You are here

Sandy beach
Yes
Hike-in Required
No
Surfing
Yes
Snorkeling / SCUBA
No
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Long and sandy Gearhart Beach offers significant attractions while remaining consistently less crowded than the neighboring beach of Seaside to the south. If you access Gearhart Beach from Highlands Lane, you’ll be able to drive your vehicle out onto the beach, where you can travel as far North as Warrenton—about 8 miles of beach—or go a short distance to the south to the Pacific Way beach entrance. While entering the beach from Pacific Way will not allow you to drive your vehicle out onto the beach, you’ll have access to indoor restrooms, basketball and tennis courts, and picnic areas.

At the beachfront you can hunt for sand dollars at low tide or try clamming. You’re also allowed to build a fire on Gearhart Beach, but burning driftwood is prohibited. The long and relatively flat beach is also perfect for kite-flying, long jogs and sand volleyball (bring your own net). In addition, when the tide is out, you’ll be able to walk out onto large sandbars jutting into the ocean. Be sure to explore these “temporary peninsulas” for sand dollars, but keep an eye on the water level or else you’ll be wading back to dry land through a waste-deep current.

Logistics + Planning

Congestion

Low

Parking Pass

Not Required

Pros

Large beach with space to spread out. Well-maintained restrooms and picnic area near parking lot.

Cons

Minimal amenities near the beach.

Features

Crabbing
Fishing
Picnic tables
Surfing
Bird watching
Wildlife

Location

Nearby Adventures

Northern Oregon Coast, Oregon
Lewis and Clark National Historic Park

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Comments

08/20/2016
Went to Gearhart Beach this past Saturday to escape the Portland heat wave. Drove right onto the beach. There was a decent amount of people there but definitely not crowded. My dogs LOVED it. They flew out of my car and started running circles and chasing each other. People were great and everyone pretty much keeps to themselves. Great off-leash space for dogs since there's so much space and not a ton of people. Very foggy day as you can see from the pics. Will definitely go back!
great pictures.planning on going there this year
Have updates, photos, alerts, or just want to leave a comment?
Sign In and share them.

Oregon Field Guide is OPB's long-running local weekly TV series. The program covers natural resources, ecological issues, outdoor recreation and travel destinations across the Northwest region. This award-winning show is one of the most-watched local productions in the public broadcasting system.

Oregon Field Guide also extends the work it does in the field for the television series across radio and the Web, providing a greater degree of coverage.

Oregon Field Guide airs Thursday evenings at 8:30 p.m. and repeats Sundays at 1:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. In the Mountain Time zone of Eastern Oregon, the program airs at 9:30 p.m. Thursdays, and at 7:30 p.m. Sundays.

More content from Oregon Field Guide