Instant Dreamlike Oregon Coast: Just Add Mist

Published 09/26/2011

(Oregon Coast) – This past summer was among the mildest and warmest in memory along the Oregon coast, yet it did have its share of lingering mists and fog. In fact, throughout the season, a constant marine layer hovered offshore, often invisibly, not showing until sunset came and the sun revealed it by disappearing behind a dark mist.

This frustrated many locals, hoping to see the famed “green flash at sunset,” but this ever-present marine layer thwarted that sight day after day.

By and large, the coast didn't experience as much fog as it normally does during the summer. But when it did, it had some striking results. Case in point: Arch Cape, pictured above. This tiny spot near Cannon Beach had some other intriguing things happen to it this summer, with high sand levels allowing access between these rocks (which is normally not the case).

For another heavy dose of a dreamlike Oregon coast, the wildlife refuge near Lincoln City became especially ethereal around midnight one summer eve, with a bright moon adding to the spectacular effects. Meanwhile, car lights in the distance create the staggered red streak.

Astoria's famed bridge got the otherworldly treatment as well by a mist that hovered around the north coast town after dusk recently. It sat rather low, causing the top of the bridge to get misty a bit, but left the rest of this scene alone to allow lights to shine brightly in the water.

Down near Depoe Bay, Fogarty Creek State Park was enveloped in a surreal mist late one day in early September. The forested section of the beach access acquired a look like something out of a medieval fantasy, with the fog and waning daylight creating some unusual colors.

Head to the beach, however, and the scene became even more intense. The fog looked straight out of tales of Avalon, with a weird pink enveloping the world.

Also particularly dramatic was the games this offshore layer played with the beaches on various days over the summer. Like here, at Winema Viewpoint, near Pacific City, where a freshwater lake sitting near the beach is threatened just slightly by the encroaching fog. Yet you can see the blue sky poking out just above the layer.

This dynamic also came into play at other magnificent viewpoints, like the Neahkahnie overlooks near Manzanita. Here, that offshore marine plays games with the beaches again, but this time creating some odd and stunning effects by causing the sunlight to bounce around in engaging ways.

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