Outdoor Fun

Beachcombing

Beachcombing is a fascination for all ages. It may start when you are a child and you find your first shell or polished fragment of glass. Over the years, it may evolve into a passion, leading some to invest in metal detectors. Either way, it's a great source of enjoyment and a way to find precious keepsakes of your trip to the beach or even larger pieces with which you may decorate your home.

Kite Flying

All kite experts agree: The best place to fly a kite is on the beach, where there are no obstructions and you have lots of room to run. And there is no better beach for this than Rockaway Beach. As evidence of this, each May, Rockaway Beach celebrates its Kite Festival.

Metal Detectors

If you decide to invest in a metal detector, here are some tips from Treasure Facts magazine: Find the high tide mark and the low tide mark, then identify the middle section between these tide marks and draw a mental line down the center of the beach. Your search zone should be 10 to 12 feet on each side of this imaginary line. Start a zig-zag search pattern, walking up the beach with your metal detector, then back.

Bird Watching

Tillamook County is a bird watching paradise. The coastline areas are home to or visited by all manner of sea and shore birds, and it's inland forests are home to migrating songbirds. Eagles are often seen, as are hawks.

According to the Portland Audubon Society, Tillamook Bay supports almost 25% of the northern- and central-coast wintering waterfowl population in Oregon. During the annual Christmas bird count, upwards of 140 different resident species are counted here, putting the county among the leading areas for bird populations. And during the summer, even more show up on their migrations, raising the total number of species to around 200.
Great Blue Heron

Among waterfowl, it's common to see American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Surf Scoters and Buffleheads. Brown Pelicans use the Bay from May to December and peak in September. Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Black-bellied Plovers, Semi-palmated Plovers, Whimbrels, Sanderlings, Dunlins and Short-billed Dowitchers are also seen. There are 2 rookeries around Tillamook Bay that host Great Blue Herons. One in Garibaldi is quite large (up to 50 nests). The herons are year-round residents. The Bay also provides an important habitat for many birds migrating on the Pacific flyway.

Besides the beach, an excellent place to spot birds is around Rockaway Beach's lakes. Lake Lytle, in particular, is the largest and has excellent access, so it is one of the prime locations to try. There, depending on the season, you can see many different types of waterfowl and migrating shore birds including herons and ospreys. Eagles also are often seen.

Bird watching can be done from the shore or the water. For water viewing, you can get close to more remote areas in a kayak or a canoe. Either way, beginners are advised to bring a good pair of binoculars and a field guide to help identify what you see

Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad

The Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad is a non-profit museum group that runs antique steam trains between Garibaldi and Wheeler during the tourist season.

The railroad was the dream of OCSR President Scott Wickert, who envisioned a steam railroad and a logging-antique railroad equipment museum. The goal has been to keep these pieces of history available for the public to learn from and to appreciate.

Daytime excursions from Rockaway leave at 1 p.m. on weekends from June through September. Coast excursions are 90-minute round trips. Dinner trains are a three hour round-trip from Garibaldi to Wheeler with views of Tillamook Bay, the Pacific Ocean and Nehalem Bay. The menu varies from trip to trip, so check out the OCSR website for details.