Photo: Hrare / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
On the Oregon coast, you can walk the sand in front of a resort, a vacation rental or a private home without asking anyone’s permission. That right is unusual in the United States, and it rests on two moments in state history.
A beach as a highway
In 1913, Gov. Oswald West persuaded the Legislature to declare the wet-sand shore from the Columbia River to California a public highway. At the time, beaches were how people traveled along much of the coast. The law protected the shoreline below the line of ordinary high tide.
The fight over dry sand
The dry sand above the tide line was a different matter. In the mid-1960s, a motel owner at Cannon Beach fenced off part of the beach for guests, and the question of who owned the dry sand became a statewide fight. In 1967 the Legislature passed the Beach Bill, backed by Gov. Tom McCall, which recognized public recreational use of the dry-sand beach up to a surveyed line, generally the line of vegetation, regardless of who holds title. Oregon courts later upheld the public’s right based on long-standing customary use.
What it means today
The state’s Ocean Shore is managed by Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, which sets rules for fires, vehicles, dogs and permits. Beach access points are maintained by state parks, cities and the county; private property above the beach is still private, so use marked public accesses.
Lincoln County has dozens of public access points, from Roads End in Lincoln City to Seal Rock and the waysides near Yachats. For a nearby day trip with tide pools, see our Yaquina Head guide.
Dewey Albrecht covers the Port of Newport, commercial and sport fishing and the Yaquina Bay bar.
