Oswald West State Park

State park in Oregon, United States

45°46′11″N 123°57′35″W / 45.7698288°N 123.9598595°W / 45.7698288; -123.9598595^[1]Area2,448 acres (9.91 km²)Operated byOregon Parks and Recreation Department

Oswald West State Park is part of the state park system of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located about 10 miles (16 km) south of the city of Cannon Beach, adjacent to Arch Cape, on the Pacific Ocean. The park covers 2,448 acres (9.91 km²), with many miles of hiking trails both inside the park grounds and linking to other parks and landmarks beyond.

The state park also contains Neahkahnie Mountain, Short Sand Beach, Short Sand Creek, Necarney Creek, Cape Falcon, Smugglers Cove and the Oregon Coast Trail. The cove is a popular surf destination and is known as "Short Sands".^[2] Urban legend claims pirate treasure is buried near Smugglers Cove but has never been found.

History

The park was named after Oswald West, the 14th Governor of Oregon and the man who led preserving Oregon's beaches for public use. A memorial marker for Matt Kramer, a journalist whose articles helped shift public opinion to preserve the beaches, sits at the trail divide between Short Sands beach and Cape Falcon.

Marine Reserve

On January 1, 2016, the Cape Falcon Marine Reserve and Marine Protected Area went into effect off the shores of Oswald West State Park. The marine reserve includes the nearshore out to approximately 2 miles out into the ocean. The following activities are unlawful to undertake in the marine reserve: Take of any fish, invertebrate, or wildlife species; Take of kelp or other seaweeds; and Deployment of fishing gear. The marine protected area is the two miles out through the state waters line (3 nautical miles out). The restrictions are the same, except people may take salmon by troll and crab.

Camping

Oswald West is currently a day-use area only, though the park historically had 30 walk-in tent sites.^[3] The campsite was surrounded by giant old-growth Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir, western hemlock and western red cedar,^[4] as well as smaller brush including red huckleberry, salmonberry and salal bushes.^[3]

During the Summer of 2008, a large Sitka Spruce fell with no warning in the campground. The state immediately conducted a survey of other trees in the park and determined there were several other trees that could fall at any moment. Subsequently, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department decided to close the campground indefinitely citing public safety.^[5] Although camping is currently not permitted, the park is still open with full day-use access.^[6]

Gallery

Rock formations at Smuggler Cove
Beach goers and surfers at Short Sands
The footbridge over Short Sand Creek
The sand beach at Oswald West State Park's Smuggler Cove; more than 50 surfers are visible (at full image resolution)

References

^ "Oswald West State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
^ "Short Sands". WannaSurf. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
^ ^a ^b Bannan, Jan Gumprecht (2002). Oregon State Parks: A Complete Recreation Guide (2nd ed.). Seattle: Mountaineers Books. p. 105. ISBN 0-89886-794-0.
^ "Oswald West State Park" (PDF). Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Archived from the original (brochure) on July 19, 2004. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
^ "Camping or Trees?". Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Archived from the original on April 16, 2009. Retrieved September 11, 2009.
^ "Oswald West State Park". State Parks. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. April 4, 2009. Retrieved September 11, 2009.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oswald West State Park.

"Oswald West State Park Hazard Trees" (PDF). Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
"Oswald West State Park & Short Sands Beach". Neahkahnie net. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2011.

Protected areas of Oregon

Heritage registers: National Register of Historic Places; National Historic Landmarks; National Natural Landmarks; World Network of Biosphere Reserves

Federal

NPS

National Parks	Crater Lake
National Historic Parks and Sites	Fort Vancouver NHS Lewis and Clark NHP Nez Perce NHP
National monuments	John Day Fossil Beds Newberry National Volcanic Monument (USFS) Oregon Caves

USFS

National Forests	Deschutes Fremont–Winema Malheur Mount Hood Ochoco Rogue River–Siskiyou Siuslaw Umatilla Umpqua Wallowa–Whitman Willamette
National Grasslands	Crooked River
National recreation areas	Hells Canyon Mount Hood Oregon Dunes
Scenic areas	Cape Perpetua Columbia River Gorge

National Wildlife Refuge System	Ankeny Bandon Marsh Baskett Slough Bear Valley Cape Meares Cold Springs Deer Flat Hart Mountain Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer Klamath Marsh Lewis and Clark Lower Klamath Malheur McKay Creek Nestucca Bay Oregon Islands Siletz Bay Three Arch Rocks Tualatin River Umatilla Upper Klamath Wapato Lake William L. Finley
Wilderness areas	Badger Creek Black Canyon Boulder Creek Bridge Creek Bull of the Woods Clackamas Copper Salmon Cummins Creek Devil's Staircase Diamond Peak Drift Creek Eagle Cap Gearhart Mountain Grassy Knob Hells Canyon Kalmiopsis Lower White River Mark O. Hatfield Menagerie Middle Santiam Mill Creek Monument Rock Mount Hood Mount Jefferson Mount Thielsen Mount Washington Mountain Lakes North Fork John Day North Fork Umatilla Opal Creek Oregon Badlands Red Buttes Roaring River Rock Creek Rogue–Umpqua Divide Salmon–Huckleberry Sky Lakes Soda Mountain Spring Basin Steens Mountain Strawberry Mountain Table Rock Three Sisters Waldo Lake Wenaha–Tucannon Wild Rogue
National Conservation Lands	Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area
National Wild and Scenic Rivers	List of Oregon's National Wild and Scenic Rivers
Other protected areas	Cascade Head Preserve Christmas Valley Sand Dunes Fossil Lake Area of Critical Environmental Concern Lost Forest Research Natural Area Sandy River Delta South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve Upper and Lower Table Rock Wildwood Recreation Site

