Marvels at Manzanita: When Oregon Coast Sunsets Actually Tell an Unexpected Tale

Published 8/24/24 at 6:45 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection

(Manzanita, Oregon) – As you cut through the Tillamook Coast, heading northward on Highway 101 just out of Nehalem Bay, you veer westward rather suddenly. Yet where did the beach go? It disappeared way back in Rockaway Beach, and sure, you hit the splendors of Nehalem Bay for awhile. So, yeah, that makes sense.

Yet if you're not paying close attention, those engaging sands are gone for awhile – a real long while. It's Arch Cape – several miles ahead and one tunnel away - before Oregon's north coast sands appear again.

Indeed, they're hiding behind a massive forest, and Manzanita is the next little burgh up ahead beyond Nehalem. There's a sign to town as plain as day, but again...if you're not paying attention.

And yet, boy, do the beaches make a splash here.

As expected, they really put on a show at sunset. Yet that tourist-favorite of a sundown snap can tell more of a story than just pretty colors. Case in point: a photographer's dream is the wet sands of the Oregon coast in the right lighting conditions. They create the biggest mirror ever. Like these winter moments in Manzanita.

It's actually a little disconcerting under the right conditions: the sky is so realistically reflected that the human brain is just a little uneasy. It feels like you might actually be stepping out into the air.

Neahkahnie Mountain and its overlooks above Manzanita often create the most dramatic of sights around here. You're a few hundred feet high, and this is going to create some mammoth scenic possibilities – like when holes punch through those clouds of spring that you only really get at that time of year. Clouds are a little different then. The Science Behind Spring's Stunning Clouds on Oregon Coast

Look down at Manzanita here and you'll catch astounding colors at dusk: it creates and effervescent glow on these beaches.

There are times sunsets really surprise you: like it's a cloudy, crummy day and there's no way you're going to see one. And then – somehow – you do at the last minute. Even wilder: there's a little ship out on there on the horizon and a shaft of sunlight hitting only that area.

Occasionally, a sunset shot is not about the sunset at all, and it does indeed tell a wild story. Have you ever noticed there's something else going on at the other end of sunset? The eastern sky on clear days like this has a curious purple band. That's the Belt of Venus: it's the Earth's shadow. Belt of Venus: the Other Side of Oregon / Washington Coast Sunset

What is it about Manzanita that produces freaky hole-in-the-sky shots? We here at Oregon Coast Beach Connection aren't sure. It just does. Those rays are called crepuscular rays, and you're going to want to read why they do this.

In this one, if it looks like a summer shot – it is. Interestingly enough, the reason you really know that is not because of the amazeballs colors but rather funky, squiggly patterns and the large hole that creates a pool of water. Those kinds of sand structures are usually only found in summer when sand levels get really high.

Those giant pools can be a bad thing, however. Find out why they create dangerous beach holes in the Oregon coast. Summer's Gnarly Danger Along Oregon / Washington Coast They Don't Talk About

Hotels in Manzanita, Wheeler - Where to eat - Manzanita, Wheeler Maps and Virtual Tours

MORE PHOTOS BELOW

More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....

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.

LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection
All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright © Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted