Beautiful Beverly Beach State Park + Campground, OR: Oregon Coast gem

Ask for recommendations about where to go on the Oregon Coast and it won’t be long before you hear about Beverly Beach.

About halfway between Newport and Depoe Bay/Lincoln City, Beverly Beach stretches like so many miles of heavenly sand. This wide-open area is one of the most pristine spots on the Oregon Coast.

As you’ll read here, Beverly Beach State Park has campgrounds, day use beach access and even… drum roll… oodles of fossils! Let me walk you through all the details to explore and enjoy this amazing Oregon Coast beach.

Gorgeous, wide beaches

Beverly Beach is part of a 5-mile stretch of sand between Depoe Bay and Newport, OR. On a clear day, you can see all the way north to Cape Foulweather and all the way south to Yaquina Head.

This wide, flat beach is a popular destination for both camping and day trips. On a recent day, Maxine, Edie and I spent hours playing on the beach here.

One reason I love this Oregon Coast beach: It’s wide and flat, allowing my kids to run at full speed until even they got out of breath! The beach’s size also made it easy to enjoy the outdoors while maintaining social distance.

Spencer Creek cuts across Beverly Beach. This rocky and chilly creek is one of my kids’ favorite parts of this amazing Oregon Coast beach. They love wading into the water.

If you want a more secluded area of the beach, simply cross Spencer Creek to the north side of the beach. Fewer people go this way—maybe they don’t want to get their feet wet!

Beverly Beach campground

It can be hard to snag a reservation at the Beverly Beach campground, especially in summer, but this amazing spot is worth the effort!

Most sites are wooded, so even though sites are about the standard state park distance from each other, the trees make sites feel more private.

You can expect the usual amenities, such as potable water, flush toilets and showers. Beverly Beach Campground is a great spot for people who want to camp—but don’t want to go super-rugged.

The campground also includes a playground, meeting area, information center and picnic area.

2021 note: Some campground facilities are closed to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Campground playgrounds, information center, meeting hall and picnic shelters are temporarily unavailable.

Beverly Beach yurts

Beverly Beach State Park camping is popular—and this Oregon Coast park is well known for its yurts!

These circular semi-permanent structures are a middle ground between cabins and tent camping. The yurts at Beverly Beach State Park include bunk beds, a futon, heat and electricity. They do not have cooking facilities (bring a propane stove or cook over the open fire!).

We love staying in yurts on the Oregon Coast. For us, yurts extend the camping season because we don’t have to worry as much about crummy weather. When it’s rainy, we just hang out indoors. Then as soon as the weather breaks, we head out to the beach!

Some of the Beverly Beach yurts are animal-friendly. When you reserve yours, pay close attention to which one you get if you’re bringing a four-legged friend. Several yurts are accessible.

Finding fossils at Beverly Beach

Beverly Beach is one of the best places to find fossils along the Oregon Coast. The cliffs that line the beach are made of two different kinds of rock formations: Sandstone from the 15-million-year-old Astoria Foundation, and volcanic ash and mudstone from the 20-million-year-old Nye Foundation.

(Are you geeking out on this geology as much as I am?!)

The exposed seawalls along Beverly Beach make it easy to find fossilized shells and other prehistoric marine life.

Once you spot a fossilized shell, you’ll see many more. It’s as if seeing one opens your eyes to all the other ones! Also look for the impression left from prehistoric shells.

Walk along the seawall slowly, keeping a watch for scalloped shells or clam-like creatures. We saw one fossil almost as big as Edie’s hand!

Also look closely at the rocks on Beverly Beach. You might spot some with fossilized snail shells inside! (Technically, these rock-like things are called concretions, which are hunks formed by minerals and other matter.)

Be aware that you are not allowed to remove fossils from seawalls on the Oregon Coast. Ones on the beach are fair game, though.

If you’re into dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals (like Edie and Max are), try this favorite activity: Bury toy dinosaurs in the sand and then excavate them like archaeologists! Then stop by Prehistoric, an amazing fossil store in Lincoln City, where you can see dinosaur teeth, claws and bones!

Things to do near Beverly Beach, OR

If you’re here for Beverly Beach camping, you might want to explore a bit beyond this area. A few minutes north, you’ll find Devils Punchbowl. (Read my post on hiking into Devils Punchbowl at low tide!)

Drive up Highway 101 a little farther and you’ll hit Lincoln City. This is one of our favorite Oregon Coast towns because of the beautiful beaches, the Siletz Bay (with its resident seal colony) and other offbeat things to do. If you want more info, check out my full guide to Lincoln City.

To the south, you’ll pass Yaquina Head. This stunning area is home to one of the Oregon Coast’s historic lighthouses and unique Cobble Beach. This is also a great spot to watch for whales!

A little farther down Highway 101, explore Newport and the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

And if you want to learn allllll the things, click over to my full-out guide to the Oregon Coast. It’s mega-packed with things to do, towns to visit, epic hikes, beautiful beaches and more.