![]() ![]() Still, once you see the stunning canyon-like structure of Lake Owyhee, the bright colored rock formations, and surrounding mountain scenes, you will wonder why you ever stayed away. Eastern Oregon doesn’t usually get much limelight. Lake Owyhee State Park stands apart from most Oregon state parks primarily because of its location in the desert. Oregon State ParksĬlick the image to view the clickable map of Oregon State Parks 1. While there are over 300 state parks in the state, we chose our favorite ones to share with you here. Wildlife spotting, alien landscapes, coastal beauties, momentous mountains-Oregon’s State Parks really do have it ALL! You’re welcome to do some sleuthing while you’re here get some fresh air and exercise as you comb the beach and woods for clues.Ĭome enjoy the wonder of the outdoors at Oswald West State Park.The state parks in Oregon are simply incredible. No one’s ever found the supposed buried chest, but plenty have looked. As such stories do, this mystery has captured people’s imaginations for years. There are different versions of the story, but the gist of it is this: a couple hundred years ago, pirates dropped anchor at the Oregon Coast and buried their treasure on Neahkahnie Mountain. Stretching even further back in time, there’s an urban legend about ye ol’ pirate days in this neck of the woods. The park, his namesake, was designated public land and christened in 1931. ![]() He established protections for coastal lands, and the legislation he passed helped pave the way to the public beach access Oregonians (and visitors) enjoy today. A native Oregonian, West was born in Salem and became governor in 1911. It’s named after a former state governor. The park has some pretty cool cultural history, too, starting with its origins. ![]() You can come for just a quick hike or make a day of it and trek around to explore.Ī storied past, steeped in high seas adventure… ![]() These trees form the basis of the temperate coastal rainforest. Oswald West State Park is also considered one of the best preserved coastal rainforests, where hikers can see low growing ferns, salal and salmonberries shaded by huge western red cedar, western hemlock and Sitka spruce trees. It’s generally accessible year-round and offers brilliant views of ocean, forest and cliffs. Across the beach, Neahkahnie Mountain offers an 8-mile lollipop loop trail. You’ll enjoy coastal forest and beach views as well on this amazing hike. It’s gentle enough for casual hikers but long enough (and with good odds of a wildlife sighting) to keep things interesting for hikers at any level. Cape Falcon is a 5-mile trail that attracts a good number of visitors. There are two prominent headlands, Cape Falcon and Neahkahnie Mountain, within the park. The trail includes a suspension bridge that crosses over Necarney Creek, and it follows Short Sand Creek through the forest. It begins at the community of Arch Cape and ends up in the town of Manzanita. In addition to its natural beauty, this area is renowned by surfers for its awesome waves! Oswald West State Park is a hit with both novice and expert hikersĪ thirteen-mile stretch of the Oregon Coast Trail weaves its way through the entire park. The cliffs rising out of this stretch of ocean are unique to the north Oregon coastline: Check out the volcanic basalt-grey-black rock formed from cooled lava-and sandstone-with pink and beige-streaked layers like the canyons of the Southwest. Enjoy the surf and the turfĪ short walk through the woods will bring you to Short Sand Beach (Tillamook County residents have fondly nicknamed the beach “Shorty’s”), protected in a sheltered cove and blanketed by a forest. It is a popular beach alive with activity. People flock here to fish, enjoy the beach, and take in the beauty of the park. Located in Tillamook County just two hours west of Portland on the north coast, the park is popular with surfers, hikers, beachcombers and boaters alike. This little known scenic treasure is, bar none, one of the most spectacular parks in all of Oregon. There are miles of hiking trails leading to stunning views of the Pacific Ocean. Oswald West State Park has a lovely secluded white sand beach stretching over four miles of coastline flanked by a dense temperate rainforest. ![]()
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