Agate Beach
Newport, OR
Agate Beach runs south from Yaquina Head, a basalt headland with a still active 1873 lighthouse, and the sand here genuinely turns up agates after winter storms churn the beach. It's a wide, open beach that connects into Nye Beach farther south, giving Newport close to five miles of uninterrupted sand.
Real agate hunting and a genuine lighthouse landmark next door, though the beach itself is fairly exposed with little wind protection.
How we score beachesGo the morning after a winter storm for the best agate hunting. Regulars work the tide line right at the Yaquina Head end where the current concentrates the good rocks.
Free lot at the Agate Beach wayside off Highway 101; a separate fee applies to enter Yaquina Head itself.
A paved path leads from the wayside lot to the sand.
Leashed dogs are allowed on the beach.
Fall and winter storms, roughly October through March, churn up the best agate hunting; summer brings calmer, more swimmable conditions.
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