Cool to Kooky Things That Sand Levels Can Do to Oregon Coast in Summer

Published 02/20/25 at 6:25 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Oceanside, Oregon) – It's fascinating how summer can change beaches here. Here's something else to look forward to than just lovelier weather. (Above: Arcadia Beach near Cannon Beach has a couple hundred extra feet of sand sometimes in summer. Normally, this structure is just feet from the tideline. All photos Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

Each summer, usually noticeable by late June, sand piles up on Oregon coast strands rather than getting sucked back out – like in winter. All this sand action creates a curious state that mimics a really low tide. But it's not low tide: the beaches have actually extended outwards. Sometimes it's by hundreds of feet. Or they change your fave beaches in other ways – like just below at Lincoln City. Here, massive pools occupy the sands or it even shifts the paths of outbound streams, on top of the already-extended tideline.

Winter time brings larger wave action to the Oregon coast and thus a kind of scouring dynamic that lifts sand out off the beach. But in summer, tides bring in more sand with its calm ocean conditions. This, in turn, can cause the sands to build up so high they keep the tide farther out and thus yield some interesting surprises. Not only does it seem like a constant low tide on your favorite beach, but many landmarks that are normally underwater are suddenly open to exploration.

A few examples:

Oceanside is often – but not every year – the recipient of some extraordinary beach accessibility. Areas normally hidden from you can open up. Like when Maxwell Point lets you around the point instead of through it. Usually, this tip of the mini headland is submerged and way too dangerous to amble around on, but many summers you can easily walk around the point without having to go through the tunnel. Hotels in Oceanside - Where to eat - Oceanside Maps and Virtual Tours

Arch Cape, near Cannon Beach, reveals its namesake secrets. The very southern (and most public) access suddenly lets you around the big sloped rock. You can wander over the rocky tip and easily check out the arch the little village was named for. This is honestly a bit of an Oregon coast treasure, especially when you see the web-like structure that was once here: a group of arches. Hotels in Cannon Beach - Where to eat - Cannon Beach Maps and Virtual Tours

At Newport's Nye Beach, what is normally a flat beach is gets thick with dune-like structures. Sand really piles up there, and of course this makes the beach much broader than usual. It's not as easy to walk on as its normally-flat layout. Hotels in Newport - Where to eat - Newport Maps and Virtual Tours

The cove at Seaside is much easier to wander as well. This section at the southern edge of town is usually a bit too short on distance between the boulders and the wild tide. Not when sand levels really build, however. Then, it's almost as broad as the area's main beaches. Hotels in Seaside - Where to eat - Seaside Maps and Virtual Tours

Another area: Yachats gets distinctively cool. At its harsh southern end, next to the bay, suddenly it's as if the tide is way out. You can walk out beyond some parts of the rocky shelves, something you don't see much here unless you know what to look for. Areas normally underwater are now walkable. Tidepools explode with color. Hotels in Yachats - Where to eat - Yachats Maps and Virtual Tours

Some beaches get safe almost for the first time all year, like Gleneden Beach. It finally grows westward enough that large tides don't matter as much and won't pin you up against the cliff wall. Then again, you won't get large walls of water here you do with winter storms.

How long will these conditions last? A good turn in tides and weather could start ripping the higher sand levels back out at any time starting in August, but usually as long storms don't start hitting the Oregon coast they stick around as long as the calm does.

Indeed, there's what's called “Second Summer” in September and October, which normally makes for the warmest times of the year on the coast, with the least wind and generally really mellow ocean conditions. So it's likely all this access will remain through at least the middle of September.

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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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