Just 6 miles north of Newport, you can find the rockhounding and hiking paradise of Beverly Beach State Park.

This scenic broad beach extends for 1.5 miles from Otter Rock and Devils Punchbowl to Spencer Creek, which separates Beverly and Moolack Beaches.

The unique feature of Beverly Beach is the "ghost forest" - stumps of the trees hidden by the sand, thus preventing decay. Occasionally, strong winds and storms move the sand and reveal remnants of the ancient forest. These stumps are approximated to range from 1,000 to 7,000 years old.

Beverly Beach State Park is easy to access from Highway 101. You can also use one of the multiple pullouts to park and get to the beach.

The park has a large parking area with a walkway under the highway bridge along Spencer Creek and the largest campgrounds in the state.

Beverly Beach Rockhounding

Beverly Beach is a popular rockhounding area, where agate, jasper, and petrified wood are the most common minerals. The beach is covered with sand during summer, hiding the rocks.

So, the best time to hunt for these treasures is between November and April, when storms and king tides expose coastal gems. For the best results, check the gravel bars, which often contain larger pieces.

You can also find a variety of fossils here, including marine fossils like shells and occasional animal vertebrate fossils. However, collecting these fossils is illegal without a special permit.

Note: The use of digging equipment, rock picks, or metal detectors is prohibited in Oregon State Parks.

In addition to rockhounding, this part of the Central Coast is fantastic for hiking, exploring tidepools, nature viewing, and camping.

Moolack Beach and Beverly Beach create a 5-mile hike from Devil's Punchbowl State Natural Area at Otter Rock in the north to Yaquina Head in the south.

Beverly Beach is also a great whale-viewing location.

The beach is a marine reserve, so fishing is not allowed.

Cautions: Beware of changing tides, rip currents, driftwood, sneaker waves, and never turn your back to the ocean.

Beverly Beach State Park campground has 53 full hook-up sites (27 even got cable TV!), 76 electrical sites with water, 128 tent sites, 21 yurts, and more!

There are also flush toilets, showers, firewood for sale, an RV dump station, a playground, picnic shelters you can reserve for your events, and other amenities.

If camping isn't your style, there are plenty of nearby hotels to choose from. Newport and Depoe Bay are roughly equal distances from Beverly Beach and offer numerous accommodations.

Lincoln City is located a bit farther north, but provides even more options for lodging.