What Are the Best Beaches of Depoe Bay: Oregon Coast Question Answered

Published 08/27/23 at 3:47 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Depoe Bay, Oregon) – Paradoxically, it's an Oregon coast hotspot that's a bit overlooked – because it isn't quite the beach. Between the major activity hubs of Lincoln City and Newport, this little lovely pops up with some of the best non-beaches of the entire coastline, with definitely one of the coolest sandy beaches on the entire Oregon coast residing nearby. (Fogarty Creek State Recreation Area - all photos Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

What are the best beaches of Depoe Bay on the Oregon coast?

That's a trick question: there technically are no beaches here. It's all rocky cliffs. However, closeby are sandy wonders:

Fogarty Creek State Recreation Area (most interesting Fogarty Creek State Recreation Area State Recreation Area)
Gleneden Beach (Gleneden Beach State Recreation Site)
Otter Rock Marine Gardens (beach directly north of Devil's Punchbowl)
Otter Rock south face
Lincoln Beach (not to be confused with Lincoln City)
Lincoln City beaches
Beverly Beach (part of Newport)
Newport beaches

It all depends on how you define “beach,” really. When it comes to actual strands there are Lincoln Beach and Gleneden Beach, just a couple miles north of Depoe Bay. But stick to the town's rocky basalt ledges and you'll find some of the most interesting, dramatic views around – not to mention hidden spots that are chock full of all sorts of surprises and a nice getaway from crazed crowds.

Wander north to Lincoln Beach, about two miles, and you get these kind of unusual stretches of sand full of rather large, coarse grains. This includes the stunning Fogarty Creek State Recreation Area, where a trippy caves sits at the top of the cliffs.

Here, Fogarty shows off a lot of different colors.

From Fishing Rock State Recreation Site northward begins Lincoln Beach, eventually morphing into Gleneden Beach about a mile down the road. Both have a fair amount of large, coarse grains, though not as much at Fogarty.

The real fun here is the slightly unusual tideline. The beach slopes rather abruptly into where the water meets the sand, which causes the waves to come in fast and hard - actually a bit alarmingly so – and then suddenly fizz out quickly. They become immediately tamed and come in softly at the last second, after appearing to roar in fast as if they're gunning for you personally. It's awfully engaging.

Depoe Bay itself is all rocky ledges – and gleefully so. The seawall here presents one of the coolest natural attractions on the entire Oregon coast: the spouting horn. Under the right conditions, it shoots off sea water into the air as high as 30 feet and can spray traffic. Depoe Bay Seawall in Different Moods

These ledges are precarious to walk on, so stay away from those.

At the very northern end of town sits a hidden rocky cliff access behind Sunset Ave. This is one of the most spectacular and interesting beach/cliff spots on the whole of the Oregon coast. Sometimes you can feel the waves rumble through the rocks here. North Point - Hidden Rocky Cliff at Depoe Bay

Another even more hidden set of cliffs, full of engaging labyrinth-like climbing opportunities, sits at the south end of town at South Point St. Depoe Bay's South Point 

Also in the area: insanely wowing sights from the cliffs of Boiler Bay, Rocky Creek Recreation Area, Rodea Point, and the soaring viewpoint of Cape Foulweather – some 500 feet above the ocean.

Otter Crest Loop, Oregon Coast - Complete Guide, Hiking, History, Sights 

This is a place where you'll definitely say “forget the long walk on the beach – let's check out the cliffs.” It's one section of Oregon coast that's sadly a bit overlooked because it isn't a sandy beach, but it's among the most mesmerizing along this shoreline. See the Depoe Bay Virtual Tour, Map for directions, more details and milepost information.

Hotels in Depoe Bay - Where to eat - Depoe Bay Maps and Virtual Tours

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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