Oswald West State Park - Hike and Swim near Arch Cape, Oregon
Oswald West State Park, Arch Cape, OR 97102, USA,Arch Cape,Oregon
45.76536749142834, -123.97923231124878
3.7 miles S of Arch Cape, Oregon
Address: Oswald West State Park, Arch Cape, OR 97102, USA
GPS: 45°45'55.3"N 123°58'45.2"W
Maps | Directions
State: Oregon

Restrooms Picnic Tables Trails Rocks Pet Friendly State Park

Hike and Swim

This 2,484-acre state park is located just two hours west of Portland and provides numerous hiking and surfing opportunities. It's also home to one of the better beaches along the Oregon Coast with a secluded sandy beach. It's called Short Sands beach but the locals call it "Shorty's". There are miles and miles of trails through the amazing rainforest that is Oswald West State Park. These trails offer gorgeous scenery of the forest and the Pacific Ocean. If you want a break from hiking, walk down to the beach and explore the amazing tide pools where you'll find neat little sea creatures hiding.This is a great place for anyone young or old to explore!

If hiking isn't your thing, surfing is a common activity many locals and visitors enjoy. Although this part of the coast isn't as well-known like other areas, it is still teeming with activity and can be quite busy during the summer and especially on weekends. This beach has exposed beach break and reliable and consistent waves any time of the year making this an ideal surfing destination. You will likely see many people in wetsuits carrying their surfboards down to the beach to catch the next big wave.

NOTE: Watch out for dangerous rip tides and make sure you know how to spot them.

2.7K Written by katelocke

Be courteous, informed, and prepared. Read trailhead guidelines, stay on the trail, and don't feed the wildlife.

Read More
  1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
  2. Travel & camp on durable surfaces
  3. Dispose of waste properly
  4. Leave what you find
  5. Minimize campfire impacts
  6. Respect wildlife
  7. Be considerate of other visitors

Directions

From Arch Cape, Oregon

  1. Head south on US-101 S toward Cedar Ln (2.6 mi)
  2. Turn right onto Falcon Cove Rd (0.4 mi)
  3. Turn left onto Elk Flat Rd (0.6 mi)
to add photos & videos and suggest edits

Guest Review/Comments

/5
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Edit Review Delete Review
Reply Cancel
Short Sand Beach at Oswald West State Park in Oreg by Manases Ramos
The Oregon Coast: Oswald West State Park by The Family Fun Bus Oswald West State Park by The Oregonian Short Sand Beach at Oswald West State Park by Haystack Lodgings Surfing Short Sands 2014 (Oswald West State Park) by Alex Shaffer Surfing Short Sands- A Documentary by Spenserr Carterr
2.7K

Added by katelocke

Other Swimming Holes and Hiking Trails Nearby

Add Location

Haystack Rock

Cannon Beach, Oregon

8.2 miles N

Haystack Rock is a 235-foot (72-meter) sea stack in Cannon Beach, Oregon. It is sometimes claimed locally to be the third-tallest such "intertidal" structure in the world, but there...

Swim

swim Swimming Hole

Cape Lookout Trailhead

Cloverdale, Oregon

29.3 miles S

Cape Lookout State Park has multiple hiking trails. This trail is among one of the more popular ones because it leads you to the steep cliffs which provide gorgeous views of the ocean and adjacent...

Hike

hike Hiking Trail

Munson Creek Falls

Tillamook, Oregon

29.4 miles S

This park is home to several famous attractions along the Oregon Coast, including the tallest waterfall in the Coastal Range as well as several historic Western Red Cedar and Sitka Spruce. There...

Hike

hike Hiking Trail

Cape Kiwanda

Pacific City, Oregon

37.7 miles S

Cape Kiwanda is a state natural area in Pacific City, Oregon. This is a fantastic place to spend an entire afternoon! You will see magnificent views of the basalt monolith officially called,...

Hike

hike Hiking Trail

Niagara Falls

Beaver, Oregon

41.8 miles SE

Not to be mistaken with the famous waterfall in Canada, this waterfall is rarely visited but very beautiful! Two waterfalls tumble down trying to out do the other, and it makes for a wonderous...

Hike

hike Hiking Trail

Neskowin Beach State Recreation Site

Neskowin, Oregon

45.7 miles S

Neskowin Beach is a beautiful place for families and friends to come and enjoy time together. The recreation site offers camping, and picnic sites for you to enjoy. The beach features the "Ghost...

Camp, Swim

swim Swimming Hole

camp Campsite

More Similar Arenas Near Oswald West State Park:

Swimming Holes Hiking Trails Things to Do

Nearby Campsites

More Campsites Near Oswald West State Park:

Campsites

Embed Arena

Where do you plan to embed this code?

<script src="https://www.freearenas.com/embed/a41f22411"></script>

Copy
×
loading...

New Collection

Donate to the Cause

Help us inspire and inform every person to enjoy life and the great outdoors in a responsible way. There's a lot of ways to do this. Here's a few ways we're working on our mission right now: Providing information, Building and maintaining local trails, Helping and teaching kids to fix their bikes, Cleaning up local parks to provide safe and clean places to enjoy nature. Learn More

Add an Arena

Just some quick info about this location to get started...

Edit Your Experience

Log Your Visit to This Location

We've logged that you went. Is there anything else you want to add?

Thank you for your review/comment

We've recorded your comments. Is there anything else you want to add?

By recording your visit on FreeArenas.com, you'll have a collection of all the great places you've been and provide valuable information for yourself and others in the future.

Have you been to this location?

/5
Cancel

Update Review

/5