When the wind finally dies down, Alsea Bay is a haven for kayakers. This shot was taken this week on a rare calm summer day, just as the fog was starting to roll in. I usually put in just a half-mile from the shanty, next to the motel, or there's a sandy beach near the port, just across the bay in old town. Depending on the tide, the wind and the current, you can paddle upstream for miles, or just make a circuit out near the surf and back around the footings of the bridge. The animal life in and around the bay is amazing: harbor seals, cormorants, herons, eagles and occasionally deer.
There is also excellent flat-water kayaking on Lint Slough (immediately upstream from the docks), Beaver Creek (north of Seal Rock), and Drift Creek (tributary of the Alsea) up to tidewater. I keep a kayak at the shanty, but you can also
rent them during the summer at McKinley Marina. Kayaking is a wonderful way to experience the raw, scenic beauty of the Oregon coast.
