The Drifthaven at Gearhart
67 N Cottage Ave
Gearhart, OR
A 1941 cottage court where driftwood built the walls and Oregon filled the pantry.
About The Drifthaven at Gearhart
The Drifthaven sits on North Cottage Avenue in Gearhart, a residential beach town three miles north of Seaside where the Oregon Coast stays genuinely quiet. The cottages were built in 1941 by the Tyberg brothers, sons of one of Gearhart's founding families, from driftwood washed ashore from Oregon timber freighters. The property operated as the Gearhart Ocean Inn for decades before a full renovation in 2022 brought in Oregon-based designer Ashley Tackett to preserve the original cottage character while layering in rich, saturated colors and vintage nautical finds sourced from across the region. Sunset Magazine and 1859 Oregon's Magazine both featured it after the reopening. The beach is one block from the front door.
What The Drifthaven at Gearhart Is Known For
The Drifthaven is the only property on the Oregon Coast that can trace its walls to driftwood from Oregon timber freighters. The Tyberg brothers built it by hand with material the ocean delivered, on a block their family had claimed since the founding of Gearhart. The renovation in 2022 preserved that story rather than erasing it. The property now carries both histories, the original cottage bones and the careful design that came after, without confusing one for the other.
Amenities
- Pets Welcome
- Breakfast Included
- Breakfast basket delivered to cottage door daily
- Communal fire pit and barbecue garden
- One block from Gearhart Beach
- Full kitchens in 1- and 2-bedroom suites
- Pantries stocked with local treats
- Bikes available
- Pet-friendly with welcome treats on arrival
What Guests Love
- Breakfast is delivered in a basket to your cottage door each morning: pastries, fruit, and juice from local producers, before most guests are awake.
- The beach is less than a tenth of a mile on foot, and Gearhart's stretch of coast is consistently quieter and less crowded than any beach accessible from Seaside or Cannon Beach.
- Each cottage is individually designed with vintage nautical finds sourced across Oregon by designer Ashley Tackett, meaning no two rooms share the same feeling.
- Dogs are genuinely welcomed: free mocktails and doggie treats arrive with your key.
- The communal garden has a fire pit, barbecue, and lawn games in a setting that feels like a private backyard rather than a common area.
Worth Knowing
- Some guests have noted the bed in one of the larger suites sat lower than expected. Worth requesting room details at booking if bed height matters to you.
- The property fills up on summer weekends. Three to four weeks of advance planning is worth building in, especially for the larger suites.
- Pacific Way Cafe, Gearhart's local bakery, is a short walk if you want a coffee outing, though breakfast is already included in your stay.
- Check-in details and cottage assignment arrive by email before arrival. Confirm your contact information at booking to ensure you receive them.
- Pets are welcome. A pet fee applies; contact the property directly to confirm current amounts and any restrictions before booking.
The Room
Each cottage is individually designed with vintage nautical finds sourced across Oregon by designer Ashley Tackett, giving the rooms real distinctions rather than variations on a single template. Suites range from large studios to one- and two-bedroom configurations with full kitchens, separate living areas, and fireplaces in the sitting room. Pantries are stocked with local epicurean treats and include an electric tea kettle and coffee maker. Beds are dressed with warm blankets and quality linens. Every cottage has a private entrance and its own character, from the specific color palette to the nautical objects on the shelves.
The Grounds
The cottages are clustered around a manicured garden with a communal fire pit, barbecue, and lawn games, arranged to feel more like a shared courtyard than a motel parking lot. Individual cottage entrances open directly to the garden or the street, and each has dedicated parking. A short walk through the neighborhood reaches the dune crossing to Gearhart Beach, a long, flat stretch of Pacific sand that draws far fewer visitors than the beaches at Seaside or Cannon Beach. Pacific Way, the commercial main street, is a five-minute walk, with a bakery, a small market, and the historic Gearhart Golf Links.
The Experience
Staying at the Drifthaven is structured around the morning basket. Breakfast, fresh pastries, fruit, and juice from local producers, arrives at the cottage door before most guests are awake, so the day starts with the fireplace already going and something warm in hand before the walk to the beach. Dogs get their own welcome: mocktails for the people, treats for the animals, a note in the room. Gearhart's beach is long and unhurried. No vendors, no crowds, no parking situations. The walk back takes five minutes. The pantry has something good to open in the afternoon. The fire pit is in the garden for the evening.
Details
Gearhart, OR 97138
The Boutel designation is earned, not purchased. Boutels is editorially independent and has no financial relationship with any listed property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does The Drifthaven at Gearhart have EV charging?
No, The Drifthaven at Gearhart does not have on-site EV charging. The Road Trip Planner map shows public chargers near the property.
What is there to do near The Drifthaven at Gearhart?
Gearhart Beach: 0.1 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk. Seaside Promenade and Turnaround: 3 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there. Ecola State Park: 12 miles, about a 25 minute drive. Lewis and Clark Salt Works: 3 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.
