Oswald West State Park

Oswald West State Park is a coastal paradise that truly captivates. The pristine beaches, framed by lush forests and stunning cliffs, create an enchanting backdrop for outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you're hiking the lush trails, catching waves, or simply unwinding on the sand, the park offers a serene escape. The iconic Short Sand Beach, nestled within the park, is a surfer's dream and a photographer's delight. With its perfect blend of nature's wonders, Oswald West State Park is an absolute must-visit for anyone seeking a slice of Oregon's coastal beauty.

I walked one of the difficult trail through the rain forest. It had its challenges climbing over trees & through the tree roots. Some of the tree trunks have petrified, so awesome.

The weather on September 30th is perfect. It’s cloudy but the sun shine through them.

This is a wonderful beach and wooded park. The old growth forest has some very large trees and fallen logs. Mature trees grow on top of their nurse logs and stumps. The trails through the forest intersect with good signs. It wasn’t hard to find the beach or back to the parking lot; we enjoyed wandering around a bit.

There were over a dozen surfers with more showing up all afternoon. It was fun to watch them paddle out and Bob on the waves while they waited for the right one to ride. The beach is protected between two headlands, and we had fun walking to the far end to see the waterfall there. It’s a lovely place.

They had picnic tables and a trash can near the beach.

We visited Oswald West after speaking to one of the vendors at Portland Saturday market. She said it’s where the forest meets the beach - it didn’t disappoint! There’s parking up on the road and a short, well marked trail down to the beach. It’s just down the coast from Cannon Beach so we did both in a day.

We hiked from the trail head up to the summit (rather than down to the beach) and enjoyed the old growth, the views, and a moderately difficult trail. As it was near the end of the day in January we saw only one other family on the trail. Garmin said it was 4.55 miles round trip with 1,400 feet elevation gain (fairly steep in places) with the occasional scramble over or around massive fallen trees and root balls. With a leisurely trek up with a few stops for pictures as well as plenty of time enjoying the view from the summit it was about a 2.5 hour trek. We do some trail running and are in ok shape but the trail would be difficult for anyone who hasn't been hiking or exercising at all.

Oswald West State Park is breathtaking and a treat from start to finish. Parking is easy to access and the trail is fairly short with gorgeous views along the way. The path down to the beach is a little steep and can get muddy after the rain but you can always enjoy the view by sitting at the benches at the top. The beach also has mini waterfalls to explore/take endless selfies with. If you're looking for a romantic place to elope in Oregon, this should be on your list. If you're just looking for a place to spend the day, this is your place.

Pretty forest to walk through on the way to Short Sand Beach. About 10 minutes to the beach, saw surfers.
From the beach you can hike Cape Falcon trail. We also hiked on Sitka Spruce and Old Growth trails. Walked on a swinging bridge, fun! Saw Big tree roots sticking up, all different shapes. Sept 13 it was 59° at 9am.

This was an absolutely amazing accidental find! We parked because we saw a sign saying beach access, and followed some surfers along the trails until we walked out into the most amazing cove. The walkway is wonderful, about a mile of easy walking out in the woods. Well maintained pathways take you along through beautiful forest. The beach is incredible, full of drift wood and rocks, little waterfalls rolling down the hills to the water, people surfing and returning to small fires along the edges... People relaxing, families walking, enjoying the view and the water. We hit it at sunset and could not have asked for a better place to stop.

🤫 Good place for overnight car camping. We saw a few people there and joined. No one came kicking us out 🤷‍♀
Breathtaking! Good place for tide pooling and surfing. The entire parking lot got taken pretty fast by surfers. There are a few hiking trails that are extremely nice too!

The parking here is prohibitively busy on summer weekends, but in the off-season or as soon as you step away from the road, you won't be disappointed! Nature here is raw and primordial. The forest and the sea are in constant interplay. This place is very dynamic!

My new favorite place in ALL of Oregon. Short Sand beach is heaven/paradise on earth. Must hike to get there which means that already discourages lots of people from seeing it (their loss). Hike is easy, my 3 and 6 year old made it on their own just fine with no complaints. This beach has it all. Safe tide pools for kids to explore sealife, surfing, caves, waterfalls. There are even two different creeks that flow out of the moutains/forrest, trickles across the sandy beach to empty into the ocean. Like I said, it's paradise. If you ever seen that Leonardo DiCaprio movie "The Beach" it's like that but better! If you go and DON'T like it I'll give you $10.

Absolutely amazing place to stop and just enjoy the absolute wonderful view across the ocean. Also was able to see some boats out on the open water. It is very safe to take kids to this parking area to look over the water. And you are surrounded by lots of wooded area as well. I would recommend this stop to anybody that is traveling. Especially in the evening where you can view sunsets.

Stunning natural beauty and a variety of adventures: beaches, surfing, headlands, forests, coastal streams and hikes anchored to the flanks of Neah-kah-nie Mountain and its awe-inspiring viewpoint. The best of the Oregon coast in one place.

Plan at least 3 days for the full experience and bring your hiking shoes!

Short Sand Beach: One of the cleanest beaches I have ever seen. The beach want very crowded on a weekend either. Setting sun over there hill looks very picturesque. It can get a bit chilly even in summer so warm clothes are recommended. Would totally recommend for a picnic, recreational or even just an hour visit for the sunset.

Really cool little cove, a decent amount of beach especialy when the tide is low, if you want a cool adventure and want to explore caves and sea life, definately stop by and take a look, it's a great place to just relax

What a gorgeous place.i was in awe. The view is spectacular and absolutely stunning. The hike was extremely muddy at times and i highly recomtwearing hiking shoes that you don't mind being dirtied. Its definitely worth it though and yoy should do the hike to the viewpoint as well as the beach

This is a gem of a hike! Full of great views and even beach access! The Cape Falcon trail is a moderate hike, with lots of tree roots. Still a great spot for a sunny afternoon! Parking gets full, so plan to show up early!

This is a great place to hike. I especially like the Cape Falcon trail. I've never seen falcons there, however the views are amazing and you can see pelicans roosting on the rocks.

Gorgeous scenery, both on the forested trail and the overlooks. Trails were well-maintained albeit rooty. Make sure you have a trusted pair of shoes for stable footing, we did see an injury on the trail! A little overcrowded with people on the trail, but it was Labor Day weekend so that was to be expected.

Very Beautiful and Magical Place. I recommend doing the devils cauldron hike, not too hard, very short. But large cliffs at end and panoramic views.