Neskowin Beach - Ancient Ghost Forest at Proposal Rock

A scenic sandy coastline, Neskowin Beach sits near the charming small town of Neskowin. The shore stretches for over 3 miles from the Winema Road Beach on the northern end to 1,200 feet high Cascade Head on the southern end. Neskowin Creek cuts through the beach making its way straight to the ocean.

In addition to the picturesque shoreline, the beach has two distinct attractions, Proposal Rock and Neskowin Ghost Forest. Proposal Rock is a massive sea stack near the shore you can walk to during the low tide. Captain Charley Gage proposed to his fiancee Della Page near the rock somewhere around 1900 and Della's mother called it the Proposal Rock to commemorate the moment.

The extended sandy shore is great for hiking as well as fat-tire biking and even horseback riding. The beach is mostly sandy so you can't do much rockhounding here, but beachcombing can be a productive pastime with seashells, sea glass, weathered wood, and other gifts of the ocean scattered around.

The town of Neskowin offers lodging and a variety of eateries to enjoy. One of the biggest attractions in town is a 9-hole, 35-par golf course established in 1932.

The main access point to the beach is from Neskowin Beach State Recreation Site via a short trail. The recreation site has restrooms and picnic tables. There are multiple other places to park and get to the shore in town, mostly street parking. If you are using street parking, be mindful of residents and businesses, and don't block anyone's driveway.

Neskowin Ghost Forest

The ghost forest is a collection of 2,000-year-old stumps of Sitka spruce sticking out of the sand. The strong storms during the winter of 1997-1998 unveiled this phenomenon. The most likely creator of the forest was a tsunami or an earthquake, first destroying the 200-foot trees and then burying them under the sand. You can walk to the stumps from the recreation area crossing the Neskowin Creek during low tide.