Beautiful stretch of land surrounded by an estuary and wetlands. We just happened upon it while…read moreroaming recently. When you leave Sand Lake Road you hit the Whalen Island County Park first, including a boat ramp and cute small campground. Just beyond those is the circle parking area, with vault toilet and picnic tables, for the trail head. The trail itself is a loop, with a few short off-shoots, that meanders through the island for a little over a mile. The trail scenery is pretty fun, as it passes through varied landscapes: estuary waters, wetlands, sand, sea, and trees. The path was pretty well-maintained and easy to follow (of course you loose the look of a path as you enter a couple sandy sections, but it's simple to pick it back up). We really enjoyed the trail and the feel of the island overall minus one aspect, the noise. The Sand Lake Recreation Area is directly beyond Whalen. So while otherwise the trail would've felt very peaceful, the constant sounds of nearby ATVs definitely robbed us of true serenity. We still enjoyed ourselves though, nice place overall.

D River State Park is a really convenient beach access point in Lincoln City. There is a spacious…read morepaved parking lot, and the park offers lots of great amenities like restrooms, mobility mats for easy beach access, and educational signage for visitors. There is a promenade of sorts with benches between the parking lot and the beach. There are a fair number of benches that offer a perfect opportunity for sitting and taking in the gorgeous views. We experienced one of the best sunsets ever from this convenient beach. D River has a fun history as once being listed in the Guiness Book of World Records as the shortest river. There is a little debate over that fact now, but it doesn't take away from the novelty. Visitors can explore the short river, collect rocks, fly a kite or just take in the views. Everyone is likely to enjoy this delightful park!

Rainy wet day looking for the elusive glass floats. I found this beautiful abalone shell that looks…read morelike a butterfly. This beach is great for a stroll or picnic on a warmer day. There have a decent amount of parking as well as benches to sit and gaze at the waves.

Oregon has more hiking trails than one could hike in a lifetime, so you can't hike them all. If I…read morehad to pick only ONE trail in the state to hike, I would pick Cascade Head. The trail starts at Knight Park, right on the estuary. After viewing the river, you hike through the old growth. The hike starts with some elevation, but the trees provide shade and lots of places to stop and rest. After crossing streams and bridges you come out to the grass field with a million dollar view of the Salmon River and Pacific Ocean. Bring a head lamp and stay for the view through sunset, it is incredible. The trail continues through the grass with more switchbacks to the upper viewpoint. While the Upper viewpoint is fantastic, if you are short on time, the lower viewpoint is fairly comparable (view wise) to upper. This hike is really the highlight of the Oregon Coast. The trail does not allow dogs (or pets) so plan accordingly.

Great trail...loads to see and a real workout in the process…read more We arrived at the trailhead at 8am to be the first in the lot on a Saturday. By the time we returned the lot was full. There's a decent amount of parking...spots for cars, RVs, and trucks with boat trailers. The pre-trail wanders in and out of the trees and road for a bit, but they have great signage to lead you to the actual head. The trail is great, as you get a smidge of everything you could ask for along the way...some shaded forest, wildlife, wildflowers, stunning coastal views, and a pretty butt-kicking workout to the top viewpoint. Keep in mind, we aren't young, and neither are our hips and knees. There are a good number of high clearance steps to climb that weren't the easiest for a gal with short legs and bad hips. Not to mention that the trail is pretty steep as you zig-zag your way up the non-shaded knoll to the second viewpoint at the top of the lower trail (where it meets the upper). The trail is narrow most of the way, especially on that hillside as you push your way through the tall grasses and flowers. You definitely need to watch your step constantly going up and down, as there are hidden steps, rocks, and uneven surfaces beneath the grasses. We almost ended our trip at the lower viewpoint, but after a bit of contemplation decided to push through and up the hillside to the top. I'm super glad we made the choice, but we definitely felt it! So much to see along the way. We got to watch the elk herd as it grazed the knoll at the first opening, so beautiful. Halfway down the hill from the top a fast moving fog bank came off the coast right at us, engulfing us and removing everything from sight for a minute, while providing us with much appreciated and FABulous cold air... a very cool experience for sure. I highly recommend this trail. Go early if you go on the weekend. And if you're now young ONLY at heart, be prepared for a decent workout if you plan to go to the top...but do it, it's worth it. :)

What a fun place to walk on the beach! Great place to capture videos. Nice clean restroom options…read morenearby! Felt like a safe area!

