Secret Beach on the Oregon Coast – All You Need to Know

Secret Beach may just be the worst-kept secret on the Oregon Coast, but there’s no denying its beauty. Pair its beauty with the calming, serene feeling it radiates (even with people present), and it’s no surprise that Secret Beach on the Oregon Coast isn’t a secret anymore.

In this article, I will be spilling the beans on everything you need to know about Secret Beach on the Oregon Coast including, directions, parking, hiking tips, and more.

But first… a few rules and guidelines to help keep this not-so-secret spot feeling like it’s still a secret.

LEAVE NO TRACE

1. Plan ahead and prepare
Make sure that you are prepared for multiple weather conditions. Oregon can be sunny one minute and rainy the next.

2. Travel on existing trails
Help protect the natural habitat by walking on proper trails. Knowing the tide schedule can help prevent you from walking in areas you shouldn’t.

3. Dispose of waste
Take out what you bring in. Don’t litter! There are no trash cans or bathrooms at Secret Beach. If you need one, they are at most trailheads along Highway 101. We used the bathrooms and trash cans at Arch Rock.

4. Leave what you found
Leave everything as you found it. Don’t disturb plants or flowers.

5. Minimize campfire impact
Campfires are not allowed at Secret Beach in Oregon.

6. Respect wildlife
Maintain a safe distance from wildlife. Do not feed them or leave food out. Also, keep dogs on a leash.

7. Be considerate of others
Respect people’s experiences. Keep the noise down, yield to other hikers passing by and keep dogs leashed.

Secret Beach on the Oregon Coast Weather

Secret Beach is open year-round. Some seasons may be better than others depending on what you’d like to do on your visit. One thing is for sure though, Secret Beach is best enjoyed at low tide where you can walk and enjoy the beach.

Winter – Winter can bring higher water levels and can be stormy & icy. You will have a great chance of capturing more moody photos, but swimming is not recommended.

Spring – Spring will be a little warmer than winter & plants will be just starting to wake up.

Summer – Summer is the busiest but also the best time to visit. The water is at its warmest (still cold), plants have bloomed and the air temperature is nice. In the summer you can experience all that Secret Beach has to offer. Because Summer is the busiest time to visit, I recommend not visiting on a holiday or a weekend. Avoiding those will help to ensure that you experience fewer crowds.

We visited in June. The weather was nice, the water was cold (but still a nice way to cool off), and there weren’t that many people there.

Photo tip – If you want good pictures don’t visit midday in the summer. The harsh sun doesn’t help. My pictures just don’t do it justice.

Fall – Fall has more cloudy and rainy days. Still, a beautiful time to go, but expect leaves on the beach.

What to Bring to Secret Beach

Secret Beach Directions & Parking

Address – 21729 Oregon Coast Highway, Brookings, Oregon 97415
Trailhead Coordinates – 42.196868, -124.370537

Secret Beach is located along the coast in the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor area. It’s about .7 miles south of Arch Rock. You will see a small, gravel, and unmarked parking area on the west side of the road.

Parking Area – It is a small gravel parking area and isn’t marked. The Secret Beach parking lot only holds about 6-10 cars.

If the parking lot is full there are other trailheads that can go to Secret Beach. The hikes may be longer but I’m sure they won’t disappoint. These trailheads are Arch Rock, Spruce Island Viewpoint Parking Lot & Thunder Rock Cove Parking Area.

Secret Beach Trail

• Difficulty: Moderate
• Length: 1.6 miles
• Trail Type: Out and Back
• Elevation Gain: 374 ft.
• Cost: FREE
• Dog Friendly: Yes, on a leash.

I’ve seen a lot of websites mark this trail as easy and I beg to differ. To me, an easy trail is a trail that everyone can do easily. This trail has a pretty steep incline and while I think most people can do the trail, it can be difficult for some. We were quite a ways behind someone who was struggling to get up the hill. Lucky for him, there was another hiker nearby who was able to lend a helping hand. I do believe that the person would have made it up, it just would have taken him a lot longer.

Secret Beach trail entrance starts in a lush forest. The trail is kind of narrow and covered by trees and bushes. As you enter you’ll feel like you’re going on a secret hike to a magical place. This secret hike is steep and can be slippery if wet. So wear shoes with great traction. The trail runs next to Miner Creek, so don’t be surprised when you hear the beautiful sounds of the creek and its waterfall.

