Moolack Shores Inn
8835 N. Coast Hwy
Newport, OR
Cliffside above Moolack Beach. Private staircase down.
This property is an Honorable Mention. It has been vetted and approved for our highest standards of cleanliness, safety, and operational excellence. While it is still evolving toward our full design-led designation, it is a proven, reliable anchor for any road trip. We recommend it with confidence.
About Moolack Shores Inn
Moolack Shores Inn sits on a cliff above Moolack Beach four and a half miles north of Newport on US-101, with a private staircase leading from the property directly down to the sand. The rooms are individually themed and named: the Hawaii Room, the Western Room, the Lighthouse Room, the Whale Room, Under the Sea, Aviator, and others. Most rooms include a fireplace with complimentary logs and a kitchenette with a stovetop, refrigerator, and microwave. A guest firepit and grilling area overlooks the beach. Complimentary coffee and snacks are available in the lobby. The manager runs the property with a presence that shows up in reviews repeatedly and specifically, the kind of ownership attention that defines what makes a small coast inn worth recommending.
What Moolack Shores Inn Is Known For
Moolack Shores Inn is an Honorable Mention for the combination of the private beach staircase (genuinely rare on the Oregon coast) and the individual room character that makes the difference between a motel you book and a motel you remember. The manager is mentioned in guest reviews consistently and specifically, which is the signal that a small property is being run with intention rather than managed from a distance. TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice 2026.
Amenities
- Pets Welcome
- Private staircase to Moolack Beach
- Fireplace with complimentary logs in most rooms
- Kitchenette in most rooms (stovetop, refrigerator, microwave)
- Outdoor guest firepit and BBQ grill area
- Complimentary lobby coffee and snacks
- Pets welcome (contact the property to confirm current amounts and restrictions)
What Guests Love
- The private staircase from the cliff to Moolack Beach gives guests direct, quiet beach access without crossing a road, parking lot, or shared public access point.
- Thirteen individually themed and named rooms at a price point that consistently surprises guests: the property has a Booking.com location score of 9.7/10.
- Most rooms include a working fireplace with complimentary wood and a full kitchenette, making longer stays or off-season visits especially practical.
- Peggy runs the property with a hands-on presence that shows up by name in TripAdvisor and Booking.com reviews, the consistent signal of genuine independent ownership.
- Pets are welcome, making Moolack Shores one of the few cliffside oceanfront options on the central coast that accepts dogs.
Worth Knowing
- Moolack Shores Inn is 4.5 miles north of downtown Newport on US-101. The property can be easy to miss while driving south; watch for it on the left approaching the 8800 block.
- Breakfast is not served at Moolack Shores Inn. The lobby offers complimentary coffee and snacks. Newport has a full range of restaurants and services 4.5 miles south.
- Pets are welcome. A pet fee applies; contact the property directly to confirm current amounts and any restrictions before booking.
- Room quality varies between older units and more recently updated rooms. If room condition is important to you, ask about the most recently updated units when booking.
- The staircase to Moolack Beach involves a moderate number of steps. Guests with limited mobility should confirm the access route when booking.
The Room
The rooms at Moolack Shores Inn are named and individually designed rather than numbered and interchangeable. Most include a fireplace with complimentary logs, a kitchenette with stovetop, refrigerator, microwave, and toaster, a flat-screen TV, and a private bathroom with both shower and bathtub. Select rooms have private ocean-view decks or terraces. Room themes range from nautical to tropical to Western to aviation, each has its own identity at a price point that consistently surprises guests. Complimentary coffee and snacks are available in the lobby throughout the day. The property is non-smoking throughout.
The Grounds
The inn sits on a cliff directly above Moolack Beach with a private staircase giving guests direct beach access at any tide. An outdoor firepit and BBQ grill area is available for guests on the grounds. Free parking is included. The beach below is uncrowded by Newport standards, most visitors to Moolack Beach arrive from the inn, not from a crowded public access point.
The Experience
The central fact about staying at Moolack Shores Inn is the private beach staircase. Most Oregon coast inns that call themselves 'oceanfront' require walking across a road or through a public parking lot to reach the water. At Moolack Shores, the path from your room to the sand involves a staircase from the cliff and nothing else. The beach directly below is Moolack Beach, a stretch that does not have a large public access point nearby and tends to stay quiet. Walk south toward Newport and the character of the coast fills in: Yaquina Head Lighthouse two and a half miles down, Devil's Punchbowl four miles, Beverly Beach State Park four miles.
Details
Newport, OR 97365
The Boutel designation is earned, not purchased. Boutels is editorially independent and has no financial relationship with any listed property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Moolack Shores Inn have EV charging?
No, Moolack Shores Inn does not have on-site EV charging. The Road Trip Planner map shows public chargers near the property.
