Bayocean Peninsula, Oregon Coast

By Alan K. Lee
Bayocean Peninsula, on the northern Oregon coast, is a sandspit that separates Tillamook Bay and the Pacific Ocean. It is, by any measure, a nature lover’s paradise, whether you’re a beachcomber, hiker, mountain biker, boater, birder, wildlife lover, or photographer.
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Now an undeveloped county park, a century ago it was home to a thriving resort community of 2000 people. The town of Bay Ocean Park boasted a large hotel, dance hall, 1000 seat movie theater, bowling alley, shooting range, tennis courts, and a heated natatorium housing what was billed as the largest salt water swimming pool on the west coast, complete with a wave generator. The town featured paved and lighted streets, a public water system, telephone system, and a diesel powered generating station that provided the town with electricity, all at a time when most small towns in Oregon had few, if any, of those things.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Despite having paved streets and its own gas station, there was no road connection between Bayocean and the other coastal communities, much less to Portland and the Willamette Valley. Many residents and visitors traveled to and from Bayocean by steamship, a three day journey from Portland that involved crossing the notorious Columbia River bar and navigating the unprotected mouth of Tillamook Bay, a sometimes rough, frightening, and potentially dangerous experience.

To make crossing the Tillamook bar safer, the Army Corps of Engineers recommended jetties be built on both the north and south sides of the bay’s mouth. But half of the cost (a then considerable $2.2 million) would have to be paid by local residents. To cut the cost to a more affordable amount, the local port district proposed building only one jetty. The resulting north jetty, completed in 1917, did make crossing the bar much smoother and safer, but it also contributed to the town’s demise by changing the near shore currents, which began eroding away the beach in the 1920s.

In 1932 the north jetty was extended, further accelerating the erosion. The natatorium was destroyed by waves during a massive storm that winter. By 1938 almost 60 homes had fallen into the sea. Other storms over the years took many of the remaining buildings, and in 1952 another major storm breached the southern end of the peninsula, turning Bayocean Peninsula into an island. The Bay Ocean Park post office closed in 1953 and most of what was left of the town was bulldozed by the Corps of Engineers in 1956 during a project to build a dike across the breach created in 1952. The last house on the peninsula washed away in 1960, and the last structure, a long abandoned garage, fell into the sea in 1971.

The south jetty was eventually built in the 1970s and that stopped the erosion of the peninsula, but by then the town of Bay Ocean Park was long gone. Today, nothing remains of the town. What’s left, though, is a treasure trove of delights for the outdoor enthusiast: miles of untrammeled beach, unspoiled dunes, a bay shore sheltered from the prevailing winds, an upland spruce and pine forest, and an abundance of waterfowl and other wildlife. The haul road used in building the south jetty is now an ideal mountain bike and hiking trail on the bay side of the peninsula.

To reach Bayocean from the town of Tillamook, follow the signs for the Three Capes Scenic Route (Oregon Highway 131). After crossing the Tillamook River bridge, turn right onto Bayocean Road toward Cape Meares. At milepost five, turn right onto the old south jetty haul road (aka the dike road) and proceed to the trailhead parking area. There are pit toilets at the trailhead, but no water.

From the trailhead, the road continues north beyond a locked gate. You can also hike through the dunes to the beach from the trailhead parking area. The road along the bay shore is mostly gravel, with a few sandy stretches, and mostly flat. It’s an easy four mile bike ride to the south jetty.

Hikers can do a 7½ mile loop by hiking through the dunes to the beach, walking the beach to the south jetty, and returning along the bay side on the gravel road. There are several trails connecting the dike road to the beach, making shorter loops possible. And a longer hike or bike ride (10 mile loop or 9 mile out and back along the beach) can be done by starting at the beach access in the town of Cape Meares, instead of the Bayocean trailhead. See my Bayocean Peninsula Hike post for more details.

Back country camping is no longer permitted on the peninsula and there are no campgrounds. In the past, boaters frequently camped along the bay shore at a cove called Crab Harbor near the north end of the peninsula and backpackers sometimes camped in the woods or dunes near the middle of the peninsula.

The north Oregon coast has much to offer beyond Bayocean Peninsula, of course. Oswald West State Park and Hug Point to the north, and Cape Meares and Cape Lookout to the south are some of my favorite places on the north coast. But Bayocean Peninsula is unique. Nowhere else on the northern Oregon coast can you find such an extended stretch of roadless, yet accessible, beach. And it’s close enough to Portland and the rest of the population centers of the Willamette Valley to be an easy day trip. I’ve hiked and biked the peninsula a number of times and I’m sure I will return many more times. I never get tired of its sights and sounds.

Originally posted April 23, 2019 by Alan K. Lee, updated July 8, 2021 and March 4, 2024

All photos © Alan K. Lee, except as noted

 

 

 

Vancouver Island Revisited

by Alan K. Lee

Surrounded by the salt waters of the Pacific Ocean and Inside Passage, dotted with freshwater lakes and streams, recipient of abundant precipitation (more than 120″ per year along its west coast), Vancouver Island is a land defined by water.

Deer on the Campbell River waterfront

The island’s relatively mild, wet climate makes it one of the most productive and diverse terrestrial ecosystems on the planet. And the cold, nutrient rich ocean waters make the marine environment equally productive.