At the end of this short path, you’ll come to a landing where you are greeted with views of the stunning beach and sea stacks. It’s here at this landing where you can snap pictures from above the beach. If it’s low tide you can rock scramble down the massive rocks to the beach. During high tide, there isn’t an area to explore below the landing. So you may want to explore some of the other trails that connect to Secret Beach (I mentioned them in the parking section). On the Northside of the beach, you can access part of the Oregon Coast Trail. This trail winds through the cliffside and offers some awesome ocean views.

We really enjoyed exploring the beach at low tide. We discovered that there are 2 waterfalls there, and while we didn’t see many tide pools, we did discover some sea creatures. We also learned that around every sea stack feels like a new private beach. While we didn’t swim here, many people brought their beach gear and swam.

*Did you know that Secret Beach has a couple of sea caves? We didn’t explore them but if you decide to, be careful and go during low tide.

Our Bernedoodle handled this hike like a champ, however, the rock scramble below the landing took a little bit of planning. We saw a ton of dogs at the beach, so it’s not rocket science. It just might slow you down for a minute or two.

Things to do near Secret Beach

Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor

Yes, Secret Beach is in Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor, but there is so much to see here besides Secret Beach. This state park is full of beautiful places along Oregon’s Coast. Some of the places you should check out are Arch Rock, Whaleshead Beach, Thunder Rock Cove, & Natural Bridges.

North of Secret Beach

Devil’s Punchbowl State Natural Area

This is quite literally a large hollow rock that is shaped like a punch bowl. This can be enjoyed during high tide and low tide. During high tide, you can watch the water violently splash around the punch bowl, and in low tide, you can explore inside the punch bowl.

When we visited in June, it was so windy. We could barely stand. So our visit was quite short.

Gold Beach

Explore uncrowded beaches and tidepools. The tidepools are best explored with the lower tides.

Cannon Beach

Cannon Beach is home to the infamous Haystack Rock and miles of pristine sandy beaches.

Go at low tide to get an up-close look at Haystack Rock.

Cape Kiwanda

Located in Pacific City Oregon, Cape Kiwanda has one of the best viewpoints to watch the power of the ocean. It’s pretty incredible. Cape Kiwanda also has a very beautiful but busy beach.

Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint

Cape Meares is known for its stunning lighthouse and beautiful views of the ocean. This is a perfect pitstop when taking that beautiful drive along the coast of Oregon.

Newport Sea Lion Docks

See some of Oregon’s sea lions up close at the Newport Sea Lion Docks for free.

Be prepared – you may see some injured sea lions. We saw one with a bad neck injury. I’m guessing some sort of plastic or fishing line got caught around its neck.

PLEASE clean up after yourself while exploring Oregon’s Coast or anywhere you visit. Let’s do our part to keep our animals, humans, and earth healthy.

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

Take in all of the beautiful sand dunes that Oregon has to offer.

South of Secret Beach

Redwood National Park

Redwood National Park isn’t in Oregon, but it is relatively close to Secret Beach. If you have the time, I recommend that you check it out. After all, it is home to the tallest trees on earth. They are mighty spectacular!

Most trails at Redwood National Park aren’t dog-friendly. The only place we found where we could take our dogs was Cal Barrel Rd. This is a 3-mile gravel road that is open to cars. That being said – the only cars that we saw on the trail were parking so that they could explore with their pups.

more Articles on Oregon

17 Best Day Hikes in Oregon You Don’t Want to Miss (Dog & Family-Friendly)

Hiking Oregon’s Tamolitch Blue Pool – The Ultimate Guide

Where to Stay

Camping

There are a few campgrounds near Secret Beach. They are Elko Dispersed Camping and Harris Beach State Park.

Hotels

There is a range of hotels & motels in the area. Most are a few miles away from Secret Beach. Check out all the Secret Beach hotels here.

We had a bad experience trying to stay at Quality Inn & Suites in Crescent City. It was so bad we left our hotel room after 20 minutes and ended up driving through the night to our next destination, Crater Lake National Park. Unfortuantely, this was over a sumemr weekend and every place to stay between Crescent City and Crater Lake was booked. While we only had experience with one hotel, I do not recommend staying in Crescent City at all. The crime rate is very high. There were police officers everywhere. Here is Crescent City’s crime report.

That’s a wrap on Secret Beach, my family’s favorite stop in Oregon. I think that I covered everything, but if I didn’t, mention it in the comments below.

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