Neskowin Beach to Porter Point Hike

Overview

This beach hike offers a variety of attractions, but doing the entire route as described involves creek fords, a little rock scrambling, and some scuttling around rock formations to beat the next wave. Check your tide tables before setting out! At the southern end of Neskowin Beach, best left for the lowest point in a tide, is an 1,800-year-old drowned forest of stumps standing erect like an expectant army. The basalt sea stack of Proposal Rock rears off the beach where Neskowin Creek enters the ocean. At the northern point of the hike, the rugged basalt stacks and caves near Porter Point require some exploring. You'll finally reach the Nestucca Bay Mouth, where harbor seals sun and surf. At the parking area, admire the Haida carving “plenty fish,” which is what Neskowin means. Cross Hawk Street and go right on the bridge over Hawk Creek ditch and then make a left onto the paved path to the beach, a fence on your right and the creek on your left. Forested Proposal Rock dominates the vista ahead. Walk north up the beach. Waves at high tide go right up to the rip-rap below the beach houses here. You can see Cape Kiwanda, Haystack Rock and Cape Lookout to the north. Soon, come to rip-rap jutting out into the waves: at higher tides, there’s no way to pass without getting soaked, so head inland on one of the many beach accesses. After one block, reach Breakers Boulevard running north-south and turn left. Walk up Breakers past the Pacific Sands Resort and The Breakers Rentals to where the road curves to the right. Head left towards the beach and drop down onto the sand. It’s a wider, sandy strand here at the official beginning of Kiwanda Beach. Dunegrass holds the low dunes to your left: check them out for views from the crest. Stunted shore pines and spruce hide out in copses. Back on the beach, the sand is littered with small rocks, clam and mussel shells. To the east to more and newer dwellings creep up the forested hills. Ahead there are new mansions up on another hill, too. Sanderlings dart in and out with th

Trail Stats

Photos

250px-PorterPointMap

250px-PorterPointMap

250px-Looking_north_from_the_Ghost_Forest%2C_Neskowin

250px-Looking_north_from_the_Ghost_Forest%2C_Neskowin

250px-NeskowinBeach3

250px-NeskowinBeach3

250px-NeskowinBeach2

250px-NeskowinBeach2

250px-NeskowinBeach5

250px-NeskowinBeach5

400px-NeskowinBeach4

400px-NeskowinBeach4

Tags