One Stretch of Oregon Coast with the Romantic Thrill of It All

Published 10/29/23 at 6:33 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Florence, Oregon) – It may be cliché, but the whole idea of romance via long walks on the beach still holds up. (Stonefield Beach - Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

Thus, are you looking for some alone time on the Oregon coast somewhere? Indeed, being on a beach without the usual crowds is a bit of a challenge.

Yet there is a stretch where tidepools reign supreme and humans are rarer. It's an area where hobbits and rabbits dwell, where a lighthouse shines and where the landscape is truly rugged and untouched. It’s one of the biggest collections of non-stop secluded spots along the Oregon coast, with about 20 miles of lack-of-crowds and visual knockouts.

The stretch between Yachats and Florence, much of upper Lane County, is about as perfect for kissy-kissy behaviors as can be found on this coastline.

Start your romantic, isolated journey at Strawberry Hill (sure, you can insert the pun here about “found your thrill…”), which is just south of the Lane County line.

First, you step out on a rather stately bluff with breathtaking views all around you. To the south, there’s a long stretch of cobblestone beach with towering cliffs directly behind it. The rest of the small state park grants access to a favorite spot of tidepool gazers, with large and small rocky blobs creating a labyrinth in the sand and providing plenty of places for starfish, mussels and other tideline dwellers to live.

This unique cove is as much fun for ambling around rocks and tidepool hunting as it is for a simple, hand-in-hand walk on the beach.

Just down 101 is Bob Creek Wayside, which is host to way more sea stars than humans. Even on the days the beach is “packed” (that's a relative term here) with agate hunters, the tidepool critters far outnumber our kind. The ancient, black basalts are covered in colorful little beasties, and there's a sea cave at the southern end. Few things invite adventure for two more than exploring a cave.

Bob Creek is also known for its proliferation of mussels. However, the creek here makes passing to some spots in winter nearly impossible. Bob Creek Wayside Tide Pools

Stonefield Beach is just over Ten Mile Creek and its bridge, and there you'll discover the place is aptly named. There's the normal access that's marked by Oregon State Parks, but then there's the more distinctive access on the southern side of the bridge, where a small gravel parking area leads you down a long, grassy pathway, past an idyllic stream and through the striking greenery. It's a tad dreamlike. Eventually you come to the rocky part of Stonefield Beach, where interestingly-colored rocks populate this unique beach. Magical, Time-Tripping Stonefield

Some curious architecture lurks here: one building looks like a Rubik’s Cube all twisted up into a strange but wonderful shape.

One of the coast’s biggest and most deliriously romantic spots lies between Washburne State Park and the Heceta Head Lighthouse. It’s called the Hobbit Trail – and don’t tell anybody.

This central Oregon coast treasure is named as such because of the earthen-like walls that almost enclose the trail at times, with thick and mossy greenery that all give it a magical vibe. This is a bit of a hike, so it's not an area that gets filled up with people.

Creative folk often get hold of rocks here and pile them into whimsical structures. Then again, maybe it's actually gnomes or faeries who scurry away from their constructions upon the approach of any human being.

Other parts of the Oregon coast you'll want to explore for serious alone time is the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor, another stretch (this one's 15 miles) of non-stop, glorious beach isolation. Or check out the beaches between Bandon and Coos Bay, or between Bandon and Port Orford. Crazed and the Calm on S. Oregon Coast, Between Coos Bay and Bandon

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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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