What is there to do near Moolack Shores Inn?
Moolack Beach: Adjacent to the property. Yaquina Head Lighthouse: 2.5 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there. Newport Bayfront: 5 miles, about a 10 minute drive, or you can bike there.
How far is Moolack Shores Inn from Moolack Beach?
Moolack Beach is right next door to Moolack Shores Inn.
How far is Moolack Shores Inn from Yaquina Head Lighthouse?
Yaquina Head Lighthouse is about 2.5 miles from Moolack Shores Inn, roughly a 5 minute drive or a short bike ride.
How far is Moolack Shores Inn from Newport Bayfront?
Newport Bayfront is about 5 miles from Moolack Shores Inn, roughly a 10 minute drive or a short bike ride.
Is Moolack Shores Inn on the beach?
Moolack Shores Inn sits on a cliff directly above Moolack Beach, with a private staircase giving guests direct beach access. The beach is reached via the staircase, with no road crossing or public parking lot required.
Does Moolack Shores Inn allow pets?
Yes. Moolack Shores Inn is pet-friendly. Confirm pet accommodations and any current fees directly with the property when booking.
Does Moolack Shores Inn include breakfast?
Moolack Shores Inn does not serve breakfast. Complimentary coffee and snacks are available in the lobby throughout the day. Newport, 4.5 miles south, has a full range of restaurants and cafes.
Do rooms at Moolack Shores Inn have fireplaces?
Most rooms at Moolack Shores Inn include a fireplace with complimentary logs. Confirm fireplace availability for your specific room when booking.
How far is Moolack Shores Inn from downtown Newport?
Moolack Shores Inn is approximately 4.5 miles north of downtown Newport on US-101, about a 10-minute drive.
What is the beach access like at Moolack Shores Inn?
A private staircase leads from the cliffside property directly down to Moolack Beach. This is a distinctive feature of the inn. The beach access is private to guests and does not involve crossing a road or navigating a public parking area.
Is parking available at Moolack Shores Inn?
Yes. Free on-site parking is included with every stay at Moolack Shores Inn.
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Things to Do Near the Central Oregon Coast
Moolack Beach
0.0 miles away
A long, wild, uncrowded beach north of Newport famous for agates, fossils, and ancient petrified wood exposed in dark low-tide bedrock, with the Yaquina Head lighthouse to the south.
Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, Newport
1.9 miles away
The tide pools here are the payoff. On most of the Oregon coast you hunt for a decent pool; at Cobble Beach they are laid out in tiers right below the lighthouse, close enough that a family can be crouched over anemones...
Agate Beach State Recreation Site
2.4 miles away
A broad, open sweep of sand at the north edge of Newport, running up to the dark basalt of Yaquina Head and its lighthouse.
Devil's Punchbowl State Natural Area
3.2 miles away
A collapsed sea cave at Otter Rock, off the Otter Crest Loop about five miles south of Depoe Bay, where the surf rushes in and churns a giant bowl of rock to foam at high tide.
Mo's Original, Newport
4.8 miles away
Mo's is the Oregon coast's most famous chowder house: a 1946 original on Newport's working Bayfront with the same recipe for 80 years.
Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport
5.3 miles away
Hatfield's touch tanks let kids handle sea stars, urchins, and small invertebrates under staff supervision - great for a rainy Oregon coast day. The resident giant Pacific octopus in the main tank is the centerpiece.
Rocky Creek State Scenic Viewpoint
5.6 miles away
A quiet forested clifftop above Whale Cove on the central Oregon Coast, one of the best low-key spots to watch gray whales pass, including a group that feeds here through summer.
Oregon Coast Aquarium
5.8 miles away
One of the nation's top-ranked aquariums, on Yaquina Bay in Newport and once the home of Keiko from Free Willy.
Whale Watching Center
7.4 miles away
A free Oregon State Parks overlook built into the seawall in the middle of Depoe Bay, right on US 101, where tall picture windows and trained volunteers with binoculars help you spot the resident gray whales that feed ju...
Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge
14 miles away
A restored coastal salt marsh and estuary at the south end of Lincoln City, where a diked dairy pasture was let back to the tide.
Devil's Lake State Recreation Area
19 miles away
A large, sheltered freshwater lake right in the middle of Lincoln City, just off US 101 and a short walk from the beach, calm for paddling when the ocean is rough.
Newport Bayfront
5 miles, about a 10 minute drive, or you can bike there.
5 miles south via US-101. Newport's bayfront on Yaquina Bay is the working heart of one of Oregon's largest commercial fishing ports, with fish markets, crab shacks, charter boats, sea lions hauled out at the docks, and the Rogue Ales brewpub. The Oregon Coast Aquarium and Hatfield Marine Science Center are both in Newport, 7 miles south of Moolack Shores Inn.