Sunset Beach, between Warrenton and Gearhart, N. Oregon Coast - Rules for Driving on Clatsop Beach
Warrenton, Astoria, Gearhart Virtual Tour

Sunset Beach State Recreational Site is on the north Oregon coast, between Gearhart and Warrenton, a bit south of MP 13. Drive a mile west of 101 to get to the beach.

Along the way, you'll encounter another park and the trailhead to some major hiking trails.

A sizable area for parking sits between large dunes and the thickly forested areas beyond those. It's a bit of a walk to Sunset Beach from here, as the road is reserved for vehicles heading out onto the beach. Once there, you'll find it a popular beach but a bit dirty because of all the cars driving in the sand.

Note: Sunset Beach State Recreational Site is one of a few places on the Oregon where driving on the beach is allowed. Hours are wide open. You are allowed to drive on Clatsop Beach in a roughly ten-mile range from the Peter Iredale Road up north (at Fort Stevens) down to the southern beach ramp at Gearhart. Driving north of Iredale on the beaches is restricted during the busy season of the year. According to Oregon State Parks: “Motor vehicle travel is prohibited on the ocean shore between the hours of 12:01 p.m. and 12:00 midnight, from May 1 through September 15, from the south jetty of the Columbia River.”