Short Beach, as its name suggests, is a small stretch of sand tucked into a cove, located one mile south of Cape Meares and 1.3 miles north of Oceanside, a charming seaside community in Tillamook County.

Access to the beach requires a 0.25-mile hike down and back up a staircase, built by local residents after several people were injured navigating the steep, slippery incline that once led to the shore.

The beach spans roughly 900 yards along the coastline, though its name is believed to have nothing to do with its length. Some residents think the beach and the creek that flows into it were named after an early resident with the last name Short.

Visitors can enjoy surf fishing, short hikes along the shoreline, or simply sightseeing. Two creeks, Larson and Short, flow into the Pacific Ocean here, and there are two waterfalls: Larson Creek Falls at the northern edge of the beach, and a small man-made waterfall near the staircase trail.

At the southern end of Short Beach lies Lost Boy Beach, a secluded pocket with no direct road or trail access.

Legend has it the beach was named after a local boy who disappeared in the early 20th century. Access from Short Beach or Tunnel Beach is dangerous, even at very low tides, as visitors can easily become trapped by the incoming tide.

If you plan to explore, only do so at extremely low tides (below −2 feet, which occurs a few times per year) and return to safety promptly.

Short Beach Agate Hunting

Short Beach is renowned for its excellent rockhounding opportunities. The best time to collect minerals is during winter and spring, ideally just after high tide when the surf recedes. Collecting is straightforward, as many minerals lie exposed on the sand.

Bringing gem scoop can make collecting easier and more efficient. Minerals you may find include agate, jasper, calcite, petrified wood, quartz, and zeolites. Agates and jaspers are the most common and can be found along the entire beach.

Many agates have abraded surfaces and appear dull, though some are small and clear. You may also find black, banded, carnelian, and enhydro agates, as well as zeolites such as mordenite, clinoptilolite, and heulandite, along with golden calcite rhombs.

Jaspers typically occur in yellow, red, green, gray, or brown and larger specimens are often attached to basaltic rocks, requiring a geology pick or hammer to extract.

The seaside cliffs contain marine fossils, but they can be unstable and prone to collapse. Surface collecting of loose pieces is preferred—there's no need to damage the cliffs, as many specimens can be found on the ground.

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