Neptune Beach - A Charming Beach near Yachats

Neptune Beach is one of three beaches of Neptune State Scenic Area, just a few miles south of Yachats and Cape Perpetua Marine Garden. This is a small charming beach at the mouth of Cummins Creek extending 0.5 miles from Gwynn Creek to the southern edge of Neptune State Park.

Two parts of the beach – Neptune North and Neptune South are separated by Cummins Creek.

Neptune North

The northern section of Neptune Beach has a roadside pullout for seven to nine cars. A short gravel trail on the left leads to a rugged shoreline. The cove-shaped sand and rocky basalt beach is a small copy of Cook's Chasm with occasional spouting horns when seawater is funneled between basalt crevices and exploded into a spray. There is no restroom.

Neptune South - Neptune State Park

The southern part of the beach, Neptune State Park is a signed area containing a grassy lawn with picnic tables and stunning panoramic views of big crashing waves and Cummins Creek entering the Pacific. A short wooden staircase leads down to Neptune Beach south of Cummins Creek. In winter, the creek runs faster and can become hard to cross. This site has a restroom.

The beautiful beach consists of sand, cobbles, and volcanic basalt bedrock and provides a great opportunity for exploring numerous tidepools and collecting agate.

Keep in mind, as a part of the Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve and Marine Protected Areas, there are some restrictions. Fishing and taking any invertebrates, seaweeds, or wildlife is prohibited. To find out more check Oregon Marine Reserves Harvest Restrictions.

Hiking

Cummins Ridge Trail is a solitude forested trail through the 9,300-acre Cummins Creek Wilderness featuring the only old-growth Sitka Spruce forest on the Oregon Coast. The 5.8-mile trail (one way) is lightly used and rated as difficult.

There are two trailheads at the east and west ends of the trail. If you plan an easier one-way hike downhill start from East Trailhead and use a car shuttle. Maps and directions for Cummins Ridge Trail and other surrounding areas are provided by the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center.

Agate Hunting

Neptune Beach sits right in the heart of the agate and jasper collecting area that stretches from Yachats and 6 miles south to Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park. Here you can find agates including carnelian and sagenitic ones, jasper, petrified wood, shells, sea glass, and other interesting rocks. Start your search around the mouth of Cummins Creek and then check cobbles that are plentiful here in winter. When tides are down, you have the best chance to find unique rocks. Because this place is a marine reserve, please, stick to surface collecting.

In winter, the creek runs faster and forwarding it can become unsafe. If you do not have enough time to check both sides of the beach, start from Neptune State Park.

Check Rules and Rockhounding Regulation for Oregon Coast and Oregon State Parks.

The best time for rock hunting is between November and April when winter storms and king tides remove top layers of sand.

Note: A permit is required to collect vertebrate fossils.

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