South Jetty Beach
Winchester Bay, OR
The South Jetty at the mouth of the Umpqua River sits just past Salmon Harbor, Winchester Bay's busy sport fishing marina, and doubles as a staging area for dune buggy rentals into the Oregon Dunes. The beach here runs wide and open, popular with anglers working the jetty rocks as much as anyone looking to just walk the sand.
A working harbor beach more than a scenic destination, solid for fishing and dune access, but not the pick for a quiet beach day.
How we score beachesRent a dune buggy in town if you want to see more of the dunes than a walk allows. Several outfitters operate right out of Winchester Bay specifically for this stretch.
Free parking near Salmon Harbor and the South Jetty day use area.
Flat sand access from the jetty area; the jetty rocks themselves are uneven.
Summer, June through September, is busiest for both fishing charters and dune buggy rentals out of Salmon Harbor.
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