Forest trail on the west coast of the island
Bigleaf Maple

Anyone planning a visit to Vancouver Island should note that it’s a big place.It’s 280 miles long by 60 miles wide. Look at a map of British Columbia and it looks small in comparison to the province as a whole. But British Columbia is huge – far bigger than the state of Texas – and Vancouver Island by itself is larger than nine U.S. states. It’s just too big to fully explore in a single trip.

Any trip to Vancouver Island should include a stay in Victoria, but beyond that it’s best to pick one or two areas and plan your visit around those. It’s also far too large and has far too many outstanding areas to cover in a single blog post. We’ll focus here on  the area near the town Campbell River (including Quadra Island), Strathcona Provincial Park, and the west coast of the island near Tofino and Ucluelet.

Campbell River harbor

Roughly midway up the east coast of the island, the town of Campbell River, the self-proclaimed “salmon capital of the world,” is a good base from which to explore the area. Fishermen have flocked to Campbell River since at least the 1880s. In the 1920s the Campbell River Tyee Club popularized the area with fishermen world-wide. Painter’s Lodge, opened in 1929, attracted Hollywood stars such as Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, which further popularized the area.

 

Painter’s Lodge recently reopened, and offers lodging, event space, helicopter tours, whale watching, grizzly bear tours, and wildlife tours, in addition to guided fishing trips. Campbell River has a variety of other accommodations, including a nice campground at Elk Falls Provincial Park on the outskirts of town. In 2015 a suspension bridge was built just downstream of Elk Falls. Check out the video on the park website.

Elk Falls

Campbell River has a variety of dining options for any budget. Anglers Dining Room at Dolphins Resort gets consistently good reviews. Ideal Cafe, Locals, and Quay West also get good reviews. Check out Beach Fire Brewing and Cornerstone Taphouse for good craft beers.

Quadra Island

Only a short 15 minute ferry ride across Discovery Passage from Campbell River, Quadra Island has a full range of tourist facilities, including a number of cafes and lodging options if you desire a quieter, more rural environment than you’ll find in Campbell River. Quadra, largest of the Discovery Islands, provides the outdoor enthusiast with a network of hiking and mountain biking trails, kayak and boat launching facilities, and beach access points. The northern end of the island has several lakes and parks, the largest being Main Lakes Provincial Park. Hike, bike, paddle, or just take in the scenery and enjoy the quiet, natural area.

Strathcona Provincial Park, established in 1911, is the oldest provincial park in British Columbia. With the highest peaks on Vancouver Island and the highest waterfall in Canada, Strathcona’s scenery is hard to beat. Located 15 miles west of Campbell River, the majority of the park is wilderness.

Kennedy River

Fabulous hiking trails can be found throughout the park. Paddling and fishing can be had at Buttle Lake. There are two fairly large campgrounds – Buttle Lake Campground (85 sites) and Ralph River Campground (75 sites). There are also three group camp areas available by reservation only, and a variety of back country campsites not accessible by road.

Myra Falls
Buttle Lake

Accommodations a bit more upscale than camping can be found at Strathcona Park Lodge and Outdoor Education Centre on Buttle Lake a few miles outside of the park. You can rent small motor boats, canoes and kayaks, and stand up paddle boards there. For the more adventurous, there is a zip line and a high ropes course. And you can get information there about local hiking and mountain bike trails, and whitewater and sea kayaking opportunities.

Tidepool near Ucluelet

On the west side of the island, the stretch of coastline from Ucluelet to Tofino is part of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/pacificrim). The tamer sibling of the more remote and wild section of the park that includes the 47 mile West Coast Trail, the Long Beach unit of the park is easily accessible and has numerous small inlets, rocky coves, and beautiful sandy beaches.

Totem pole in Tofino

Tofino has long been a popular tourist destination and can be crowded in the summer, but the other seasons also bring people to Tofino. Storm watchers flock to the area in the winter. Surfers come for Rip Curl Pro Tofino, the official Canadian surfing championship, in May, and the all-female Queen of the Peak competition in October. There are a variety of festivals throughout the year that bring people to Tofino, including ArtSplash in March, the Tofino Shorebird Festival in May, the Clayoquot Salmon Festival in August and September, and the Tofino Winterlights Festival in December.

Pacific Rim National Park Preserve

Ucluelet, about 25 miles south of Tofino, is less touristy and more down to earth than its glitzier neighbor. The town is situated on a peninsula between Ucluth Inlet and the Pacific Ocean. It’s a popular fishing port and the rugged coastline has a number of secluded coves and beaches that, for my money, are about as pretty as it gets. Hike the easy 1.6 mile Wild Pacific Trail loop at the tip of the peninsula for some of the most spectacular scenery you’ll find anywhere on the island.

Shoreline near Ucluelet viewed from the Wild Pacific Trail
Ucluelet has fewer dining and lodging options than Tofino, but you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a place to stay, and you’ll find some of the freshest and best seafood anywhere.

 

Moose Falls

There is, of course, way more to Vancouver Island than this post covers, and it’s hard to go wrong regardless what part of the island you choose to explore. My wife and I will be making another trip to the island soon, perhaps this fall if the covid-19 pandemic eases and the border reopens.

Kennedy River

Originally posted February 1, 2019

Updated and re-posted June 21, 2021

All photos © Alan K. Lee