NEWPORT, Ore. — This week, we travel along the coast near Newport to learn more about Oregon’s rocky history, where 12-million-years of geologic history is written in the rocks.
South Beach State Park, one mile south of Newport, is a jewel in the rough across the Oregon outdoors. The 500-acre parkland offers spacious campgrounds — with nearly 280 sites — that are perfect for tents or trailers, plus, another 30 yurts for folks who like to camp but lack all the gear.
Park ranger Dani Padilla said that South Beach State Park is often coined a “destination vacation” for the varied activities that are easy to find along the Central Coast.
For example, she suggested a guided paddle trip, offered five days a week, on nearby Beaver Creek: “Paddling on Beaver Creek is one of the most peaceful and one of the closest times you can get in tune with nature. We don’t have tidal influence on Beaver Creek, so you’re not worried about the tides or the waves, and you will see all the migratory birds, eagles and ospreys.”
More than three million visitors flock to the 24-mile stretch of beach between South Newport and Yachats each year.
And yet, according to assistant park manager Alan Freudenthal, the search for peace, quiet and solitude takes very little effort: “You may look a little bit more, and you may need to get a little further away from the cities, but places like Brian Booth State Park include Beaver Creek, Ona Beach and more — there are great hiking trails throughout that allow you hike to the top of a mountain and see the ocean and not hear any road noise or see very few people.”
Park ranger Christopher Maitlen said that beachside agate collecting is popular recreation and pays off with gorgeous stones that park visitors can keep.
Maitlen is a big fan of the park’s interpretive program called “Beach Booty 101,” and that’s no surprise — he’s the teacher.
“This is called a wrack line, Grant," explained the longtime ranger. "We actually have two wrack lines from the two high tides each day. As you see, we have a few specimens of agates and shells along this line mixed in with all the vegetation.”
Collecting agates is for personal use only! You are allowed one gallon per day, and you must use your own bucket to collect. Critically, no digging into the sand is allowed; you must pick the agates off the beach.
“That’s to keep it from going to commercial use,” said Maitlen. “This is for private collections, so you can have a memory of your visit to the coast."
Maitlen loves to share his own collections that can show you what you might find for very little effort — not just agates or jaspers — but fossils that date back more than 12-million years and where Maitlen insisted “Oregon history is written in the rocks.”
“The creatures — clams or snails — are frozen in time, captured in layers of sandstone,” said Maitlen. “It’s kinda funny — there they were, living a happy day on the beach just like you or I might, and then all of a sudden, a dramatic explosion occurred, and silt and volcanic ash covered them up. Through millions of years, pressure and heat fossilized the shell matter.”
Maitlen explained that Oregon was once a tropical landscape with volcanic activity a constant marker of time. Trying to understand how it all changed is a part of the mystery that he loves to consider.
“The rocks and fossils humble me when I consider the passage of so much time held right in my hand. I know that I am just a speck on this planet for a fraction of time, and State Parks feels it’s important that we offer visitors the chance to find these treasures, too," he said. "That’s a wonderful thing, and we’ll keep that going, so get out here and take a walk because the rock beds are where you find them.”
Be sure to watch the weekly half hour program of "Grant’s Getaways." The show airs each Saturday and Sunday at 4pm on KGW.
You can also learn more about many of my favorite Oregon travels and adventures in the Grant’s Getaways book series, including:
- "Grants Getaways I," Photography by Steve Terrill
- "Grant's Getaways II," Photography by Steve Terrill
- “Grant’s Getaways: 101 Oregon Adventures,” Photography by Jeff Kastner
- “Grant’s Getaways: Guide to Wildlife Watching in Oregon,” Photography by Jeff Kastner
- “Grant’s Getaways: Oregon Adventures with the Kids,” Photography by Jeff Kastner
The book collection offers hundreds of outdoor activities across Oregon and promises to engage a kid of any age.
You can reach me: Gmcomie@kgw.com