Gearhart Beach
Gearhart, OR
Gearhart, OR
A broad, uncrowded beach hemmed by tall grassy dunes, where you can walk for miles, drive right onto the sand, and share the shore with a resident herd of elk.
Gearhart Beach is the north Oregon coast at its most relaxed: a broad, flat stretch of sand backed by dunes so tall and grassy that visitors sometimes say the green folds look more like Ireland than the Pacific Northwest. Unlike the promenade bustle just south in Seaside, Gearhart has stayed quiet on purpose for well over a century, and its beach reflects that. You reach the water by crossing a right-of-way through the dunes, and once you step over them the town falls away and it is just sand, sky, and surf in both directions.
The beach here is part of the eight-mile publicly accessible run between the south jetty of the Columbia River and the Necanicum estuary, protected forever under Oregon's 1967 Beach Bill, which keeps the entire coastline open to the public. That means you can walk every foot of it. It also means one of Gearhart's quiet pleasures is legal: from the 10th Street access you can drive right out onto the hard sand, park by the dunes, and make a whole beach day of it.
What Guests Love
- Miles of wide, uncrowded sand with tall grassy dunes that feel a world away from busier beach towns
- A resident herd of coastal elk that grazes the dunes and sometimes strolls the beach itself
- Beach driving from the 10th Street access, so you can bring a picnic and a chair right onto the sand
- Beachcombing for sand dollars, kite flying, and watching for gray whales offshore
Worth Knowing
- This is open sand with no lifeguards, so mind the tides, keep clear of sneaker waves, and never turn your back on the ocean
- Cars are allowed on the beach at the 10th Street access, so watch for vehicles when you are walking with kids or dogs
- The elk are wild animals; enjoy them from a distance and never approach or feed them
- There are no services out on the sand, so pack water, sun protection, and layers for the coastal wind
Details
Gearhart, OR
Learn about Gearhart Beach
A town built quiet, and kept that way
Gearhart takes its name from Philip Gearhart, who crossed the Oregon Trail with his family in 1848 and claimed land in the sheltered ground north and east of the Necanicum estuary. When the townsite was platted in 1890 it was laid out as a residential retreat of cottages, with a network of narrow lanes and a pedestrian throughway called the Ridge Path threading past the back yards, a right-of-way that still ambles through town today.
From the beginning Gearhart was meant to be a restful place rather than a carnival one, and it has held to that character for more than a hundred years while neighboring Seaside grew loud and lively. The result is a beach town where the loudest sound is usually the surf, and where the dunes have been left alone so long that they have built themselves into some of the highest and most beautiful on the coast.
The dunes and the elk
What sets Gearhart apart is the barrier of dunes between the streets and the shore. Because they have been left largely undisturbed for generations, they have grown tall and wide, cloaked in beach grass that turns brilliant green in the wet months. Crossing them on a boardwalk or sandy path, you climb out of the town and drop down onto a beach that suddenly feels enormous and empty.
Those same dunes are home to a herd of coastal Roosevelt elk that has become part of Gearhart's identity. The animals graze the grass, wander through gardens and along Pacific Way, and now and then walk right out onto the beach or wade into the shallows, an unforgettable sight if you are lucky enough to catch it. They are wild and large, so the rule is simple: admire them, photograph them, and give them plenty of room.
A day on the sand
Gearhart Beach rewards an unhurried visit. The sand is wide and firm enough for long walks, and the eight miles of open shore give you room to comb for sand dollars, fly a kite in the steady coastal wind, or just sit and watch the waves. In migration season, gray whales pass offshore, so it pays to bring binoculars and scan the horizon for a telltale spout.
For families and beachcombers who want to make a day of it, the 10th Street access lets you drive onto the hard-packed sand and set up close to the dunes with chairs, a cooler, and a windbreak. As on any open Oregon beach, the ocean deserves respect: watch the tides so you are not cut off, stay well back from big surf and sneaker waves, and keep an eye out for the vehicles that share the sand.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Gearhart
Seaside Promenade
About 3 miles
The lively boardwalk town just south, with an oceanfront prom, an aquarium, and the turnaround where the Lewis and Clark trail reached the sea.
Ecola State Park
About 12 miles
Dramatic headland viewpoints, forest trails, and one of the most photographed coastal panoramas in Oregon, looking down toward Cannon Beach.
Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock
About 14 miles
The iconic sea stack rising from the sand, ringed by tide pools and nesting seabirds, in a walkable arts town.
Fort Stevens State Park
About 15 miles
A huge coastal park at the mouth of the Columbia, with the Peter Iredale shipwreck, old military batteries, and miles of dune trails.