How far is The Drifthaven at Gearhart from Gearhart Beach?
Gearhart Beach is about 0.1 miles from The Drifthaven at Gearhart, close enough to walk (roughly a 5 minute drive).
How far is The Drifthaven at Gearhart from Seaside Promenade and Turnaround?
Seaside Promenade and Turnaround is about 3 miles from The Drifthaven at Gearhart, roughly a 5 minute drive or a short bike ride.
How far is The Drifthaven at Gearhart from Ecola State Park?
Ecola State Park is about 12 miles from The Drifthaven at Gearhart, roughly a 25 minute drive.
How far is The Drifthaven at Gearhart from Lewis and Clark Salt Works?
Lewis and Clark Salt Works is about 3 miles from The Drifthaven at Gearhart, roughly a 5 minute drive or a short bike ride.
How far is the Drifthaven at Gearhart from the beach?
The Drifthaven at Gearhart is less than a tenth of a mile from Gearhart Beach. A short walk through the neighborhood leads to a dune crossing and onto a long, flat stretch of Pacific sand with minimal crowds.
Does the Drifthaven at Gearhart include breakfast?
Yes. Breakfast is included in every stay. A basket of pastries, fruit, and juice from local producers is delivered to your cottage door each morning.
Is the Drifthaven at Gearhart pet friendly?
Yes. Pets are welcome at the Drifthaven at Gearhart. A pet fee applies; contact the property directly to confirm current amounts and any restrictions before booking.
Does the Drifthaven at Gearhart have a pool?
The Drifthaven at Gearhart does not have a pool. The beach is less than a tenth of a mile away on foot, and the property has a communal garden with a fire pit and barbecue for outdoor time on the grounds.
Is parking available at the Drifthaven at Gearhart?
Yes. Free on-site parking is available for each cottage, with a dedicated space per unit.
Do the cottages at the Drifthaven at Gearhart have kitchens?
One-bedroom and two-bedroom suites include full kitchens. Studios include pantry kitchenettes with an electric tea kettle, coffee maker, and pantry stocked with local treats.
How far is the Drifthaven at Gearhart from Seaside, Oregon?
Seaside is 3 miles south of the Drifthaven at Gearhart, about a 10-minute drive on US-101. The Seaside Promenade, Turnaround monument, and downtown restaurants are all accessible from there.
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Things to Do Near the North Oregon Coast
Gearhart Beach
0.0 miles away
A wide, dune-backed public beach on the quiet north Oregon coast, just above Seaside.
Seaside Aquarium
2.1 miles away
The hand-feeding harbor seal experience at Seaside Aquarium is one of the most memorable hands-on wildlife moments kids can have on the Oregon coast - seals come right up to the edge of the pool to take fish from your ha...
Seaside Promenade and Turnaround
2.3 miles away
Seaside's mile-and-a-half oceanfront boardwalk, the classic Oregon coast Prom, running along the wide Pacific beach to a landmark Turnaround circle where a Lewis and Clark statue marks the end of their trail.
Lewis and Clark Salt Works, Seaside
2.8 miles away
Most people in Seaside never leave the Promenade, so this small stone ring on a quiet corner goes unnoticed.
Ecola State Park
7.7 miles away
Ecola State Park drapes over Tillamook Head just north of Cannon Beach, with bluff-top viewpoints over sea stacks, Haystack Rock, and the lonely offshore Tillamook Rock Lighthouse.
Haystack Rock
9.9 miles away
One of the tallest sea stacks you can walk right up to at low tide, ringed by tide pools and topped by nesting puffins, standing off the beach at Cannon Beach.
Fort Stevens State Park
12 miles away
At the wild northwest tip of Oregon where the Columbia River meets the Pacific, Fort Stevens stacks a Civil War through World War II coastal fort, the rusted beach wreck of the Peter Iredale, and warm freshwater Coffenbu...
The Goonies House
13 miles away
The hillside Victorian in Astoria that played Mikey's house in the 1985 movie The Goonies still stands above the Columbia River, at the top of its long gravel drive in the oldest town in the Pacific Northwest.
South Jetty of the Columbia River
16 miles away
Drive to the end of Clatsop Spit in Fort Stevens State Park, near Hammond west of Astoria, to reach the South Jetty, where the mighty Columbia River pours into the Pacific across the Graveyard of the Pacific.
Oswald West State Park
18 miles away
A rainforest-backed cove on the north Oregon coast, named for the governor who saved the state's beaches for the public.
Cape Disappointment State Park
18 miles away
Cape Disappointment is where the Columbia River collides with the Pacific at the foot of the Long Beach Peninsula, a place of fog, wind, and enormous history.
Neahkahnie Mountain Summit
20 miles away
The summit view from Neahkahnie Mountain is one of the best non-alpine lookouts on the Oregon coast: Manzanita, Nehalem Bay, Tillamook Bay, and the horizon of the Pacific all at once. Most tourists skip it.