Oswald West State Park is part of the

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

system of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located about south of the city of

Cannon Beach Cannon Beach is a city in Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Its population was 1,690 at the 2010 census. It is a popular coastal Oregon tourist destination, famous for Haystack Rock, a sea stack that juts out along the coast. In 2013, ''Nati ...

, adjacent to Arch Cape, on the Pacific Ocean. The park covers , 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 Neahkahnie Mountain is a mountain, or headland, on the Oregon Coast, north of Manzanita in Oswald West State Park overlooking U.S. Route 101. The peak is part of the Northern Oregon Coast Range, which is part of the Oregon Coast Range. It is be ...

, 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". Urban legend claims pirate treasure is buried near Smugglers Cove but has never been found.

History

The park was named after

Oswald West Oswald West (May 20, 1873 – August 22, 1960) was an American politician, a Democrat, who served most notably as the 14th Governor of Oregon. He was called "Os West" by Oregon writer Stewart Holbrook, who described him as "by all odds the mo ...

, 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. The campsite was surrounded by giant old-growth Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir, western hemlock and western red cedar, as well as smaller brush including

red huckleberry ''Vaccinium parvifolium'', the red huckleberry, is a species of ''Vaccinium'' native to western North America. Description It is a deciduous shrub growing to tall with bright green shoots with an angular cross-section. The leaves are ovate to o ...

, salmonberry and salal bushes. 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. Although camping is currently not permitted, the park is still open with full day-use access.

Gallery

File:Smugglers Cove, Oregon.jpg, Rock formations at Smuggler Cove File:OswaldWestShortSandsOregon.JPG, Beach goers and surfers at Short Sands File:OswaldWestOregon.jpg, The footbridge over Short Sand Creek File:Oswald west state park beach from cape falcon P2467.jpeg, The sand beach at Oswald West State Park's Smuggler Cove; more than 50 surfers are visible (at full image resolution)

References

External links