are all clustered together.

That means your wedding timeline can feel like an actual day instead of a list of places we’re racing between. You can also make room for family and friends without giving up the parts of the day that are just yours.

Here’s one version:

• 6:00 a.m. Wake up together at Hart’s Camp.
• 6:15 a.m. Walk over for coffee and breakfast at Stimulus Coffee + Bakery.
• 7:30 a.m. Head back to your Airstream and take turns getting dressed.
• 8:00 a.m. Walk toward Cape Kiwanda and start climbing the dunes separately.
• 8:30 a.m. Have your first look and give yourselves some time to settle into the day together.
• 9:00–10:30 a.m. Explore the Cape Kiwanda dunes and beach.
• 11:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Come back down, grab a beer and some food at Pelican, meet up with your closest family and friends, play yard games back at Hart’s Camp, take a nap, or just spend a few hours hanging out.
• 4:00 p.m. onward. Head back toward the dunes and beach for your ceremony. Say your vows, exchange rings, have your first dance, pop champagne, have a picnic, and stay out while the light changes over the Pacific.
• Afterward: If current fire rules allow it, bring out the camp chairs and end the night around a fire on the beach. Or head back to Hart’s Camp, get into a hot tub, rinse the sand off in one of the outdoor showers, or disappear inside together and call it a night.

This isn’t a timeline you need to copy. Maybe your ceremony happens in the morning. Maybe family joins you for dinner instead. Maybe we go horseback riding in the afternoon, or you spend half the day out on a dory boat before you ever put wedding clothes on.

The timeline comes after we figure out what you actually want to experience.

Bonus: This version of the day keeps almost everything within walking distance, so you’re spending a whole lot less time getting in and out of a car.

PS. Cape Kiwanda is super dog-friendly!

Want to Elope at Cape Kiwanda?

If a wedding day filled with ocean views, sandy feet, a little adventure, and plenty of time to actually enjoy each other sounds like your kind of day, Cape Kiwanda might be your place.

I’ve spent a lot of time exploring this stretch of the Oregon Coast, and I know how much we can pack into a day here without making it feel like we’re running around checking things off a list. Bring me the ideas you’re already excited about. We’ll figure out what belongs in your day from there.

LET’S PLAN YOUR CAPE KIWANDA ELOPEMENT →