10127 Yaquina Bay Rd, Newport, OR 97365
44.5915° N, 123.9426° W
Water temp 58-64 degrees range
This park is easy to get to by paved road, but watch carefully for the entrance. It would be very easy to drive right past it. The entrance is basically a single-lane grassy, rocky dirt road that leads back to a somewhat hidden parking area.
We arrived on a Sunday in late August and practically had the place to ourselves, minus one couple who were leaving as we arrived. The gravel parking area looks like it could comfortably handle about 8-10 normal-size cars, or perhaps 6-8 pickups/SUVs. Having a clean and stocked vault toilet at such a small park was also a nice bonus.
This was really a scouting trip for us to determine whether Paddle Park would be a usable launch point for our kayaks, and I'm happy to report that it is. There is a fairly long, secure wooden boardwalk leading from the park out to the dock. If you use a kayak trolley like we do, the distance should not be much of a problem. The floating dock itself felt sound and secure, and it even has a kayak launch-assist device alongside it. See the photos.
The setting opens directly onto the Yaquina River and looks like a promising place for us to return and actually put the kayaks in the water. One thing we learned while researching the area is that the tides matter here. Information we found suggested planning around the high tide--potentially launching a couple of hours before high tide depending upon which direction you intend to paddle--rather than treating this like kayaking on a lake or reservoir.
Of course, coastal river kayaking adds another level of preparation. Checking the tide tables, wind, weather and water temperature, along with wearing the appropriate clothing, PFD and other safety gear, can make the difference between simply getting on the water and having a prepared and enjoyable kayaking outing.
For us, Paddle Park passed the scouting test. We'll be back with the kayaks. read more