Lincoln City's Exploriences Back with Varied Oregon Coast Adventures

Published 01/09/22 at 6:22 PM PST
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Lincoln City, Oregon) – The delights are in the details of the beach this year along the central Oregon coast, as Lincoln City reignites its outdoor program Exploriences, opening up a whole new world to visitors.

It's a varied blend of beachy activities, singling out the best of Oregon coast recreational possibilities, with free, hands-on sojourns along the town's beaches that are led by local experts. You not only get to engage in fun activities but you also get some souvenirs as you participate.

Exploriences has already kicked off in January, with programs between now and March generally focusing on beachcombing and agates. In spring, more programs pop up, including crabbing, tidepool explorations, clamming, hiking and bird watching.

There's a new feature with this year's Exploriences programs: the Explorer's Club. Here, you get some interesting benefits after completing a few of these programs, including a variety of prizes.

Courtesy Rock Your World: Pacific NW Gem & Jewelry Gallery

After doing one of the Lincoln City Explorience programs, you can request a token from the expert leading the event. Collect five of them and you can then bring them to the Lincoln City Welcome Center at 801 SW Hwy 101 (4th floor), and you can get enrolled in the club. There is also a digital way to do this on your phone, coming soon. Club members become eligible for an array of monthly prizes, including glass floats, Lincoln City swag, gift certificates to local businesses, and overnight stays. Members will continue to be entered into drawings each month for the life of the program, with a grand prize announced later this year. See the Explorers Club page.

The Beachcombing Exploriences are all about agate treasure hunts, sponsored by Rock Your World: Pacific NW Gem & Jewelry Gallery. These begin with orientations by a local expert, then you're taken around the sands on a guided tour and treasure hunt. You'll encounter fossils, agates, gems, shells and minerals, with eyebrow-raising explanations of the geology of this part of the central Oregon coast and how these objects got here.

According to the Lincoln City Visitors Bureau, there may be more surprises in wait.

“During your exploration, you might even be lucky enough to find a signature glass float, part of Finders Keepers,” the bureau said.

For these Beachcombing Exploriences, you'll want to bring sturdy outdoor shoes, a warm jacket, gloves and a reusable bag for the fun finds you make on the sands. See the full list and dates at the Exploriences page.

As spring begins in April, the Tidepool Exploriences take place at the NW 15th Street access. There, experts from the world-famous Hatfield Marine Science Center and Coast Watch come out to guide you around these intertidal pools that are teeming with life. All kinds of fascinating creatures live in there, and you'll get to encounter and learn about anemones, sea stars, urchins and a vast array of colorful critters.

Bird-watching adventures start in summer and feature more experts taking you on a guided walk around different sections of the central Oregon coast town. You'll be privy to wondrous sights such as egrets, osprey and pelicans, as well as numerous other creatures. These begin at 9 a.m. on their respective dates and go for two hours.

For the guided hikes, it's Lincoln City Parks & Recreation that runs these adventures, taking you on some of the best trails the town has to offer. Wander through thick forests that lead to dramatic ocean viewpoints, and into open spaces in the middle of it all that you didn't know existed.

Among the late summer highlights is the Spyglass Ridge trek and “The Knoll” - the little sister to Cascade Head. See the full list at the Exploriences page.

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Whistling Winds Motel, Lincoln City

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