Yup you heard that right, the only way to get to Tunnel Beach in Oregon, well of course is to go through the Tunnel! What are you waiting for, pristine beaches are on the other side.
About The Tunnel
This unique passageway is the result of the first beach resort that came to Oceanside in the early 20th century. It's official name is the Maxwell Point Tunnel created by the Rosenberg Family who drilled through the mountain to gain access to the beach on the other side.
The resort owners additionally added a walkway at the end of Tunnel Beach to get to an even more secluded beach, the so called 'Lost Boy Beach'. The walkway has been completely washed out and Lost Boy Beach is now, lost.
The Maxwell Point Tunnel for many years was blocked by a landslide until being cleared of debris in the 90s. Entrance through the tunnel does not come without risk however, signs caution of falling rocks which can be seen surrounding the entrances.
You can read more history on Tunnel Beach from beachconnection.com here.
Exploring The Beaches
The main beach to start on to get to Tunnel Beach is the Oceanside Beach State Park in the town of Oceanside, Oregon. Unless you're a curious explorer or know what you're looking for you probably wouldn't think much of the strange concrete structure against the mountain at the end of the beach.
This is where the tunnel entrance lies and is free and open for all public to use. Head over to the structure and take caution before entering the concrete walkway into the mountain.
The tunnel gets pitch black and the concrete walkway turns to choppy rocks and dead logs making it a bit of an obstacle to navigate.
Definitely have footwear on while traversing through the tunnel.
The tunnel is about thirty yards and gives you this insane view out at the Oregon coast as you reach the end and exit onto Tunnel Beach.
You'll notice this beach is much more secluded than Oceanside State Park and draws the interesting question of whether people even know it's here.
The beach stretches about a hundred yards down to a set of cliffs and the shore comes up too high to walk over to Lost Boy Beach but it can be seen from atop these cliffs.
If you're looking for access to Lost Boy Beach you can take a trailhead from Short Beach on the northside (apparently).
Getting There and Important Information
The parking lot is located at Oceanside Beach Recreation Site which has full bathroom facilities but not much else. The town of Oceanside is right here and there are a couple of restaurant options.
This is another place where it can be good to check when the tides are - Tunnel Beach does not have much sand to walk on during high tide when the water comes up to the rocks. You can check tides for Oregon beaches here.
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