Okay so you know the big secret now. Most of Twilight was filmed in Oregon. But a few of the most famous scenes in the whole movie were supposed to be Washington on screen, and where did they film those? Also Oregon lol.
I know, it's a lot. But the spots they picked are gorgeous no matter which side of the line they're on, and standing in the exact place where those scenes happened is worth every mile. This chapter is the Washington side of the story, plus a bridge into what's waiting in the REAL Washington. The actual Forks and the actual La Push and the actual drive.
That part starts in Chapter 4. But first, these.
This is the La Push beach from the movie. Where Jacob sits with Bella on the driftwood and tells her the Quileute stories and the cold ones for the first time. Sea stacks coming out of the water and dark grey sand and driftwood piled everywhere.
It's at Indian Beach in Ecola State Park by Cannon Beach, Oregon. Not the real La Push. And once you've been to both you totally get why they picked it. They look almost exactly the same, the big sea stacks and the huge driftwood and the dark water and the moody sky. They found a beach that was already perfect and they used it. Can't argue with that.
The drive into Ecola winds through old growth forest and then the beach just opens up under you and takes your breath. That moment alone is worth the trip. It's one of the prettiest beaches on the whole coast, Twilight or not. And btw, having a fire on a beach on the Oregon coast was at the top of my bucket list for YEARS before we finally did it, so if you're staying anywhere near Cannon Beach, do that. Check the rules first but do that.
Jacob and Bella on the logs. Him telling her about the spirit warriors and the cold ones. The moment the whole story shifts. One of the most important scenes in the first movie and it happened right on this sand.
Buy a day use pass ahead at oregonstateparks.org. The lot fills up fast in summer, especially weekends. Go early. Morning light through the sea stacks is unreal and you'll mostly have it to yourself.
Find a big driftwood log by the water and sit on it facing the sea stacks. Film from behind first so you look tiny against the rocks and the ocean. Then turn around and get the face to camera version. That's the shot.
This is where it happened. Edward leads Bella into the trees and she follows him and he steps into a shaft of light and shows her what he is, his skin doing that thing between diamonds and fire. She says the word. He asks if she's afraid. She says no.
Oxbow Regional Park is just east of Portland on the Sandy River and the trees are massive old growth and the light comes through the canopy exactly how you remember it. Shafts of sun between huge trunks and the ground all moss and fern and that specific green that only exists up here.
It's a county park with a small fee and it's super pretty. Walk into the trees ten minutes in any direction and you'll get why they filmed it here.
"Say it. Out loud. Say what you are." The skin in the sun. The moment it all becomes real. Right here in these trees.
Find a shaft of light coming through the trees and stand in it. Turn slow. Let the light catch you the way it caught him. You already know what to do with this one.
This one's in real Washington, so a little redemption for this chapter's title haha. The winding tree tunnel road that leads to the Cullen house in the movie was filmed on State Road 14 in Washougal, about 25 miles east of Portland along the Gorge.
It looks exactly like the movie. Get the right season and the right light and it's gorgeous. Most people who visit the Cullen house in Portland have no idea this road exists. If you're already driving the Gorge for the View Point Inn prom spot in Chapter 2, it's on your way and adds about two minutes. Stop and drive it slow.
The drive up to the Cullen house. The canopy road you see before the house itself. Short scene, huge vibe.
Quick one but fun to know. The bridge over the Bonneville Dam shows up in the movie when Edward and Bella drive back from Port Angeles. If you're driving the Gorge at all on this trip (and you should, it's one of the best drives in the country) you cross this bridge. You're in the movie for like thirty seconds.
Most people have no idea when they drive over it. Now you will.
Where the Real Washington Starts
This is where the filming locations end and the book world starts. Everything after this in the guide is the actual place Stephenie Meyer was writing about. The real Forks and the real La Push and the real drive between them and the real Port Angeles restaurant.
The filming spots are where you go to stand where the camera stood. The book spots are where you go to feel the story. Both matter, they're just different kinds of magic.
Coming Up
"I could see the light in the depths of his eyes, striking the gold and brown into amber fire."
Bella Swan · Twilight