Where are some of the best places to find sea glass?

Oregon is not known for sea glass and I don’t know of any beaches that have a reputation as being better locations than others. Since most beach glass comes from bottles that have been floating in the ocean and come to rest on beaches pushed ashore by winds and tidal conditions, glass can be distributed anywhere along Oregon’s 363-mile coastline. Generally, beaches with gravelly deposits are the best places to find sea glass which can vary greatly with the season and tidal conditions. Typically sand builds up on Oregon beaches in the summer, covering up deposits of rocks and gravel, while winter’s higher tides and tidal surges strip the beach of sand, leaving gravel deposits exposed.

So, I think of sea glass the same as the search for agates, being more about the season and sand distribution than about specific locations, though beaches framed by cliff sides, known for rocky deposits and stream outfalls are a good place to start. On the North Oregon Coast, I think of Arcadia Beach near stream outfalls or Short Sand Beach in Oswald West State Park where Necarney Creek flows into the ocean. One of my favorite beaches for agate hunting on the North Oregon Coast is the beach at Oceanside on the north side of Maxwell Mountain that is accessed by a tunnel at low tide, though it can be hit or miss depending on sand levels. Short Beach is another option in that area. It is just to the north of Oceanside with a short trail head located alongside the road as you approach Cape Meares. On the Central Oregon coast, I suggest the beaches south of Cape Perpetua or Beverly Beach and Moolack Beach north of Newport. On the South Oregon Coast, the beaches south of Gold Beach expose rocky deposits when conditions are right.