Secrets of the Season

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Escaping Memorial Day and Summer Crowds on Oregon's Coast

Above Oceanside

(Oregon Coast) - Memorial Day Weekend brings the kick-off to the big tourist season on the coast, with legions of folks heading to the region and filling up the beaches and rooms. Know that lodging prices spike, traffic is much heavier, and your favorite beach will likely be more crowded than usual.

So where to go to get away from it all? There's a mix of beaches you may not know about, a list that’s usable when the crowds flood your favorite tracts of sand, either on the big weekend or the massive inundation that sometimes occurs on those fair weather weekends of June.

Oceanside

Around Oceanside

It steadily remains fairly sequestered, although each year more seem to find this jewel on the north Oregon coast.

The tiny town of Oceanside sits just west of Tillamook, a few miles from the Cape Meares Lighthouse, if you're traveling along that back road with intermittent ocean views. The burgh itself hosts little else than a bunch of interesting homes and about five businesses (including two restaurants.) But the small headland there contains a wild and wacky tunnel going through the other side, where a beautiful and slightly surreal beach awaits, filled with an array of remarkable rocky boulders, walls and shapes.

On that back road between Oceanside and Cape Meares, you'll find another breathtaking veiled beach called Short Beach. Look for the blob of a sea stack lurking just beyond a sign marked Radar Road. Walk towards the cliffs of the cape to find a hidden cove-like area and to witness a stunning waterfall.

Clandestine on the Central Coast

After the South Beach area, it's a host of winding, twisting spots on the road and residential areas with no beach accesses.

But a set of truly hidden crescent-shaped dents in the cliffs lay near a hidden beach access about eight miles south of Newport. Look for Stone Crest Cellar Bed and Breakfast near MP 146, and about a quarter mile south of that you'll see an unmarked beach access with a gravel patch by the side of the road.

Once on this unnamed beach, you'll find a pleasant stream and a lot of striking sandstone cliffs. But head maybe a quarter of a mile to the south and there's a couple of these rounded-out areas in the cliffs, one of which has a tiny waterfall. There is a tiny stretch of climbable spots above the cliffs next to the beach access.

The Locked Away Treasures of Upper Lane County

While even the most hidden of beaches will be more crowded than usual on this high-density weekend, the area between Florence and Yachats still yields many isolated wonders. Look for an unmarked beach access immediately south of the line between Lincoln and Lane counties, and you'll find a parking lot that gives way to two routes to a varied and rather amazing beach.

Walk the winding, twisting path over the bluff to hop onto large basalt structures filled with cracks and crevices that give glimpses of churning waves beneath you. They'll sometimes squirt water up at you.

Or walk down a sizable but smooth and paved trail from the parking lot to the sandy part of this beach, which makes for a cozy little cove, bordered by the cliffs of Neptune State Park to its south.

You can usually hop up and down the basalt structures from here as well, and part of the rock forms an intriguing arch in the sand. At its northernmost, there's a small cove and tiny patch of beach which ends in a large wall.

Hush-Hush Around Pacific City

There's plenty here that's obvious: the wondrous cliffs of Cape Kiwanda, tide pools at low tide, and the numerous quaint shops and eateries. But for less populated fun and frolic, hit the unmarked State Park one mile north of the Kiwanda's parking lot (a small road darting down the hill on the west side of the highway.) There, you'll find a small outcropping with basalt columns that look a bit like ruins, and a few indentations in the rock to make for great cuddling or hiding from the wind.

Then, for some real alone time, walk south, towards the much less seen north side of the cape, and encounter more natural wonders along this immaculate stretch of sand.

Forbidden Cliffs of the North Oregon Coast

Just a few files north of Manzanita, you'll find Oswald West State Park. But somewhere between that town and the state park, it's impossible to miss the striking vistas of Short Sand Beach and the cliffs that form half of this crescent-shaped cove.

Pull over on one of the gravel parking spots off the side of the road, and there's the one-mile-plus hiking trail heading down to Short Sand. Walk down this trail a bit, veer to the left - instead of going down to Short Sand - and you'll encounter a totally different set of inclines and cliffs.

Giant basalt structures form the various headlands here, with craggy shapes jutting up from the ocean and bundling together. In one area, the sea boils and tumbles against a hidden cove, with black, jagged spires forming something akin to a creepy, post-apocalyptic cathedral (sort of reminiscent of the "Planet of the Apes" films).

Another spot visible from these dangerous cliffs showcases more of the jagged shapes, this time with enormous holes and arches in them. Through these, you can see other headlands to the north. Be extremely careful here, however. The drop-offs here are sudden and deadly. In fact, it was near here where a famed Hollywood writer and producer died a few years ago.

Explorations of Florence

This sizable town at the very middle of Oregon's 362 miles of coastline boasts a vast expanse of pristine beaches, an awe-inspiring bridge, a waterfront full of natural and manmade wonders, and it's the gateway to 40 miles of insanely cool dunes.

Begin at its Old Town, beneath the gaze of the stately Siuslaw River Bridge, to find a myriad of historic buildings painted up in funky, fun colors. It's like Americana with the contrast button turned up.

A highlight is Gazebo Park, which features a cozy little gazebo and a small dock on the river behind it - perfect for a romantic moment on nocturnal walk through Old Town.

Plenty of daylight fun can be had wandering the riverfront and its abundance of old pilings, as well as exploring the area beneath the famous bridge.

Out on its beaches, begin with the North Jetty and its enormous boulders. From there, it's seven miles of sand and dunes to the cliffs south of Sea Lion Caves, eventually melding into Baker Beach and broken only by a stream or two. Some areas are heavy in sand dollars, and it's likely you'll find a whole one around here.

If you love sand, sand and more sand, you'll be in paradise.

Heceta Beach Rd. will lead you down to this main area, as well as to another dead-end at a beach access a ways north. There are small trails in the brush near this northern access.

Inn at Cannon Beach. Beautifully wooded natural setting at quiet south end of Cannon Beach. Great during winter storms with a new book by the fireplace – or when the sun is out for family fun and beach strolling. Handsome beach cottage-style architecture. Lush flowering gardens and naturalized courtyard pond. Warm, inviting guest rooms. Continental buffet breakfast. Warm Cookies. Family and Pet Friendly. Welcome gifts. Smoke-free. Complimentary Wireless Connectivity. Wine and book signing events. 800-321-6304 or 503-436-9085. Hemlock At Surfcrest, Cannon Beach, Oregon. www.atcannonbeach.com.

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