The town of Neskowin is quaint, with tiny little cottage homes. It lies between the Little Nestucca River and Cascade Head, tucked between the Neskowin and Hawk Creeks near the southern border of Tillamook County. Beginning as a dairy farming community, well, we are in Tillamook County, it has become a beach community over the years. Only about 300 people live here year-round but the population climbs to around 1500 in summer.
The approach to the 5-mile beach and Neskowin Beach State Recreation Site is a bit different from most other state parks along the coast. The parking is not in or immediately adjacent to the park itself, it‘s a few blocks away, just off 101, but is sign-posted. Then head for the road running along the south side of the lot and follow the signs. You’ll walk through a portion of the town, passing The Hawk Creek Café, a local favorite, along the way, and parallel the course of Hawk Creek as you approach the beach.
The large clump of basalt covered in trees right at the water’s edge is Proposal Rock. The story going with that name is what you‘d expect. This rock is more accessible than either Haystack Rock. You can, with caution, climb it. There are also tide pools at its base.
A generous ocean will have lessened the overburden of sand along this excellent walking beach, in which case some 200 tree stumps may be visible. This is the remains of forest submerged around 2000 years ago by an earthquake caused subsidence of about 7-feet. The locals will tell you the stumps have always been there. And so they have, for 2000-years at least, right? But often most of the stumps are buried by sand. The two best opportunities in "recent" years to see the stumps were 1983 and 1998. If you recall these as being El Nino years and wonder if there’s a connection you’d be right. Any El Nino year is likely to re-expose the forest; otherwise you might walk right over them without ever knowing they‘re there -- except that now you do.
Having "Recreation" in the title of this park is somewhat misleading, other than walking or fishing in the surf or creeks there isn’t anything actually onsite. There are, however, two golf courses in the area: Hawk Creek Golf and Neskowin Beach Courses, the later being seasonal as it is inundated by ocean through portions of the winter. The Cascade Head Trail skims the village and boating is available in Nestucca Bay to the north.
Oregon State Parks Information: 1-800-551-6949
Neskowin
The Hawk Creek Café 4505 Salem Ave, 503-392-3838
Hawk Creek Golf Course
48480 Hwy 101 S, 503-392-4120
Neskowin Beach Golf Course
48405 Hawk St, 503-392-3377