Smelt Sands State Recreation Site near Yachats in the U.S. state of Oregon.
Smelt Sands State Recreation Site near Yachats in the U.S. state of Oregon. Finetooth · CC BY-SA 3.0

Smelt Sands State Recreation Site

State Recreation Area · Oregon · Oregon Parks and Recreation Department

An excellent whale watching and photography viewpoint. Walk the historic 804 Trail (.75 miles one-way with resting benches scattered along the way). The park is known for tidepooling, rock fishing and the yearly smelt run (smelt are small, silvery relatives of salmon). Breathtaking sunsets.

Plan your visit

Know before you go

Official site
stateparks.oregon.gov
Managed by
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

What's here

Activities & features: Beach · Fishing · Hiking · Trail

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Sources: Wikimedia Commons / editorial, State agency · updated 2026-08-24