Covering four city blocks, Seaview City Park is a lovely spot for all ages. The park is two blocks east of U.S. Highway 101 and a block north of N. 3rd Avenue. It is accessible from N. Coral Street on the west and N. Falcon St. on the east.

The park is equipped with picnic tables, barbecue grills, a pavilion for events, rest rooms and a playground with all new equipment installed in the spring of 2010. The park also adjoins a wooded wetland area to the north, which is a great place for nature hikes and bird watching.

The park is the scene of lots of picnic parties, family reunions and organizational events. In addition, it is the site of the city's annual Labor Day Weekend Carnival in the Park -- a great, old-fashioned event complete with games for the kids, a dunk tank, food booths and entertainment. It's all free

Over the years, Edith Hart helped establish the first post office in the area and was active in an array of community service activities. As the Rockaway Beach area began to develop, however, she and her son were determined to ensure that some portion of the natural environment they had found when they first arrived could still be enjoyed by others for years to come and that there would be a beach access that could be used by everyone. So, in the 1960s, they began efforts to dedicate their property to the county for use as a park.

The Hart house, which was taken down to make room for the Turnaround

Edith Hart died in 1966 and her son, Ed, continued to plan. After his death in 1997, friends and supporters completed his dream, using funds he had left to do the work. The old house was taken down plank by plank to protect the towering trees growing around it. The gardens were lovingly restored, picnic tables and a fountain were put in place and a wide, paved path was laid down as a beach access, edged by the very rocks that had once served as the foundation of the Hart house. The park was dedicated in 1999 and is maintained by the county. Today it is a calming retreat with lawns, mature trees and flowering plants.

You won't easily find Twin Rocks Turnaround on your map. It is on Breaker north of W. Washington at 9th. Across from the park, there are four paved and marked parking spaces. In front of the park are 2 handicapped spaces. A monument at the park reads: "Twin Rocks Turnaround, in memory of Edith Hart and her son, Ed Hart, Twin Rocks pioneers who envisioned and donated this land as park and public beach access."

At the end of the beach access path, overlooking the beach, a matched pair of benches bear memorial plaques -- two in memory of a father and son, John R. and Michael B. LaRiviere. The younger had given his life trying to save swimmers in the waters near the Twin Rocks. The third is dedicated to Dorothy Diel, "friend, trustee and avid supporter of Ed Hart's Dream." The paved trail ends at the beach with a sharp, 3-foot drop to the sand below.

The Stanger Memorial VFW Park, located on Lake Marie, offers both a family park and a community garden. Situated at the south end of Rockaway Beach, the park straddles the boundary with Twin Rocks. To reach the park from the Coast Highway, go east on Washington Street to Front Street and turn right.

At the south end of Front Street, you will be greeted by a flagpole and a bronze plaque dedicating the park and community garden to Steve Stanger, a long-time member of Oregon Sunset Post 7558, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.

The VFW acquired the land during the post-war period, purchased a surplus barracks building from Camp Adair near Corvallis and had it trucked to Rockaway Beach. The old building, heated by a wood-burning stove, served the VFW for many years and was used by other community organizations as well. VFW Post 7558 eventually merged with the Bay City post and ceased to use the property. In 1997 the VFW deeded the property to the City of Rockaway Beach. The building, having outlived its usefulness and not economically feasible to restore, was burned as a training exercise by the Rockaway Beach Fire Department.

It was recognized that the site would make an excellent community garden, and a portion of the old VFW site was reserved for that use. The remainder became a family park. In 2006, Jim Carlson, commander of Kilchis Sunset VFW Post 2848, installed a flagpole and a locally-quarried boulder bearing a bronze plaque dedicating the combined park to the memory of Stanger.

The park and community garden were formally dedicated in June 2006. Post 2848 is now home to the former members of Oregon Sunset Post 7558. Today the garden is fully subscribed and there is a waiting list for plots. Several plots are dedicated to feeding the needy. The garden serves as a model for other community gardens in the area.

- John Sollman, VFW Post 2848

The closest campground to Rockaway Beach is Barview Jetty, south of Rockaway Beach on the north shore of Tillamook Bay. Facilities include day use, 69 RV sites, 224 tent sites, handicap sites, hiker/biker sites, hot showers and easy beach access. The facility also has Wi-Fi. Campground check-in is at 3:30 p.m., checkout is by 1:30 p.m.