Yoakam Point State Park - Hidden Gem Of Coos Bay Area

Yoakam Beach and Yoakam Point sit at Yoakam Point State Park, just a short drive from Charleston and Coos Bay. The beach and its viewpoint are secluded picturesque spots, inviting visitors to relish the grandeur of the mighty Pacific. Whether strolling along the coast, enjoying a leisurely picnic, or marveling at the distant Cape Arago Lighthouse on clear days, these spots offer a serene retreat for nature enthusiasts.

Lighthouse Beach and Yoakam Beach are interconnected, and you can walk along both shores during very low tide.

Yoakam Beach is a small sandy shoreline surrounded by a colorful display of cliffs and sea stacks with distinct sandstone, siltstone, and shale formations towering vertically above the land and the water. Sitka spruce, huckleberry, sedge, wax myrtle, salal, and other greenery add even more color and vibrancy to the area.

The pathway from the pullout to the viewpoint is brief and straightforward. However, to access the beach, a specific type of staircase should be used.

For those seeking a more extended and refreshing hike, there is an easy 1-mile loop trail with 30-foot elevation gain. It guides you to the Yoakam Point headland, providing splendid views of the Cape Arago Lighthouse, Mussel Reef, Bastendorff Beach, and the Coos River's South Jetty.

Yoakam Point State Park is undeveloped, with basic pullout parking and no amenities. The coast here is fantastic for surf fishing and surfing, but getting all the gear down to Yoakam Beach might be challenging.

At the low tide, you can see an array of colors at the tidepools, with ocean flora and fauna getting trapped until the ocean returns to release it.

How To See Cape Arago Lighthouse

If you hike to the south end of the Yoakam Beach, you'll get a close-up view of the Cape Arago Lighthouse. You must do it at the low tide to get as close as possible and when the sky is clear. Check the tide tables before you go to avoid a high tide and get stranded.

You can potentially see the lighthouse from Yoakam Point, but it has to be a clear and sunny day for it.

Lighthouse Beach Access Dispute

Property owners restrict public access to the Lighthouse Beach with locked gates and barbwire. The local surfing community and business owners are the biggest advocates for the ease of Lighthouse Beach's access.

The only way to get to Lighthouse Beach now is either on a very low tide through a Yoakam Beach or through a risky and slippery rope-assisted path.

The only indication of beach access is a small "Day Use Only" sign in a narrow pullout 0.3 miles west of the entrance road to Bastendorff Beach. You can park on both sides of the highway, but the parking areas are small and can fit just a few cars.

From here, a 300-yard trail leads back through a verdant coastal forest to a steep trail down a narrow, dried-up creek to the beach. The end of a path is a makeshift stairs made out of rocks, and it can get slippery during wet weather.

Use the directions or Google Map Link provided below.