Famous for its dramatic sea stacks and rock formations that create one of the most photographed coastlines in Oregon. Face Rock, Wizard’s Hat, and Cat and Kittens Rocks are among the distinctive formations. The beach is also a prime spot for beachcombing, especially for agates, jasper, and fossils, as well as birdwatching along the Coquille […]
Beaches for Bird Watching
South Beach State Park
Located just south of Newport’s Yaquina Bay Bridge, this state park offers a long, sandy beach with excellent facilities. The park features year-round camping, yurts, extensive hiking and biking trails, and an interpretive center with educational programs. Its proximity to Newport’s attractions like the Oregon Coast Aquarium and Hatfield Marine Science Center makes it an […]
Crissey Field State Recreation Site
Oregon’s southernmost state park, located at the California border. The site features a beautiful beach where the Winchuck River meets the Pacific, creating a diverse ecosystem of estuary, dunes, and shoreline. The LEED-certified welcome center provides information about the region’s natural and cultural history. Due to its southern location, it often enjoys milder weather than […]
Ona Beach State Park
A unique beach where Beaver Creek meets the Pacific Ocean, creating diverse recreational opportunities. The park is especially popular for kayaking in the creek’s calm waters, with rental services available in summer. The beach features picnic facilities nestled among shore pines, a bridge crossing the creek, and easy beach access. Its location between Newport and […]
Birch Bay
Birch Bay is a shallow, crescent-shaped bay that warms up significantly during summer months, making it one of the most swimmable beaches in Washington. The bay’s extreme tidal exchanges can expose up to a half-mile of tidelands during low tide, creating exceptional opportunities for collecting shellfish and exploring tide pools. The 194-acre Birch Bay State […]
Semiahmoo Spit
Semiahmoo Spit is a narrow, mile-long sandy strip extending into Semiahmoo Bay near the Canadian border. The beach offers stunning views of Mount Baker, the San Juan Islands, and the Canadian Coastal Mountains. Historically significant as the site of the Alaska Packers Association Cannery, now preserved as a museum documenting the area’s fishing industry. The […]
Haystack Rock (Cannon Beach)
A massive 235-foot sea stack that dominates the shoreline at Cannon Beach. Protected as a marine garden and wildlife refuge, it hosts diverse sea life in its tidepools and serves as a nesting site for tufted puffins from spring to early summer. During low tide, visitors can walk right up to it to explore the […]
Grayland Beach
Grayland Beach State Park offers 7,449 feet of ocean frontage on the Pacific Ocean south of Westport. The beach is known for its excellent razor clam digging during designated seasons. The 412-acre park includes 4 miles of flat, sandy beach that permits vehicle access in certain areas. The steady winds make it ideal for kite […]
Kalaloch Beach
Kalaloch Beach is part of Olympic National Park’s coastal region, offering several numbered beach access points (Beach 1-4). The area is famous for the “Tree of Life,” a Sitka spruce that hangs over an eroded bluff with roots exposed yet still thriving. Kalaloch Creek empties into the ocean here, creating diverse habitats. The Kalaloch Campground […]
Fort Worden Beach
Fort Worden Beach is part of a 434-acre historical state park that was once a U.S. Army base built to protect Puget Sound. The beach offers stunning views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Olympic Mountains, and shipping traffic. The Point Wilson Lighthouse, built in 1879 and rebuilt in 1913, stands at the northern […]