Lincoln City's D River Access Goes Under the Knife: Construction Starts at Oregon Coast Landmark

Published 05/08/26 at 7:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Lincoln City, Oregon) – Work has begun in earnest on new additions to Lincoln City's D River Wayside (or D River State Recreation Site as it has been known). This week saw the groundbreaking ceremony for a new Welcome Center at what is one of the Oregon coast's busiest beach accesses.

Explore Lincoln City and the City of Lincoln City announced plans on April 27 to build a major upgrade to one of this beloved access point. The project follows the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s decision to lease the D River State Recreation Site to the city, allowing for new facilities and expanded visitor services.

The ceremony on Tuesday officially kicked off what will be an extensive construction project.

There's also another small surprise development: the area is now officially reverted back to being named D River Wayside and losing the State Recreation Site name - mostly. It's still on maps, and Explore Lincoln City says either name still works, so it's not exactly written in hard stone.

Redoing the central Oregon coast park will temporarily affect operations at D River Wayside. The Lincoln City Summer Kite Festival, normally held at the park, will move to Chinook Winds Casino Resort on June 27–28 to ensure the event continues uninterrupted. D River State Recreation Site View Point

Courtesy Explore Lincoln City

During construction, access to the site will be limited or periodically closed. Portable restrooms will be available, and part of the parking lot will remain open until reconstruction begins. One stairway to the beach will stay accessible as long as possible, while the ADA ramp will close for the duration of the project.

Seasonal Mobi-mats will remain there most of the time at the southern part of the access, but will on occasion be gone. They will still be available at the Taft and 33rd St. access points to support beach accessibility. Site hours will remain 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with no overnight parking allowed.

“This project represents an exciting and meaningful investment in the future of Lincoln City,” said Kim Cooper Findling, director of Explore Lincoln City. She noted that the new center will help better serve the site’s heavy visitor traffic while highlighting the area’s natural and cultural significance.

D River's access point is also known as Oregon Beach Access #45, after the yellow emergency access sign there. It's also not a bad spot to find agates sometimes, as those gravel beds occasionally appear – even in summer.

The Welcome Center will be managed by Explore Lincoln City and funded through local transient lodging tax revenue and a $2.5 million Oregon Lottery grant. Plans call for a visitor information hub, modern restrooms, and upgraded amenities designed to support the roughly 1.5 million people who use the site each year. The project emphasizes accessibility and is part of the city’s broader effort to improve coastal access and enhance the visitor experience.

“We’re proud to partner with Explore Lincoln City to help ensure the Summer Kite Festival continues during construction,” said Samantha McDonald, general manager of Chinook Winds Casino Resort. “Events like this are vital to our community.” D River State Recreation Site Sandy Beach 

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