Nestled Inside A Beautiful Nature Preserve Is Oregon's Hidden Beach With No Crowds And A Tranquil Atmosphere

The Oregon Coast is one surprise after another. One day, you can be cruising along the breathtaking driving route of the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, where secret beaches and tree-topped sea stacks abound, the next tucking into quiet local beach towns like Gearhart, where regional restaurants and golf courses converge on the great Pacific blue. The region is no secret, mind you — visitor numbers to the Beaver State's parks and reserves topped 56 million in 2024, driven in large part by huge influxes of people to the coastal regions.

But there are still some secret places where you can head to ditch the crowds and get a taste of that wild, wild Oregon shoreline. One such spot is the Sitka Sedge State Natural Area. If you've just checked the map and know your way around the region, you might be doubtful — Sitka does sit on the uber-famous Three Capes Scenic Loop, a 70-mile romp around some of the most dramatic scenery in the whole state. Thing is, people don't tend to stop here all that much, so the trails are pleasantly deserted, and you can hike between the marshlands and dunes in perfect solitude.

The 101 — that fabled American coast highway that runs the whole length of the West Coast — is the usual ticket to this region. Veer off that past Cape Kiwanda to Sandlake Road, where you'll find the reserve's own parking areas on the left-hand side. For those keen to hit the beaches right away after jetting straight into Portland, OR, the drive from PDX airport is likely to be just shy of 2 hours in all.

Diversity is the keyword when it comes to the Sitka Sedge Natural Area. While much of the rest of the Oregon coast is defined by its salt-caked ocean stacks and soaring cape lookouts, this little sliver of land alongside the Sand Lake Estuary is a patchwork of brackish marshes, mud plains, and thick, fog-hugging coastal forests.

There are two main loop trails weaving and winding their way through the reserve: The Kinnikinnik Woods Loop to the south, and the Estuary View Loop to the north. They're both linked to the main parking lot by the ADA accessible Beltz Dike, a section of built-up walkway that's a doozy for birdwatchers looking for the resident hawks, herons, and egrets. Both hikes can be combined into a single, larger circle of 3.4 miles, taking in everything from moss-covered trees to wide open wetland views.

One thing you're sure to notice is just how quiet the whole thing is. As Kirk Barham, a manager with Oregon State Parks, explained to the official Tillamook Coast blog, sometimes you'll hear nothing in Sitka Sedge "except for the chirping birds and the ocean roar."

The forests, mudflats, and birdwatching trails are likely to be your first impression of the Sitka Sedge area. The hiking paths go straight west from the parking lots and into those habitats. Keep going, though, and you'll eventually emerge onto the beach...

Follow the driftwood signs that herald the beach, you'll hear the Pacific get louder and louder, notice the trail turn to sand underfoot, and then bingo: one long, open, wave-washed run of sand that has views going as far south as the amazing, arrowhead-shaped Chief Kiwanda Rock off the coast of the underrated Oregon surf town of Pacific City.

It's the essence of peace and quiet there, or, as one past walker put it on AllTrails: "Bring towels to lay out on the beach! This is a complete hidden gem and we were two of the only people on the beach for the entire afternoon." Just remember that there's one part of the beach close to the mouth of the river estuary that's closed for much of the spring, summer, and fall on account of the nesting plovers.