Tag Archives: Nehalem

Nehalem Bay State Park

01 Monday Dec 2014

Posted by in Beach, Boat Launch, clam, Nehalem, Outdoor Location

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The Nehalem state park is located just north of the Nehalem jetty where the river enters the Pacific Ocean. To access the state park you need to turn off highway 101 just outside of the town of Nehalem before reaching Manzanita. The state park is a day use fee park, so everyone that parks a car in the lot is required to pay the $5 fee unless you have a state park permit.

The best feature of the park is the massive number beach access points. Unlike other sections of the Oregon there is no homes built out onto the Nehalem spit and so the views from the sand dunes hiking into the beach are really impressive. The line between the Oregon coast forest and the Oregon sandy beaches is so defined here, it is really impressive.

The park is home to several facilities for people that like to horseback ride can use. Including large number of trails and stalls for stable a horse for a temporary time during the day.

This specific state park also has a 2 lane boat ramp and is a nice alternative to the public county ramp located further up the river or the often overcrowded private ramps located right next to the mouth of the bay. Nehalem Bay is well known for its spring and fall runs of salmon and exceptional crabbing at certain times of year. The bay is also loaded with several species of clams that can be harvested during the low tides. The mud flats that line the shores of the bay side of the state park are perfect places to go for a dig. Cockles, Gapers, and Purple Varnish are the most plentiful ones that most people find.

This park gets a lot of seasonal use so expect to not be alone during the peak season or during really nice weather days on the weekend year round.

Remember to get your day use permit, the park is regularly patrolled by the local law enforcement. Here is a list of all the park fees on the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Website: Nehalem Bay State Park fees

Looking for a great place on the Oregon Coast for a camping trip, this might be the right destination for your family. The huge beach is an amazing playground for summer fun and the bay side offers opportunities for clamming, crabbing, boating and fishing. There is something for everyone that likes the Oregon Coast outdoors at the Nehalem Bay State Park.  This park even has a primitive airport camp something not found in the other large camping sites nearby.

Campground Info

  • Approximately 265 electrical sites with water
  • 18 yurts (two pet friendly)
  • Hot showers and flush toilets
  • Horse camp with 17 primitive sites
  • Hiker/biker camp
  • Airport camp with primitive fly-in sites
  • RV dump station
  • Meeting hall

Bunkhouse Restaurant in Nehalem, Oregon

01 Monday Dec 2014

Posted by in Breakfast, Nehalem, Restaurant

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Located right on the Oregon coast highway in between Nehalem Oregon and the turn off to downtown Manzanita, the Bunk House restaurant is a cozy place to get breakfast, lunch, or, dinner. The decor is laid back with an obvious family friendly, local focus. During the cooler months the wood stove in the corner of the dining area is kicking out copious amounts of warm. Water served in jelly jars with handles and local art work decorates the walls.

a warm fireplace at the bunkhouse restaurnat

We went for breakfast, which is advertised as an all day options. All the standard Americann breakfast options are available on the menu. The omelettes come with a couple of large pancakes,they make a great Denver omelette. The presentation of the food is lacking and so if you are looking for a fine dining experience this is not the place, but the servers were excellent and kept drinks full and deliver the food with a smile.

the menu at the bunk house restaurant

After paying for our breakfast we noticed a tray of very large cinnamon rolls had just come out of the oven. At $2.50 a piece these are certainly an extra to consider. We grabbed one for the road and parked and ate it overlooking the ocean view from Neahakanie mountain.

Overall the Bunk House delivers good food at a fair price and a great option for an early morning meal if the wait at Wanda’s Cafe down the road is too long or the drive to cannon beach too far.

Pizza Garden Desserts in Nehalem, Oregon

18 Friday Jan 2013

Posted by in Food

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The Pizza Garden is an excellent location for lunch or dinner if you are travelling along the Oregon Coast Highway, but is also a great place to stop in for a special dessert. All of the desserts are made from scratch including all of the ice cream flavors that are available. There is a wide array of options to choose from the most popular butterscotch and Irish creme to other unique flavors like Coconut, fresh berry sherbets, and of course, simple selections like chocolate and Vanilla. The best thing about this place is that sometimes you don’t want to order a whole dessert after a meal especially a large lasagna or pasta or pizza dish, but they offer an excellent low cost solution. The ice cream taster. It is served in a nice little cup and is enough to clean your pallet and leave you fully satisfied. The best part about the taster is that they are only a buck, that’s right you can still enjoy a little dessert at the Pizza Garden for only a single dollar.

Stop and check out this great place and enjoy the views from the large bay windows that look out to the river and bay.

Enjoy a Break in the Weather for Oregon Coast Beachcombing Success

10 Friday Feb 2012

Posted by in Beach, Outdoor Location

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The Oregon coast can be hammered with winds and rain that may make it seem like a unlikely destination to go to in the winter, however there is still lots of fun activities to enjoy including beach combing during the short breaks in the storms. Unless you are at the coast during a major storm the rain and really strong winds tend to come in waves with breaks with even glimmers of sunshine that if you take advantage of can be rewarding with walks on empty beaches, unusual scenery with the wind and waves, and the occasional treasure washed ashore from the waves and tides. The best time to hit the beach is when it is not raining as it is more enjoyable and easier to layer up a sweatshirt and stay warm to enjoy your time outside. However if you can pick a time that is near after a high tide when the water is receding as you are more likely to find shells, cool looking rocks, and other debris that may have washed up on the beach.

Here is a Sand Dollar that I found nestled next to a piece of wood just below the high water line as the tide was going out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A great part of the Oregon coast is the free access to the shore that is easily available from North to South making finding a location that you can find access to the sand or rocky shore pretty easy regardless of where you are staying on the coast. The particular place I went to today for my outdoor escape was just south of the Jetty Fishery Marina and RV Park near the Nehalem Jetty and is a great beach just outside of town. There is a lot of wood from big trees around and so it is wise to be careful when walking around and the jetty can cause some very large waves nearby so it can be dangerous during times that the waves are large.

A Google Maps Image of the Jetty where I went today for a beach walk during the break in the rain.

 

 

 

 

 

The sand was blowing in the wind giving the beach a wind swept look despite the sand being wet from previous rains.

If you are at the beach during the winter or during a time that it is stormy outside, keep your eyes peeled for a 30 minute window when the weather breaks and you can get outside and enjoy the day. The Oregon coast rewards those that get out there and enjoy a walk on the beach when the weather has been unpleasant. Hope you find something cool, interesting, or unusual on your next beach walk.

Nehalem Landing County Boat Launch – Fee Use Launch Facility for Nehalem Bay and River

16 Friday Dec 2011

Posted by in Boat Launch, crab, fishing, Outdoor Location

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The Nehalem Landing County boat launch facility is located just off the Oregon Coast Highway of 101 just South of the city of Nehalem, Oregon and a luittle North of HWY 53 a popular route to the North Coast from the Portland. It is located right near the entrance of the Nehalem river into Nehalem bay estuary. This is an excellent location to launch a boat if you are fishing or crabbing in the Nehalem bay or heading upstream to fish in the river for the Salmon and Steelhead that run through the river system to spawn at various times of the year. Depending on the time of the year the ramp facilities will either be filled with trucks and trailers or empty as a ghost town if there is no fishing or crabbing going on. This is also a great place to launch car top boats such as Kayaks and Canoes to explore the river and bay. The launch facility is unmanned but does still require a fee through a paybox that is checked on by the local park officials from Tillamook County so dont try and park and launch for free or you will be cited with a parking violation. The facilities do include flush bathroom facilities that are regularly maintained.


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