An Insider's Guide to Hidden Locations in Astoria, Oregon

#5 Recommended Hidden Spot

#5- The Cove in Seaside

The Cove is exactly what it is named after in that it is a medium sized cove with large rocks which always seems to have an aggressive surf. These rocks are pounded by the incoming waves and the ocean shelf there provides for some big waves at that. You will regularly find surfers taking advantage of these impressive waves as pictured to the left. One of the great benefits of

this hidden spot is that there is a large parking lot that directly overlooks the cove so there is no need to even get out of the car, which is nice if it is raining. In fact, the best time to visit this spot is during a storm as the ocean really gets rolling and produces some of the largest waves to be seen in the area. It is also a great place to take a break from downtown Seaside, grab some particularly greasy fast food, and relax to a spectacular scenic treat. To get there turn west on Avenue U in Seaside, the first traffic light you come to if entering Seaside from the south, or the last after you go through Seaside and are about to exit coming from the north. Then turn left on Sunset Blvd. When you see the ocean you'll see the parking spots.

Jeremy's Insider Tips-

If you plan to get out bring a light jacket as it is usually windy here, a camera, and some binoculars if you have some. As mentioned above, it is a great place to have a snack from the comfort of your car.

#4 Recommended Hidden Spot

#4- Coffenberry Lake

Coffenberry Lake is the largest lake located in Fort Stevens State Park in Hammond, Oregon, which is about a 30 minute drive from Astoria, Oregon. The charm of this lake is that it is

big, but not too big, and is circled by a great paved trail, which is perfect for hiking and/or biking as pictured to the right. Nearly the entire state park is covered with paved trails and offer amazing adventures in their own right. Coffenberry Lake is seasonally stocked with rainbow trout and even a few steelhead, which is a type of salmon, can be seen swimming in the shallows. It is a great place to fish if you are a fisherman, but make sure you get an Oregon fishing license before you attempt it. The lake is surrounded by old-growth trees laden with a beautiful grey lichen (moss type growth), and lily pad fields pop up here and there along the shore. During the summer the water is perfect to swim in, and paddle boats can be rented from the beach. There are lots of picnic benches and public restrooms and it is quite easy to spend the entire day enjoying everything this location has to offer. Ask anybody how to get to Fort Stevens State Park for directions from wherever you are coming from, and once there drive past the check-in place for the campground located in the park, continue straight from the 4-way stop sign, and make the first left into the main parking lot for the lake.

UPDATE!!!!! - There have been a lot of hits on this website regarding Coffenberry Lake, so I thought I would add a couple more tips regarding this location for you vacationers out there regarding Coffenberry Lake specifically. If you want to fish Coffenberry Lake you will need a lightweight fishing pole to start with. The best times of day to go are sunrise and late afternoon through dusk. You cannot legally fish more than one hour after dark. You will need a fishing license,which can be purchased at the KOA campground across the road from the Fort Stevens State Park entrance you probably took to get to the lake. You can try fly fishing with mixed success but take my word for it.... nothing works better than a couple red salmon eggs fished right off the bottom. Get the salmon eggs from any corner store in the area, even the KOA, and lightly weight the line.... just enough to cast it out there and hold the bottom. Some people tend to get crazy loading the small hook up with salmon eggs, but two is all you need. Then just put your pole down and wait for it to start jumping..... set the hook and you are having trout for dinner! Last time I checked the daily limit was 16, but make sure you check for yourself when you get your license as I'm not 100% sure about that. Coffenberry Lake is amply stocked and provides for endless fishing fun. Enjoy!

Jeremy's Insider Tips-

Bring a swimsuit and a towel in case you want to test the water out. You may also have to pay a small fee to enter the park during the summer, but it isn't more than a few dollars. The best bait for catching trout at Coffenberry Lake is using salmon eggs, lightly weighted off the bottom. Bobbers, spinners, and worms are a waste of time. Fly fishing also brings pretty good catch rates. If you have your own small boat there is a good time to be had motoring slowly around the lake. Cameras and a light jacket are always a good idea any time you venture out anywhere in the area.

#3 Recommended Hidden Spot

#3- Columbia River Beach

There are many beautiful ocean beaches to visit in the area, but only one really good river beach. The river beach is also located in Fort Steven State Park, as described in the Coffenberry Lake recommendation above. The charms of this beach are the dark sand that only the river can produce, the amazing view of the Columbia River Bar, which is one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world, close up views of humongous cargo ships, fishing vessels, and

other sea-worthy vessels. You can occasionally still find pumice washed up on this beach from the eruption of Mt. Saint Helens back in 1980. Beautiful driftwood is also scattered along the beach and hobbyists from all over gather supplies here. It is a long beach and provides a nice long walk should you be in the mood for one. It also offers a great view of Cape Disappointment and the mountains located just across the river on the Washington side. To get to the river beach follow the directions given to find Coffenberry Lake above, but instead of turning left into the lake continue straight and do not turn until you encounter a "T junction" with a stop sign. Turn left here and drive all the way to the end of the road. There will be multiple Pacific Ocean beach access points to your left along the way, but continue until the road ends in a parking lot, which is the parking lot for the river beach.

