Smelt Sands State Park

Despite its name, Smelt Sands State Park has a distinct lack of sand. The main attractions are the tide pools teeming with life, access to the Yachats 804 Trail, and the picturesque shoreline. Great place to explore tide pools with the family.

In the early 1970s the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department acquired the park, and two decades later the public was granted access to the Yachats 804 Trail that branches off from Smelt Sands. It is a quick hike, and there are numerous benches where you can sit and enjoy the view. In the winter you might catch a glimpse of migrating gray whales or a spectacular storm rolling in from across the water.

Geology

Smelt Sands is mainly comprised of rock formations shaped by millennia of wave erosion. Basalt, siltstone, and sandstone make up the majority of the boulders. Geologists hypothesize that the sandstone Yaquina Formation at the northernmost point of the Yachats 804 Trail formed 25 million years ago.

History

Centuries ago Native Americans walked across this beach and along what is now the Yachats 804 Trail. Later on, settlers used it as part of a long road which allowed them to move back and forth between various farm settlements. In the 1990s the 804 Trail South was constructed, branching off from the southern end of the park.