Ona Beach State Park
🏆🏆🏆🏆 Beautiful park where Beaver Creek meets the Pacific Ocean — sheltered beach, estuary habitat, and the Brian Booth Wetlands preserve critical coastal ecosystems.
Visitor Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Lincoln County, Oregon |
| Entry Fee | Free (Oregon Coast) / Day-Use Permit |
About Ona Beach
Ona Beach State Park sits where Beaver Creek meets the Pacific Ocean south of Newport on the central Oregon coast. The park features a broad sandy beach, a scenic creek estuary, and a family-friendly picnic area sheltered by shore pines. The park is connected to the Brian Booth State Park trails upstream, creating a linked coastal park system protecting the entire Beaver Creek watershed.
Things to Do
Beach access is easy and family-friendly — the flat, wide beach is great for kite flying, beachcombing, and sandcastle building. Beaver Creek is calm enough for kayaking and canoeing upstream into the estuary. Crabbing at the creek mouth is popular in season. The Beaver Creek State Natural Area trail connects Ona Beach to South Beach, offering 4+ miles of nature trails through coastal forest and wetlands.
Getting There
Located along Highway 101 approximately 8 miles south of Newport in Lincoln County. Free to visit with a paved parking area.
About Ona Beach
Ona Beach State Park in Lincoln County provides access to a beautiful sandy beach where Beaver Creek meets the Pacific Ocean. The park features a footbridge over the creek leading to the beach — a lovely walk through coastal forest. The beach is wide and sandy, with excellent conditions for kite flying and beach play.
Things to Do
Beach walking, picnicking, fishing in Beaver Creek, kayaking the creek, kite flying, surfing, and enjoying one of the central Oregon coast’s quieter beaches.
Insider Tips
Creek meets ocean: Beaver Creek flows through the park and meets the ocean here — the creek is warm enough for wading while the ocean provides dramatic scenery. Pro tip: The Brian Booth State Park (connected) has an excellent wildlife viewing blind overlooking the Beaver Creek wetlands. Family friendly: The shallow creek is perfect for kids who find the ocean too cold or rough.
Best Time to Visit
Summer: Creek wading and beach play. Fall: Salmon spawning in Beaver Creek. Spring: Shorebird migration. Winter: Storm watching and winter birding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Beaver Creek safe for children?
Yes — the creek is shallow, slow-moving, and much warmer than the ocean. Children can wade, explore, and play safely. The beach is also gentle. Ona Beach is considered one of the most family-friendly stops on the central Oregon coast.
Wildlife & Nature
Ona Beach State Park offers a rare combination — Beaver Creek flows through a coastal forest before crossing a wide sandy beach to the Pacific, creating a gentle freshwater wading area perfect for families. The creek’s estuary — where fresh and salt water mix — is one of the most biologically productive environments on Earth. Juvenile salmon use estuaries as transition zones, adapting from freshwater to saltwater over weeks before migrating to the open ocean. Great blue herons fish the shallow creek. Osprey nest on the tall snags. The beach supports razor clam populations. Brown pelicans — with 7-foot wingspans — dive from heights of 60 feet, folding their wings just before impact. The adjacent Brian Booth State Park protects the upper Beaver Creek estuary.
Nearby Attractions
Brian Booth State Park — protecting the Beaver Creek estuary — offers kayaking and wildlife viewing. Seal Rock provides exceptional tidepools. Newport — 10 minutes north — has the Oregon Coast Aquarium, Bayfront, and Hatfield Marine Science Center. Yaquina Head features Oregon’s tallest lighthouse. South Beach State Park offers camping. Waldport has the Alsea Bay Bridge Interpretive Center. Cape Perpetua is 20 minutes south.
