Oregon's Secret Beach Only Accessible By A Hidden Trail Is An Uncrowded Haven With Waterfalls And Wild Terrain

The Beaver State could just as well be nicknamed the "Ridiculously Beautiful Coastline State." For 363 miles, Oregon's shoreline ranges up the western haunch of the U.S. in a flurry of salt-caked rock stacks, moss-green redwood forests, and sands so darn wild and remote you'll think you've been airdropped into Alaska. Tucked away amid it all, there are more secret inlets and clandestine beaches than you can shake a Tillamook cheese at. One such secret is Short Beach — a spot that's been hailed as one of the most glittering hidden gems in the whole state.

Short Beach sits just a smidgen north of the hill-hugging coastal town of Oceanside. Above, the lighthouse-capped rocks of Cape Meares lord over a landscape of cathedral-like bluffs and vertiginous cliffs, as sea lions and whales splash in the wild ocean below. But Short Beach itself is stowed away behind a line of thick coastal forests, accessible only by a ramshackle staircase that looks like something out of a Popeye comic book. What awaits is a stretch of rugged shore with all the usual Oregon trimmings — think tree-topped ocean stacks, fossil hunting aplenty, and even a waterfall gushing from the cliffs into the Pacific.

It'll take just over 90 minutes to reach this feral section of Oregon coast from the big city of Portland, which also happens to home to the nearest major airport: the Portland International Airport. That has both short- and long-haul flight connections coming from elsewhere in the U.S. and beyond. Access to the actual trailhead to reach Short Beach can be found hidden along a short detour off Highway 101 from Tillamook, through Oceanside, and then onto the Cape Meares Loop.

It's not all that easy to find the access point to Short Beach, however. It sits somewhere along the roadside between some old warning signs — look for a set of timber steps opening like a slit into the forest. Once upon a time, the way down was positively dangerous, but someone went to work building an intricate coastal staircase to whisk walkers safely down the rocks. More recently, these have been widened and strengthened, though the beach remains obscured from view from the highway, keeping its secret status intact.

It's a very short walk of just a quarter of a mile straight down to the shoreline. As you arrive, prepare to be stunned. Gaze out to see humongous rock stacks rising from the tide line with pockets of gnarled trees perched on top. Look south to see more craggy protrusions in the form of the Three Arches National Wildlife Refuge — they're home to a huge colony of murres and nesting sea lions to boot.

Always remember that Short Beach is best visited around low tide. Not only will that let you explore further along the beach to another little section beneath the peninsula of Cape Meares — where a waterfall dribbles directly down the bluffs — but this whole portion of coast has strong ocean currents that can prove dangerous as the water begins to rise.

Sat just 10 minutes outside of Oceanside, in the heart of the North Coast region, Short Beach would make a wonderful addition to a drive up the wave-sprayed 101. You could easily sandwich it between a visit to the affordable art and food hub of Cannon Beach (which is a 1.25-hour drive to the north), and an exploration of the soaring dunes of Cape Kiwanda (these sit 1.5 hours to the south). Plus, there's loads for those searching for more in the way of wild, windswept shoreline, too.

Take the Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint, for example. It's literally a one-minute drive from the Short Beach trailhead, and is hailed as one of the finest places to appreciate the sheer wonders of the unique Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Stand there to peer through the spruce forests at swell-bashed rocks in the Pacific. 

Meanwhile, not far — around 15 minutes in the car — to the south, a land of misty Oregon cliffs and ancient trees awaits. Cue the Cape Lookout State Park, which boasts a web of hiking routes through coast hemlocks and campgrounds set right on the edge of the ocean.