Stay Eat Events Weather Beaches

Short Beach is Long on Engaging Finds on N. Oregon Coast

Published 09/24/21 at 5:26 PM PDT
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

Short Beach is Long on Engaging Finds on N. Oregon Coast

Latest Coastal Lodging News Alerts
In Seaside:
Includes exclusive listings; some specials in winter
In Cannon Beach:
Includes rentals not listed anywhere else
In Manzanita, Wheeler, Rockaway Beach:
Some specials for winter
In Pacific City, Oceanside:
Some specials for winter
In Lincoln City:
Some specials for winter
In Depoe Bay, Gleneden Beach:
Some specials for winter
In Newport:
Look for some specials
In Waldport
Some specials for winter
In Yachats, Florence
Some specials for winter
Southern Oregon Coast Hotels / Lodgings
Reedsport to Brookings, places to stay; winter deals

(Oceanside, Oregon) – Right along the Three Capes Tour on the north Oregon coast, in a tiny sliver of land between Oceanside and Cape Meares, you'll bump into this stunning hidden spot. There's just a brief opening in the trees here, allowing a quick flash of beach and sea as you zip along towards the lighthouse. If you blink, you'll miss it.

Short Beach (which once boasted an actual radar station) is chock full of scenic yumminess and surprises, starting with the large, bulbous rock structure plopped at the tideline, sporting a small patch of trees on top. You can't climb the structure, except perhaps at its base at low tide, but it is a beauty.

If you're thinking it looks familiar, it does somewhat resemble another Oregon coast landmark not far south: Neskowin's Proposal Rock. This one is full of angular rock configurations, tilted masses of land inside and altogether boasting a geologic story that must be told someday.

On one end of this exceptionally cool cove, the familiar rock structures near Oceanside poke out from behind the cliff. At the other end sits the Cape Meares lighthouse. You can just barely see it from here.


There, a massive waterfall sometimes spills gently into the ocean - just out of reach of the beach, and there's a rocky cove within this cove, also unreachable. Short Beach has a lot of mysteries like this: teasing with spots you can't get to, formations and features cut off by invading ocean waters.


There's another giant waterfall-like feature, really a drainage pipe from waters up the hill and rainwater. With a sizable walkway surrounding it, it's an unusual manmade feature on the Oregon coast, allowing both awesome ocean views and a close glimpse of this structure.


Access to Short Beach became much easier 20 years ago. Once, it was a steep and slippery slope that resulted in lots of injuries: reportedly quite a few of them to people's heads. In the early 2000s, local volunteers got tired of the rescues and visits to the local ER and banded together to create an engaging, rustic and meandering stairway. It's a leg cramp-inducer but it's well worth it.


There's another little viewpoint and stop about halfway down that allows you to rest and check out the kooky ocean action.


Short Beach seen from above at Cape Meares

For a serious dose of history, note that Radar Road is right here, really your only signage to the place. It's so named for the World War II radar bunker that still sits on a hill across the highway and a few hundred feet north of the gravel parking. It's a spooky find, with its hollow eyes for windows and dilapidated but utilitarian, cold design - and generally impossible to get to. Discovering it even from afar is a kick, however.

Hotels in Three Capes - Where to eat - Three Capes Maps and Virtual Tours


MORE PHOTOS BELOW





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

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


Coastal Spotlight


LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Oregon Coast Hiking Hotspot Closes Briefly: Saddle Mountain Near Seaside, Hwy...
Closure from May 6 to 10, some lane closures on Hwy 26. Cannon Beach, Manzanita, Astoria
Killer Whale Sightings Making Big Splash on Oregon Coast - And It's the Apex ...
It's the same line of transient orcas involved in the whale kill in 2023. Marine sciences
Getting Oregon Coast Stays on the 'Lowdown' - Where Lincoln City Cut Rates
Excellent Lincoln City specials abound. Lincoln City hotel reviews
Destructive, Invasive Crab Found on N. Oregon Coast, Officials Ask Public's Help
Chinese mitten crab was found near Astoria. Marine sciences
Two Oregon Coast Gigs Bring Fiddle Virtuosos and a Local Composer to Newport
Milo Graamans on May 13 at a special benefit; Fiddle Express on May 16. Newport events
South Oregon Coast Landmark Under the Knife: Bandon's Face Rock Viewpoint Clo...
Set to reopen on May 23, parking lot and restroom closed, Depoe Bay, Cape Foulweather. Travel tips
Surprise Oregon Coast Accesses at Yachats' Northern, Outer Edges
Glorious discoveries include where Yachats changes from sand to rock. Travel tips
Washington Coast Gets Another Green Light for Razor Clamming, April 26 - May 3
Long Beach, Copalis, Twin Harbors and Mocrocks. Washington events

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net
All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted