We enjoyed this spot. Pretty convenient place to get in the water. A couple of places to jump off…read moreit'll that's your thing. Places to lounge and partially submerge your chair in the water. Water was a cool 70degrees and ref

This place is so neat. Like previously stated you can do whatever you want here! Sun bathe, float…read morethe River or swim in either deep or shallow waters. Great place for kids. When we went there were quite a bit of people but there was so much room for everyone. Parking sucks, you might have to walk a bit but ITS OKAY, worth it! Also!!! Wear swimming shoes because the rocks are PAINFUL to step on. Flip flops will break. I seen some with tennis shoes lol. This will be our go to place this summer.

I'll never forget this trip and look forward to dipping my toes in the sand in warmer temperatures…read more It's not too crowded and you'll want to kick your shoes off as soon as you see the soft white sand. We couldn't resist climbing the top of the giant steep sand dune, and I'm glad we made it! Stunning views of the ocean from the top, and it's fun to people watch too. Our dog made it too. Some ran back down, others skipped, some used sleds. It's fun either way! You'll be able to rinse your gear as you head to the parking lot. There's clean bathrooms and plenty of parking. Hungry? There's restaurants near too.

What a great little getaway! Did I think it was secluded? No. Did I expect it to be busy? No,…read morebut it was. We first checked out this place on a lovely Juneteenth Friday afternoon. The temperature was in the low 80s, but the cool ocean breeze made everything just right. It had been raining all week prior, so we thought we'd explore and give our little mutt, Tha 'il Nana, some much needed sun. So, here's a few things about Cape Kiwanda: First off, there's a public parking lot at the beach where Pelican Brewing is located that requires a Daily Fee of $10. Just remember to place the parking pass on your dashboard. The lot probably holds about 125-150 spaces, so we had no issue finding a spot. People coming and going as well. Second, expect high winds and sand blowing down the dune and along the beach. And expect those high windy days to kick up the sand along the beach. It's also pretty scenic so bring a camera or make sure your phone is fully charged. Speaking of dune, there were plenty of folks challenging themselves running up it. And usually folks would end up heading towards the tidepools. There's definitely a lot of interesting things to see from crabs, to green anemones, to fancy sandstone rocks, and starfish. Oh yeah, and speaking of high winds, there were plenty of folks flying kites too. Third, the beach is a long and wide straightaway stretch, so everyone has plenty of room to run and play in the cold water. Great for dogs to play fetch and intermingle with other dogs. Our mutt was all over the place and I could tell she was having fun. She simply loved it! As far as the sand in general, it looks fine and bright. Not as white as the beaches in Cancun, but definitely cleaner than the ones in Cali. Bring a towel or two and enjoy the sun. Hell, some folks even had a whole tent set up. Fourth, some fellow yelpers mentioned there are no public restrooms, but there actually is one public restroom way up in the corner of the parking lot. Maybe because of covid they were closed, I don't know. But from relaxing on the beach, I can see how long of a walk it would be just to wanna relieve yourself. In closing, we accomplished our goal of making our old dog happy, and getting away from the inland heat. I truly enjoyed it here and plan to return someday. One final note; I was told from a local, "pretty much from here to Astoria (north) the beaches will be packed, but south of here will be a bit more secluded". Gotta love the Oregon coast! Enjoy!

Town of Rockaway is awesome Very friendly Lots of places to stay Lots of places to eat 7 miles of…read morebeach to explore A train runs you to Garibaldi and back

This is actually a nice beach. We spent a few days here and we were able to find parking reasonably…read moreclose to the beach at multiple different locations. The sand is fine and great for digging with the kiddos, building sandcastles or just walking barefoot. It can get pretty crowded but the water is decent and it has nice views. I can't in good conscience give it more than three starts though; The flying carpenter ants are quite a nuisance and you will have to deal with dozens if you plan on staying more than an hour. I liked that they allow bonfires at first, but unfortunately as they have very few restrictions, you will find that people are burning all evening and all night and the smell of smoke overpowers everything. There were people burning in large pits they dug in the sand and teens running around with sticks lit on fire all night. Just being in proximity filled our clothes and gear and car with a thick smoke smell. In the morning it was difficult even to breathe in the fresh air from the beach with the smoldering fires and thick smoke smell. If you love bonfires, this is definitely the beach for you though and you would probably rate it more of a 4 or 5 star beach. If you go to the beach for the fresh, clean air, I would only recommend a short visit here during the day.