Whaleshead Beach
Brookings, OR
Whaleshead Beach takes its name from a large offshore rock that vents seawater through a hole near its top during the right swell, resembling a whale's spout from a distance. It's one of the more accessible stops in the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, with a flat picnic area and a short, easy path to the sand rather than a real hike.
A genuinely easy, family friendly stop in a corridor mostly known for steep trails, well loved for that accessibility even without the spout effect happening every visit.
How we score beachesWatch the whale shaped rock during an incoming tide with decent swell for the water spout effect it's named for. It doesn't happen on every wave, so give it a few minutes.
Free lot at the Whaleshead picnic area off Highway 101.
A flat, easy path connects the picnic area to the beach, one of the more accessible stops in the Boardman corridor.
Winter swells, roughly November through February, give the best chance of seeing the rock's water spout effect.
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