If there's a place to get in touch with nature, it is definitely the Oregon coast. There are so many opportunities to just get lost in natural wonders, there's almost not enough time to hit them all. I had 3 and a half months, and I only scraped the tip of the iceberg.
Let's start with the obvious. There are some excellent opportunities for beach-goers here, both for relaxation and for more active exploits, like tide-pooling (I tend to favor the latter). Ecologically, the Lincoln county coast is a cool area because of the sheer variety of habitats you have access to.
Closer to home (for me anyway) is the Mark Hatfield Marine Science Center. They have a nice nature trail that gives you a chance to experience estuary habitat, which most of the country doesn't get to see. For those of you not in the know, an estuary is basically a coastal marsh, so there's an inflow of both fresh and salt water. It creates a really unique sort of habitat, excellent especially for my purposes (namely birding, but that's another post entirely).
The jetty at South Beach state park is an excellent place just for relaxation as well as for doing some low-key tide-pooling. Walking out to the end of the jetty is a bit nerve-wracking and difficult, but well worth it for the view.
Head south from here a far enough way, and you'll find yourself at Seal Rock. While I didn't see any seals here, there's some excellent beach to be found, along with other things if you know where to look.
Further south, you'll hit the jackpot of Oregon coast views at Cape Perpetua. Most of the going uphill can be done in the car, and what's waiting for you at the top is definitely worth it.
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| Why look! It's yours truly. |
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| Looking epic as usual. |
If you went north from South Beach, you'd be crossing the mighty Yaquina Bay bridge...
...and be well on your way to another one of Newport's main attractions, the Yaquina Head Lighthouse and Outstanding Natural Area. Nature lovers and history buffs alike will dig this state park, with its winding trails, excellent tide-pooling opportunities, interpretive center, and, of course, the lighthouse itself, which has friendly and informative interpreters to educate visitors about the building's past, both on the bottom floor and at the top of the 114 lighthouse steps. In the right season, thousands of Common Murres come here to breed, and can be seen on Colony Rock just next to the lighthouse.
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| Colony Rock |
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| The lighthouse. |
You don't just get beaches and rocks out here, though. Turn your back to the sea, and you'll be faced with some of the most beautiful forests you've ever seen. Having grown up in the woods of the Northeast, I was impressed with just how much more green there was here. Oh, and remember, this is just winter. There's rarely snow out here, and the temperature almost never gets below freezing.
As an immense fan of all things mushroom (guess you could say I'm a 'fun gi'. Hahaha. Ugh.), the Oregon Coast was an absolute treasure trove for me. Big, small, and in a variety of colors, fascinating mushrooms can be found throughout the coastal region, which make me really wish I had studied up before coming out here.
There's also some lovely flowers and other miscellaneous plants.
Occasionally, you're reminded that it's winter...
...and there's rain. LOTS. And lots. Of rain (occasionally with hail).
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But where there's lots of rain, there's lots of rainbows.
But where there's lots of rain, there's lots of rainbows.
And the sunrises/sunsets are definitely worth it.
Next time, we're on safari for some coastal animal life!
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