Most of the structures were built between 1870 and 1900 by the U.S. Lighthouse Board and are now operated by the Coast Guard. Regularly scheduled tours are available at Cape Blanco, Haceta Head, Umpqua River,Yaquina Bay and Yaquina Head. There are public display areas at Cape Mearesand Coquille River. The Tillamook Rock lighthouse, now privately owned, is used as a columbarium, a storage place for the ashes of the deceases, so there is no tour there. You can hike, or you can hire a dune buggy.
Winter is a good time to drive one the dunes because there are fewer vehicles.
Although the sand is smoother in the summer, but the lack of vehicles more than make up for it. The highest of the sand dunes are located at Umpqua Dunes. In Northern California, it could be the Mendocino Headlands or Davenport or Eureka orwherever. Our favorites on the Oregon coast are Newport and Florence, but the choices are many. Newport is a swinging coastal settlement, big enough to have good food and accommodations, not so big to be too crowded.