State

Parks

North Coast	Arcadia Beach Bob Straub Bradley Cape Kiwanda Cape Lookout Cape Meares Clay Myers at Whalen Island Del Rey Beach Ecola Elmer Feldenheimer Fishing Rock Fort Stevens Gearhart Ocean Haystack Hill Hug Point John Yeon Manhattan Beach Munson Creek Falls Neahkahnie–Manzanita Nehalem Bay Oceanside Beach Oswald West Rockaway Beach Sunset Beach Sunset Highway Forest Sitka Sedge Symons Tolovana Beach Twin Rocks Wilson River Highway Forest
Central Coast	Agate Beach Alsea Bay Beachside Beaver Creek Beverly Beach Boiler Bay Carl G. Washburne Collins Creek D River Darlingtonia Devils Lake Devils Punch Bowl Driftwood Beach Ellmaker Fogarty Creek Gleneden Beach Governor Patterson H.B. Van Duzer Heceta Head Lighthouse Jessie M. Honeyman Joaquin Miller Forest L. Presley & Vera C. Gill Lost Creek Muriel O. Ponsler Neptune Neskowin Beach Ona Beach Otter Crest Pritchard Roads End Rocky Creek San Marine Seal Rock Smelt Sands South Beach Stonefield Beach Tokatee Klootchman W. B. Nelson Whale Watching Yachats Yachats Ocean Road Yaquina Bay
South Coast	Albert H. Powers Alfred A. Loeb Arizona Beach Bandon Bolon Island Tideways Bullards Beach Cape Arago Cape Blanco Cape Sebastian Conde B. McCullough Coquille Myrtle Grove Crissey Field Elk Creek Tunnel Forest Face Rock Floras Lake Geisel Monument Golden and Silver Falls Harris Beach Hoffman Humbug Mountain Hutchinson Lone Ranch Maria C. Jackson McVay Rock Ophir Otter Point Paradise Point Pistol River Port Orford Cedar Forest Port Orford Heads Samuel H. Boardman Seven Devils Shore Acres Sisters Rock Sunset Bay Sweet Myrtle Umpqua Umpqua Lighthouse Umpqua Myrtle William M. Tugman Winchuck Yoakam Point
Portland Metro	Banks–Vernonia Bonnie Lure Government Island L. L. "Stub" Stewart Mary S. Young Milo McIver Tryon Creek Willamette Stone
Columbia River Gorge/ Mount Hood	Ainsworth Benson Bonneville Bridal Veil Falls Crown Point Dabney Dalton Point George W. Joseph Guy W. Talbot Historic Columbia River Highway John B. Yeon Koberg Beach Lang Forest Lewis and Clark Lindsey Creek Mayer McLoughlin Memaloose Multnomah Falls Portland Women's Forum Rocky Butte Rooster Rock Seneca Fouts Shepperd's Dell Sheridan Starvation Creek Viento Vinzenz Lausmann Wyeth Wygant
Willamette Valley	Alderwood Bald Peak Blachly Mountain Forest Bowers Rock Cascadia Champoeg Detroit Lake Dexter Elijah Bristow Erratic Rock Fall Creek Fort Yamhill Holman Jasper Lowell Luckiamute Maples Maud Williamson Molalla River North Santiam Sarah Helmick Silver Falls State Capitol Thompson's Mills Washburne Willamette Mission Willamette Greenway
Southern Oregon	Ben Hur Lampman Canyon Creek Forest Casey Collier Memorial Illinois River Forks Jackson F. Kimball Joseph H. Stewart Klamath Falls – Lakeview Forest OC&E Woods Line Prospect Rough and Ready Forest Stage Coach Forest TouVelle Tub Springs Valley of the Rogue Wolf Creek Inn
Central Oregon	Cline Falls Cottonwood Canyon Deschutes River Dyer Elliott Corbett La Pine Ochoco Peter Skene Ogden Pilot Butte Prineville Reservoir Redmond–Bend Juniper Sisters Smith Rock The Cove Palisades Tumalo White River Falls
Eastern Oregon	Bates Battle Mountain Forest Blue Mountain Forest Booth Catherine Creek Chandler Clyde Holliday Crooked Creek Deadman's Pass Emigrant Springs Farewell Bend Fort Rock Fort Rock Cave Frenchglen Hotel Goose Lake Hat Rock Hilgard Junction Kam Wah Chung Lake Owyhee Minam Ontario Pete French Round Barn Red Bridge Succor Creek Sumpter Valley Dredge Ukiah–Dale Forest Unity Forest Unity Lake Wallowa Lake Wallowa Lake Highway Forest Wallowa River

Forests

Wildlife
areas

Bridge Creek
Dean Creek
Denman
E. E. Wilson
Elkhorn
Fern Ridge
Irrigon
Jewell Meadows
Klamath
Ladd Marsh
Lower Deschutes
Phillip W. Schneider
Prineville
Riverside
Sauvie Island
Snake River Islands
Summer Lake
Wenaha
White River
Willow Creek

Local

Metro	Blue Lake Cooper Mountain Glendoveer Graham Oaks Howell Oregon Zoo Oxbow Smith and Bybee Mount Talbert
Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District	Tualatin Hills Nature Park