Jeremy here from XLBullyz.com here checking out the coastline. This place was great for the dogs to…read moreplay and the kids to explore.

There's a tiny free parking area a short walk to the beach. We stayed at a house within walking…read moredistance and only saw a few people each time we walked on the beach in November. If secluded is your thing, this is a winner.

It's tempting to keep quiet about a place like this; so far off the beaten path. But thanks to…read moreformer Governor Tom McCall all sorts of places like this are just part of the public domain. Remember, this is Oregon! How remote is it? Well, Neskowin looks almost like Redondo Beach in comparison. I know! Ewww, huh?!?! The saving grace is that unless it's a summer weekend it's just never all that crowded. You can meander north out of the Lilliputian parking lot and reach the Nestucca flowing into the Pacific, that is, unless it's a winter high tide. Then you run the risk of getting trapped on the north side of the group of rocks shown in the attached photo, that is, if you can get through at all. It's a decently long walk (20-30 minutes) up to the Nestucca. The landscape is always undergoing changes due to the Pacific Ocean pounding away, so keep your wits about you. The things you can find on the beach here! Russian shoe polish kits, Japanese whiskey bottles, fishing floats, surf boards ... We've seen more than a few dead critters over the years too, even a cow. Try this walk in a thunder and lightning storm. Try it in the dead of night in winter, just be sure the tide is going OUT.

I've seen the sign so many times, but finally stopped by last weekend to check things out. There's…read morea small lot for a handful of cars right off of the 101, it's narrow though, no turn around area and barely deep enough for our camper van. A couple tour groups of paddle boarders were unloading when we arrived, and I can definitely see why the place would be fun from that perspective. We were there to try out the trail available, Alder Island Nature Trail...a flat, easy, unpaved loop a little less than a mile long. The location is peaceful, as you walk by the marsh and along the Siletz River. For some reason on this day it was a bit too quiet. We could hear some birds but only saw a few, and weren't treated to any other animal sightings. In an state of stunning trails this one pales a bit by comparison, but I can tell it's got good wildlife watching potential...just wasn't in the cards for us! Definitely not my favorite trail, but I'd love to try out a paddle board or canoe here. :)

A semi-interesting spot. There's not a lot to see but if you walk the trail, you'll learn a bit…read moreabout this very short-lived fort (ten years in operation). Some info but not enough about the local Native Americans. Except for one building that has been moved from it's historic location, none of the original structures still exist. So bring your imagination when you visit.

This a nice little park very near the intersection of Highways 18 and 22. Usually we take 18 when…read moreheading to Lincoln City but decided to take an alternative route this time, and came across this park. What is interesting is that along the drive, there is also a Native American Powwow grounds along with a longhouse constructed in a similar fashion to what existed hundreds of years ago. It is worth stopping at along the way to the state park itself. We mainly stopped here to use the restroom and let our puppy out for a walk, and were pleasantly surprised by how peaceful this spot was. There was only one other car in the parking lot, and a few people just stopping to use the restroom just like us. Not much remains of this site, but several markers and archaeological digs show where buildings and sites used to be. When times are more functional (i.e. not Covid) I hear that there are events and tours of one of the buildings that actually remains and hosts a museum; unfortunately it was closed when we were there. A good road-trip stop worth going out of the way for if you are driving to the coast and want an alternative route to the often-congested Highway 18.

One my favourite hikes in the area. Best coastal views, very quick 3 hours round trip. Ample…read moreparking at the Knoll Loop trailhead. You have to take a detour from the loop to get to the Gods Thumb peak which adds about 1 mile to the 3 mile loop which is totally worth it. There are only 2 porta pottys at the parking.

Make sure to stop not only at Gods Thumb, but also The Knoll which offers an overlook of Lincoln…read moreCity. It is recommended not the summit the "Thumb" due to wear and tear to the trail and to preserve the beauty of the sight. You can see it very well from the grassy viewpoint. I did this as a loop which took roughly 5 miles and had 1138 ft elevation gain. Completed in under two hours. The trail is hilly and well traveled. Tree roots stick out where many people have walked. Heading up some of the steeper slopes can also be difficult due to loose dirt. Bring good hiking shoes.