Natural Sand Art at the Beach!

Agate Beach is a beautiful coastal area located in Lincoln County, Oregon, just north of Newport along the Pacific Ocean. It’s part of the Agate Beach State Recreation Site, a state park known for its wide, sandy shores stretching nearly 4 miles between Newport and Yaquina Head. The beach is a popular spot for a variety of activities like surfing, razor clamming, kite flying, birdwatching, and, of course, hunting for agates—those colorful, translucent gemstones formed in volcanic rock millions of years ago. Despite its name, agates aren’t as abundant here as they once were due to changes in the local landscape, like the elongation of Yaquina Bay jetties and sand buildup since the 1960s, but you can still find them, especially after winter storms when gravel beds are exposed.
The park itself sits between the new and old U.S. Highway 101, with easy access via a tunnel under the old highway from a large parking lot. It’s got amenities like restrooms, picnic tables, and plenty of space for parking, even for trailers. Historically, Agate Beach was its own unincorporated community with a post office from 1912 to 1971, and it’s tied to the legacy of composer Ernest Bloch, who lived there in his later years—his 1914 house is on the National Register of Historic Places. The beach also made headlines in 2012 when a 165-ton dock from the 2011 Japanese tsunami washed ashore, bringing with it a mix of marine life that had to be cleared to prevent invasive species.
It’s a great spot to visit year-round, drawing around 190,000 people annually. If you’re looking for agates, your best bet is during low tide after a storm, when the ocean churns up fresh gravel. Just keep an eye on the waves—sneaker waves can catch you off guard—and enjoy the vast, open beauty of this Oregon Coast gem.