Hiking

After a morning spent hiking to the spectacular God’s Thumb, you would think the afternoon/evening would be a bit of a letdown. But nothing could be further from the truth as we explored Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area and Oceanside Beach State Park. We had a marvelous time at each spot, and the light made for some excellent photographic opportunities. Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area Considered one of the Oregon Coast’s most dazzling locations, Cape Kiwanda is an assemblage of brilliant sandstones, an offshore basalt sea stack, known as the “other” Haystack Rock, that has protected the soft strata of the Cape from the brutal ocean weather, and the Great Dune, a massive hill of mudstone and sandstone layers cloaked in drifting sand. We began the beach hike at the Pacific Avenue Trailhead as it gives access to a stretch of beach where no vehicles are permitted. From the trailhead, we walked up and over the dunes to get commanding views and then dropped to the expansive and reflective beach as the tide was o