Tunnel Beach: A Beach You Must See in Oregon!

Picture this, you enter a tunnel that leads you into what appears to be a cliff wall.  The tunnel is too long to see out the other side, but you enter anyway.  When you exit, you come out to a stunning Oregon Beach.  This is the exact experience of Tunnel Beach and why it’s a must see when visiting the Oregon coast!

Tunnel Beach in Oceanside Oregon is pretty much Instagram famous. The mystery of entering a tunnel and coming out to a STUNNING Oregon beach is too much for people to resist! Of course, this means that the beach can be very crowded, unless you time it just right.  

And I’ve got all the details for you!  From where to park, what to expect, when to go and so on.  So let’s dive right in!

Important Links

Oceanside Beach Info

Oregon State Parks Pass

AllTrails Trail Info

Parking Lot – Park Here for Easy Access

Hiking Journal – Never Forget the Details of Your Favorite Hikes Again!

Hiking Backpack Checklist Freebie – Be Prepared on the Trails

Location

First off, let’s start with where Tunnel Beach is actually located. The address of the beach is Tillamook, OR.  However, the famous tunnel is located in the teeny tiny town of Oceanside, OR.  

The locals call this Oceanside Beach, not Tunnel Beach.  But for the rest of this post, it will be referred to as Tunnel Beach.  

Now as far as drive times to Tunnel Beach, your car ride isn’t too bad!  It’s about 1hr 45min from Portland, OR, about 2 hours from Salem, OR, and about 25 minutes from the cheese-famous Tillamook, OR.  

Parking

Next, let’s check out where you’ll be parking.  You’ll be parking at Oceanside Beach Parking.  Here is the Google Maps Link to this parking lot.  

This parking lot is a decent size, but in the summer it will fill up quickly! I highly recommend coming in the early morning or in the afternoon to snag a spot.  Visiting on a weekday will also make parking easier. .

Fees

Now, Tunnel Beach is part of Oceanside Beach State Recreation Site.  Meaning that it’s an Oregon State Park.  And like many state parks in our country, there is a fee to park and enjoy this recreation area. 

The fee is $10 for Oregon Residents and $12 for Out of State Visitors.

At the parking lot there is a QR code that you can scan and use to pay the fee.  BUT you will most likely not have phone service here.  So in order to not get a fine, here are a few suggestions to pay said fee!

Pay Ahead of Time

The first option is to purchase your Day Use Parking Permit online ahead of time.  This pass is valid for an entire day and is good for all of the state parks for said day.  In other words, if you are planning on visiting Oceanside Beach, Cape Meares State Park and Cape Lookout State Park all in one day, this pass will cover you. 

And the second option is to purchase an Oregon State Parks Annual Pass. This pass gives you access to all of Oregon State Parks and Beaches for 12 months from the month of purchase.  The resident pass is $60 and the non-resident pass is $75. 

The annual pass only makes sense if you are planning on visiting several state parks/beaches on several different days.  If you are a resident planning to spend more than 6 days in any of the state parks, this pass is perfect for you. And if you are a non-resident planning to spend more than 6 days in the state parks, again, this pass is the way to go.    

Just make sure the math makes sense before you purchase, or you might be wasting some money. 

When To Visit!

Tunnel Beach is a beautiful, must-see beach, but there are definitely better and worse times to visit. 

The best time to visit this area is during low tide.  If low tide is in the morning or the evening, you’ll have the best experience because parking will also be the easiest.  

Low tide is the best because you’ll be able to walk amongst the incredible rock structures at the far end of Tunnel Beach.  If the tide is low enough, you’ll probably be able to see some amazing tide pools too!

The worst time to visit Tunnel Beach is during high tide.  While both ends of the tunnel are always accessible, you won’t be able to walk very much of Tunnel Beach at high tide.  

If you are on a tight schedule, going at high tide is better than not going at all.  Just know that low tide is best.

You can find the most accurate tide predictions at NOAA (use Netarts Bay).

Weather

One other quick thing to remember and consider is the weather.  Oregon is infamously cloudy, rainy, misty and overcast.  If you come in the summer you might get some beautiful blue bird skies, but the rest of the year, be prepared for rain.

I visited Tunnel Beach on a sunny day and again on a misty day.  Both experiences were incredible, just different.  

Make sure to check the weather before you get there and always dress in layers.  The beach itself is frequently windy and quite shady in the morning.  Dress accordingly!

Walking Stats

OK, OK, enough of the logistics!  Let’s get to all the details about Tunnel Beach.

The tunnel to access Tunnel Beach is approximately a 0.25 mile walk from the parking lot.  This walk is all sand.  

Once you’ve gone through the tunnel, Tunnel Beach itself is only about 0.4 miles long.  This means if the tide is low enough you can walk the entire thing.  However, if you go at low tide, you’ll probably only be able to go half way down the beach (at best).  

In total, you could potentially walk for about 1.5 miles.  This includes from the parking lot, down the beach, through the tunnel, all of Tunnel Beach and back.  

Our Experience

My husband and I visited Tunnel Beach on a misty and cold day in June.  We went in the afternoon to avoid some crowds and quite enjoyed the evening walk.

I was lucky enough to get to go back one morning by myself and get an incredible morning on the beach at low tide.  This particular morning had the perfect blue skies and some of the lowest tides of the year.  

There were hundreds of sea anemones, star fish, and muscles along the walls and rock structures.  The beauty of these creatures was incredible as the water usually covers this hidden world.   And the dozens of birds nesting in the rocks and cliffs were awesome to see too.

I spent several hours exploring the beach, looking for rocks, and photographing the sea life.  When I left, the parking lot was packed and my parking spot was scooped up in less than 30 seconds after I left.  

So go early, enjoy the hidden mystery of Tunnel Beach, and don’t forget to clean up after yourself.

Other Beaches!

If you are still in the beachy mood while in the Tillamook area, you’ll love visiting Cape Lookout State Park.  This park has a great campground, easy beach access, and is a great place for a beach day.  

And if you want to visit a unique lighthouse as well as some hikeable beaches, Cape Meares State Park is the way to go.  There is also a campground here, and some incredible views of the coast.

Things To Do in the Area

The Tillamook area is loaded with things to do and see! Obviously, there is the famous Tillamook Creamery, where you can take a tour of the cheese and ice cream factory.  

And if you’re in the mood for a drink, there is the incredible (and world famous) de Garde Brewing.  This brewery is one of only 3 in the United States that use a spontaneous fermentation process and the drinks are incredibly unique!

For a more standard beer option, there is Pelican Brewing – Tillamook.  This place has great beer, great prices, and good food.  HOT TIP:  We visited 3 of Pelicans locations while we were on the Oregon coast and this one had the best prices.   

Conclusion

All in all, Tunnel Beach in the Tillamook area is a must-see beach!  The incredible beach is the perfect place to visit at low tide and the tunnel makes this beach irresistible.  

Be sure to add this beach to your trip whenever you visit the Oregon coast. 

And as always, feel free to reach out to me at averagewildexperience@gmail.com with any questions you might have.

-Happy Exploring!