The Best Beach in the Northwest
There are a ton of beaches in Washington and Oregon. Which one is the best? Well, it depends on where you live and what you’re looking for in a beach.
How far do you want to travel?
Do you like tide pools?
Do you like wide sandy beaches?
Do you want a mix of the two?
Are you willing to hike to get to the beach?
Do you like to go to beach shops?
Do you want to surf?
Do you want to lay in the sun?
Are you going to camp, stay in a hotel, or a vacation rental?
Do want to go fishing?
Do you want to drive on the beach?
Do you want to avoid people or be near lots of people?
Well put me in the camp of people that kind of want some of everything. I want some sand, some landmark rocks, and a few tide pools. A few people are okay, but I don’t want a crowd. And I don’t go to the beach to enjoy the sun (good thing where we live), I go to the beach to walk and explore. Scott loves to drive on the beach about as much as I hate it (we have to compromise on that one sometimes). We both avoid the shops unless we want ice cream or saltwater taffy.
So where do we like to go?
My favorite beaches in Washington are 2nd Beach – located in the Quileute Reservation near Forks, and Shi Shi Beach Accessed from the Makah Reservation. 2nd Beach is closer to us to we’ve been there more often. Both of these require a couple of miles of hiking to reach them, so when we don’t want to hike, we like Ruby Beach.
In Oregon I like Crescent Beach in Ecola State Park, Neskowin, and Bandon. Oregon beaches require an overnight stay for us, and if we are late in making reservations, we’ve had pretty good luck finding a place near Rockaway Beach.
Which beach we actually go to mostly depends on how much time we have to get there and enjoy it. Every summer we try to explore them a little more.
What are your favorite beaches? I’d love to hear from you!