During our latest stay at the shanty, we explored a secluded beach along an especially remote stretch of the coast south of Cape Perpetua. It’s mostly cobblestone, but is loaded with small agates (Ellen calls them “rock candy”) and driftwood, which our Bayshore beach mostly lacks. We also saw harbor seals bobbing in the surf, along with marbled murrelets (an endangered species that only nests in old-growth coastal forest) and a pair of bald eagles. We were there on a Monday and were the only humans in sight.
 |
| New additions to the agate collection we keep at the shanty |
I’m not sure if the beach has a name, but you’ll find it immediately south of the pullout at Strawberry Hill, which is about three miles south of the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center along Highway 101. You’ll notice a major trail with steps that heads down to the beach to the north, so you have to veer left and follow a dirt track around a small hill. After 11 years of exploring the central Oregon coast, we’re still discovering hidden gems like this sweet little beach.
