Central Oregon Coast Sandy Wonders - Fascinating Strands of Lincoln, Lane County
Published 10/13/20 at 5:54 AM PDT
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff
(Waldport, Oregon) – Everyone loves a good sandy beach every once in awhile; in fact many prefer it over the rocky stretches of the Oregon coast. The long tracts of beaches in Lincoln County and Lane County are famously some of the most pristine in the world, and for good reason. It’s not legend – it’s the truth. (Above: Roosevelt Beach)
A sampling such beachy wonders is in order: here is a look at some absorbing, addicting spots you may not have heard of.
Roads End. This northern edge of Lincoln City is a fascinating and enchanting spot, made more so by the fact it’s somewhat hidden and fairly unpopulated.
Lincoln City is one enormous expanse of shoreline that goes on for miles and miles, with nary a spot that isn’t occupied by one human being or another. Yet, at the north end of Lincoln City there’s Roads End State Recreational Site, found at the end of NE Logan Rd. From there you can continue north to an area where hardly anyone else is roaming.
It’s found a few streets beyond the state park, through a neighborhood of cabins and expensive homes until you come to the last public beach access. This spot allows for perhaps two cars to park there and is approximately half a mile from the looming cliff.
The cliff here possesses the rock structure known as Wizard Rock, and far above it is the hiking paradise of God’s Thumb.
At anything but a stormy high tide, that moody, slightly spooky, pointed rock can be seen. At rare, extreme low tides, you can go around Wizard Rock and find a rarely touched section of beach, filled with a small cave, pristine, glistening sand and inviting, angular rock forms and haystacks to climb and carouse on. Hotels in Lincoln City - Where to eat - Lincoln City Maps and Virtual Tours
Ona Beach. South of Newport, the highway soon becomes a tunnel of wind-swept trees, often looking gnarled, knotted and bent landward by living in enormously windy conditions. It’s lovely, a little eerie, and certainly dramatic.
Ona Beach is found just slightly north of Seal Rock, and here the world gets decidedly more laidback. If you’re coming from the north, from the highway you’ll first spot Beaver Creek spilling into the sea and forming a small bay. (There are some small parking spots and unmarked accesses on the north side of that bay.)
Ona Beach and its park are a pleasant respite, with a small trail meandering next to the creek and a lovely little footbridge getting you onto fluffy dunes, and then leading you to this vast beach. Most of the year (depending on sand levels), odd tracts of rock structures emerge, containing a myriad of sea life. It’s also known for agate hunting if conditions are right.
On cold winter nights, the bridge going over the creek can get very icy – more so than other areas nearby. Hotels in Waldport - Where to eat - Waldport, Seal Rock Maps and Virtual Tours
Ocean Beach Picnic Area. About halfway between Yachats and Florence, this slightly mysterious wonder is a quaint hidden spot that’s often overlooked, but it’s well worth inspection. Take the tiny, paved – but steep – road down to the parking lot and you’ll find two picnic tables overlooking a lovely view of the sandy beach. (Look for MP 174.)
At the beach’s southern end is an intriguing, bubble-like headland with an indentation that looks a bit like a cave. Continue north along here and it all runs for miles. You soon start to encounter interesting rock structures in the sand and intricate features in the cliffs. This central Oregon coast spot keeps up the surprises.
Rock Creek Campground and Roosevelt Beach sit right on the other side of the bulbous rock.
Rock Creek Campground – Roosevelt Beach. Discoveries abound here as well. If you’re not camping here, you can find this gem by looking for a couple of unmarked dusty patches on the side of the road immediately south of a small bridge – and just the other side from the headland at Ocean Beach. You’ll find a long stretch of bluffs which don’t allow you easy access to Roosevelt Beach; park across the highway and take the path through the creek.
Charming Rock Creek spills into the ocean here, and the other side of that headland from Ocean Beach looks strangely identical with a very similar indentation in it. The strand wanders on for a while and disappears out of sight beyond the sandstone bluffs, meanwhile dotted with angular rock features and covered half in stones and half in sand. Hotels in Yachats - Where to eat - Upper Lane County Maps and Virtual Tours
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