Jeremy's Insider Tips-

Bring a light jacket, a camera, and binoculars if you have some. You might also want to bring a small bag if you might be inclined to bring back some beautiful specimens of driftwood or pumice.

#2 Recommended Hidden Spot

#2- The South Jetty

The Columbia River was, and to a certain extent still is, a savage piece of water where it connects with the Pacific Ocean. To help make the transition more peaceful the Army Corp of

Engineers brought huge boulders to the coast on trains and dumped them into the ocean in a long line right out into the mouth of the Columbia River. The created a barrier where the majority of the oceans fury was, and is, spent crashing into these rocks instead of travelling up the Columbia River. You can still see the wooden pilings that were driven into the ground to support the elevated train tracks which brought the huge boulders to the jetty. This location is always amazing as the waves crash into, and sometimes over these rocks. The power of the Pacific Ocean is manifest more in this spot than any other that I have visited. On a calm day you can climb along the rocks and the waves crash beneath you, but this should only be taken by those in decent condition with good shoes. In my opinion, the best time to visit the South Jetty is during or directly after a large storm. It may be little windy and wet, but seeing these huge waves crash high over the rocks of the jetty is a sight to behold. There is an observation tower which overlooks the expanse of the jetty so you don't have to get up on the rocks to view this site. To get to the jetty follow the directions above for getting to the Columbia River Beach, but make the last left before you reach the river beach parking lot.

Jeremy's Insider Tips-

A light, or heavy jacket are always nice to have, especially during the off-season or during a storm. It is always very windy here, but not too cold during the summer. Climb on the rocks only if you are confident in your abilities and have good shoes. Bring a camera and binoculars if you have some. There is a public restroom located near the parking lot.

#1 Recommended Hidden Spot

#1- Dead Man's Cove

Firstly, I wish I had some wonderful tale of pirates and buccaneers to explain how this spot got its colorful name, but honestly I have no idea how it got its name, but feel free to regale your children with whatever swashbuckling epic captures their interest and sparks their imagination. Dead Man's Cove is located on the walk up to the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse (which is described in detail on another of my "Insider" websites) near Ilwaco, Washington. This is a very small inlet where the Pacific Ocean has eaten its way into the cliffs that the Lighthouse and the visitor's center is located and formed, in my humble opinion, one of the most beautiful spots on earth. You have to hike down a rather steep, but wooden stepped, trail to actually reach the beach of the cove, but you can view the cove in its entirety from the road and trails above. There is a

single large rock located near the middle of Dead Man's Cove with a wind-warped tree growing on the top of it. You can access this rock and even climb up to this tree during low tide, but make sure you watch the tide so you don't get stuck on this rock. During low tide there are also many tide pools to explore and see some of the colorful species of animals that live along the Pacific Coast. If you go to this location around sunset the sun is perfectly framed by the cliffs on either side of the cove's inlet to the Pacific Ocean. It is a glorious site to behold and a photographers dream. To get to this location you must cross the Astoria-Megler Bridge to the Washington side. When you exit the bridge make a left hand turn and continue straight until you enter the town of Ilwaco, Washington. This drive in itself is beautiful as you will have amazing views of Astoria from the middle of the Columbia River, including close up views of the sand bars located in the middle of the river which are responsible for so many ship wrecks over hundreds of years. From the Washington side you get a unique view of Astoria and the Oregon side of the river, and while driving to Ilwaco you will see pilings which a huge cannery industry was supported upon and great views of the Columbia River. Once you are in Ilwaco follow the signs to Cape Disappointment, which is also a working Coast Guard base and training center. Once there simply start to hike, following the signs, up to the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse and you cannot miss Dead Man's Cove. I cannot recommend a more beautiful spot to visit. For more information on Cape Disappointment Lighthouse and the things it has to offer please visit my other websites.

Jeremy's Insider Tips-

You absolutely must bring a camera, and if you can, visit a little before sunset to set up for the best sunset pictures the coast has to offer. A light jacket is always recommended, as well as decent shoes if you plan to go down the trail to the cove beach and especially if you plan to climb up on the rock mentioned above. There are nice big logs that have been washed up onto the beach of the cove and they make a perfect spot to lay out a picnic and enjoy the amazing view. There is also some nice little pieces of driftwood to be collected to bring a small bag if you plan on bring some of this back with you.

If you enjoyed this website you might also enjoy some of my other websites about the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Just click on one of the links below, and thank you for visiting my website!

An Insider's Recommended Visitor's Guide to the Beautiful Astoria, Oregon Area
http://guidetoastoriaoregondining.blogspot.com/

An Insider's Guide to Recommended Quick Trips in Astoria, Oregon
http://quickastoriaoregontrips.blogspot.com/

An Insider's Guide to Recommended Dining in the Astoria, Oregon Area
http://guidetoastoriaoregon.blogspot.com/