The Oregon coast’s Rockaway Beach—a tiny gem of a town set on a seven-mile shoreline—boasts an extended summer chock full of ways to spend a relaxing weekend in touch with nature. From eclectic shopping that reads more like a treasure hunt among antique outposts and pastel-colored snack shops to museums chronicling the region’s history on land, water, and sky, year-round attractions are easy to come by.

But September brings can’t-miss bucket list items of its own. Never fear, we’ve compiled the best of the best.

Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad

A red caboose acts as sentry guarding the Rockaway Beach depot of the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad. Aboard the early 20th-century locomotives—one of which may look familiar from its cameo in the 1986 Stand By Me film—riders learn the history of the natural areas passing by the restored car windows. The Railroad’s annual Fall Splendor Excursion returns to the tracks in late September. The route traverses coastal forests alive with fall colors in a 45-minute ride from Rockaway to Wheeler where passengers explore the tiny town before returning to the Rockaway depot.

Cedar Wetlands Nature Preserve

The town’s nature preserve boasts a rare find: a giant, old-growth western red cedar spared from logging. A one-mile hiking trail through the urban cedar bog carts visitors to the behemoth: a trunk 154 feet tall and 49 feet wide. The unique trail is built exclusively of boardwalks set above the forest floor, rendering the entire mud-free jaunt accessible by wheelchairs and strollers.

Fat Tire Beach Biking

To risk stating the obvious, Rockaway Beach’s shoreline shouldn’t be overlooked. A calling card of the town’s seven miles of sand along the Pacific Coast, the arched Twin Rocks formation stands just offshore as a dramatic point of interest. On shore, low tide brings rockhounding and tidepooling for sharp eyes. Bikes with oversized tires make for easy beach transport, and Troxel’s Rock Garden in town rents the special cycles and offers free beach-ready wheelchairs to traverse the expansive stretch.

Kelly’s Brighton Marina Crabbing and Jetty Fishery Clamming

The guides at Kelly’s Brighton Marina turn seafaring novices into accomplished folks eating fresh-caught crab by the onsite fire pit. They’ll bait crab rings, teach techniques, and cook your catch. Dungeness crab and their sweet, buttery flavor populate the waters around the marina, and September through December is peak crab-catching season in Nehalem Bay. Nearby Jetty Fishery arms clammers with rental clam guns, shovels, rakes, buckets, and shellfish licenses. Purple varnish and Eastern soft shell clams call Nehalem Bay home, but venturing further north garners razor clams.

Garibaldi Seafood and Spirits Festival

Rockaway Beach’s coastal neighbor, just five miles south, hosts an annual seafood bash to celebrate the nosh both towns harvest from the sea. Local oysters, seaweed, and mussels headline Garibaldi’s fest—and a plethora of local brewers and distillers share the spotlight. After palates are placated, visitors can shop seafood-centric vendors’ art and wares, take in live music, and learn a thing or two from cooking demonstrations.