Oceanside Evening - Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area and Oceanside Beach State Park

Oceanside Evening – Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area and Oceanside Beach State Park

Radd Icenoggle

June 4, 2021

Hiking 2021,Oregon 2021

After a morning spent hiking to the spectacular God’s Thumb, you would think the afternoon/evening would be a bit of a letdown. But nothing could be further from the truth as we explored Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area and Oceanside Beach State Park. We had a marvelous time at each spot, and the light made for some excellent photographic opportunities.

Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area

Considered one of the Oregon Coast’s most dazzling locations, Cape Kiwanda is an assemblage of brilliant sandstones, an offshore basalt sea stack, known as the “other” Haystack Rock, that has protected the soft strata of the Cape from the brutal ocean weather, and the Great Dune, a massive hill of mudstone and sandstone layers cloaked in drifting sand.

We began the beach hike at the Pacific Avenue Trailhead as it gives access to a stretch of beach where no vehicles are permitted. From the trailhead, we walked up and over the dunes to get commanding views and then dropped to the expansive and reflective beach as the tide was out. The great vistas of the Pacific Ocean were accented by the black pyramid of Haystack Rock (one of three Haystack Rocks within 50 miles). As we walked north, the rock’s little ponytail on its north face came into view. Interesting factoid, this Haystack is 90 feet higher than the more famous Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach. It is also named Chief Kiawanda Rock, after the leader of the Nestucca tribe at the time of contact with white settlers in the area.

The brilliance of the oranges and yellows of the Cape’s sandstone layers are barely captured by the camera and they still live more vividly in our minds. Shaped by millennia of pounding surf and torrential rain, the Seussian shapes mesmerized us as we explored at low tide, spending time on the rocks looking at bivalves, starfish, and other sea critters.

California Mussel - Mytilus californianus — California Mussel – Mytilus californianus

Ochre Sea Star - Pisaster ochraceus — Ochre Sea Star – Pisaster ochraceus

What our adventures are all about - being together — What our adventures are all about – being together

Then we plodded up the sand to the crest of the Cape, and onwards to the Cape Kiwanda Viewpoint, look down to a rocky cove.

Beach Botanizing

Oceanside Beach State Park

Arriving at the parking lot for the main beach of Oceanside Beach State Park, the entire coast was bathed in the most brilliant sunset light.

Later in the evening, we took a stroll along this small semi-secluded beach which can only be accessed via a short manmade tunnel, the appropriately named Tunnel Beach.

We noticed a little hole-in-the-wall past a small group of rocks which you’ll have to step over. Once in the tunnel, we used our iPhone lights to illuminate the path as there were plenty of rocks and logs to step and trip over. The tunnel was short, and the end is exceptionally sweet with one of the most memorable views of the trip. We explored along the beach and a small group of rock formations.

As the sun dropped closer to the horizon, we put the drone into the air for the first time on this trip. The views of the Three Arch Rocks with the setting sun were amazing, and the perfect close to an awesome day exploring the Oregon Coast.

Tags :

Hiking 2021,Oregon 2021