Summer is on the horizon, and Oregon’s Rockaway Beach shines bright with a plethora of seasonal fun. The hardest part is narrowing down the activities, from shopping at small businesses and munching on local seafood fare to taking part in countless outdoor adventures. Here, we’ve compiled some of the season’s best offerings.

Think of this list like earning scouting badges or ticking off scavenger hunt items. The prize? A memorable, engaging summer getaway.

Ride an open-air car on the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad

A 100-year-old steam locomotive chugs through downtown Rockaway Beach multiple times per day throughout the summer, carting passengers along a scenic 30-minute journey to neighboring Garibaldi. Summer is the best time to take advantage of the wraparound views afforded by the two open cars, but train connoisseurs looking for a more intimate look into the engine’s inner workings can book a seat in the locomotive cab with the engine crew. Anywhere on the train, on-board narration lends context to passing views, and tickets include a half-hour layover in Garibaldi before returning to Rockaway Beach.

Taste the original Pronto Pup

A Rockaway Beach claim to fame, the Pronto Pup restaurant—easily spotted thanks to a giant, 30-foot-long corndog sculpture on top—whipped up some of the first corn dogs with a savory, pancake-like batter over 80 years ago. They’re still going strong, serving up the classic beef Pronto Pups. The menu has expanded to other deep-fried goods on sticks: pickles, cheese, smoked sausage, and even zucchini.

Take to the skies with a kite

With seven miles of sprawling Pacific coastline, Rockaway Beach’s sandy expanse makes the perfect launching pad for a kite. Take advantage of summer gusts to pilot a kite—find them stocked at downtown’s small businesses like Flamingo Jim’s—with the Twin Rocks watching on. For the ultimate kiting weekend, time your visit with the annual kite festival in June; kids can learn to build and fly small kites, and professional fliers make the skies a mosaic of kites.

Ride bikes along the beach

Seven miles of beach is a lot to explore. Fat-tire bikes engineered to make beach riding more efficient and enjoyable can be rented from Troxel’s Gem and Jewelry in downtown. With late summer sunsets paired with the quicker mode of transport, there’s plenty of time to roll around the vast beach and find your own slice of sand.

Spot migrating birds

Birdwatching in Rockaway Beach is great year-round, but the summer months bring additional species to the beach, wetlands, and nearby forests. Over 200 different species of birds call Rockaway Beach home for the summer; Lake Lytle and the expansive shoreline are great places to start.

Go beachcombing for treasure

Unique driftwood, seashells, sand dollars, sea glass, and rocks are the prize for looking closely. Those with eagle eyes and a bit of patience can turn a simple beach stroll into a veritable treasure hunt.

Kayak local waterways

Explore Rockaway Beach by water, traversing lakes to estuaries to bays where seals, eagles, and otters reside. Lake Lytle serves as a popular location for beginners to explore, and local guides at Kayak Tillamook bring paddlers to Crescent Lake, Nehalem Bay, and more.

For more information about things to do in and around Rockaway Beach, visit visitrockawaybeach.org.