Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area Beach
Pacific City, OR
Cape Kiwanda is the smallest of the Three Capes but the busiest, a sandstone headland where dory boats still launch directly off the beach, an increasingly rare practice on the Oregon coast. The Big Dune beside the cape draws sandboarders and hang gliders, while Haystack Rock, a second one with the same name as the more famous Cannon Beach landmark, sits just offshore.
The dory launch and the dune both make this a genuine local institution, though the small town and its one main lot get overwhelmed on summer weekends.
How we score beachesWatch the dory boats launch and land in the morning if the timing works out. It's a genuinely unusual thing to see and locals still turn out to watch it.
Free public lot in downtown Pacific City, a short walk from the cape and dune.
Sand access is soft and can be steep near the dune; a paved path runs partway before giving way to open sand.
Leashed dogs are allowed on the beach.
Summer, June through September, is busiest for sandboarding and beach time; consistent onshore wind through the shoulder seasons draws hang gliders to the dune.
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