In Pacific City, one of the most iconic sights on the Oregon Coast unfolds right on the sand. The Historic Dory Fishing Fleet launches directly from the beach below Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area, powering flat-bottomed wooden boats straight into the surf just as fishermen have done for more than a century. It’s a thrilling scene: trucks back toward the water, crews push the boats across the sand, and within moments they’re cresting waves on their way to fish for salmon, rockfish and crab.
Visitors can watch launches in the early morning or gather in the afternoon to see the boats return, often riding the waves dramatically onto shore. The fleet remains one of the few in the country that still launches from the beach in this traditional way, making it both a working harbor and a living piece of maritime history.
Each July, the town celebrates this legacy during the Dory Days Festival, a lively weekend of parades, music and community events honoring the fleet and its enduring coastal heritage.
