How to Find Starfish Cove, the Secret Beach in Newport, OR

When I first started exploring the Oregon Coast, I would drive down Highway 101 and stop anywhere that looked promising. After seeing the obvious spots, I began scouring guidebooks and searching online for beaches I had missed. Now, I take it even further, studying maps and wandering neighborhood streets to find obscure beaches and viewpoints. I strike out often, but sometimes I find wonderful hidden gems like Starfish Cove. After some troubleshooting, I have the kinks worked out well enough to share the directions. Here is how to find Starfish Cove in Newport, Oregon.

*You can see Starfish Cove from above at Yaquina Head*

Know before you go

It’s free to visit Starfish Cove. You don’t need a pass or permit to park.
There are two ways to reach it: the hard way and the easy way. The hard way is short, steep, and direct. The easy way is a flat and pretty mile-long walk on the beach.
There are no restrooms or other amenities at Starfish Cove. Stop at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, Agate Beach, or Beverly Beach State Park instead.
Starfish Cove is dog-friendly. Take the easy way if you are visiting with a dog.
Don’t visit Starfish Cove during a storm or when the tide is unusually high. I saw it once during the King Tides from an elevated viewpoint. The beach was too dangerous to approach.

Starfish Cove high tide — *Starfish Cove disappears during high tide and gale-force wind*

The easy way

Quick directions:

Search on Google Maps for Oregon Coast Beach in Newport.
Park in the public parking lot at the end of NW 68th St.
Walk around the gate and you’ll be at the beach.
Head one mile south on the beach to find Starfish Cove.

The details:

I found Starfish Cove the hard way first. After the difficult and undignified scramble down, I was thrilled to reach the beautiful and secluded beach but reluctant to suggest such a tricky route on the blog. Most people would have too much common sense to attempt it. Fortunately, I found a much easier way to get there after exploring the area to the north.

In Newport, turn from Highway 101 onto NW 68th Street, which ends at a small parking area. Don’t worry when you don’t see a sign for beach access. It’ll be obvious when you reach the public parking.

*Views of Yaquina Head start from the parking lot*

Park in one of the lot’s five or so spots. You’ll see the beach and the long skinny headland of Yaquina Head to the south. Walk around the closed gate next to the parking lot and you’ll be on the beach. You could stop here. This sandy beach is perfectly lovely and uncrowded. If you’re up for a walk, I recommend continuing to Starfish Cove. There is something special about exploring the cliffs of Yaquina Head, plus you can find some intertidal life at low tide.

*Walk toward the lighthouse to reach Starfish Cove*

To find Starfish Cove, turn left to head south on the beach. Keep walking for about a mile along this scenic stretch of the Oregon Coast and you’ll arrive. Protection from Yaquina Head makes Starfish Cove a calm beach to explore most days. Look for Yaquina Head Lighthouse perched on the end of the narrow basaltic headland.

*High tide blocks access to Moolack Beach to the north*

If you head north rather than south at the beach access point, you’ll be heading toward Moolack Beach. A small headland called Schooner Point blocks access to this beach most of the day because the tide is too high to walk around it. I was excited to find beach access south of Schooner Point so you don’t have to plan your hike around low tide.

The hard way

Quick directions:

Search on Google Maps for NW 55th Street Viewpoint.
Park in the unmarked gravel lot near the bench. Avoid the no parking zone, marked with a sign.
Take the steep dirt trail down to the beach, about 0.1 miles long.

The details:

The hard way is faster and more direct than the easy way, but let’s be honest, that’s not really the point. We’re talking about a day at the coast. Efficiency isn’t the goal. Take the hard way if you like climbing on things and the feeling of finding something hidden and secret. Don’t take the hard way if you have kids, dogs, stuff to carry, shoes without traction, or knee pain. Also a caveat. The sandstone here crumbles easily and the route could turn from steep slope to sheer drop-off if conditions change. It was difficult but doable when I visited. That might not always be the case. Okay, you’ve been warned. Here it is.

Start at the viewpoint at the end of NW 55th Street. As with the easy way, you’ll feel like you’re in the wrong place as you drive through a quiet residential neighborhood. When you reach the viewpoint, you’ll see a few parking spots and a bench. This viewpoint alone is worth a stop, providing a unique angle to admire Yaquina Head and its lighthouse. Head toward the brush to find the trail down to Starfish Cove.

NW 55th St Viewpoint Yaquina Head — *The trail starts here*

A narrow dirt path cuts through the thick salal and coastal manroot. At first, it’s a little steep but nothing intense.

About halfway down, you’ll reach a small plateau and clearing. Take a minute here to admire the views. You’ll see Starfish Cove, Yaquina Head, and the waves of the Pacific rolling in.

After the plateau, make a slight right to continue. The trail gets worse from here. It’s a good place to reconsider taking the easy way and perhaps think about your decision-making in a general sense. You may wonder if you’re still on a trail at all. The answer is, sort of.

The end of the hard way is something in between a slope and a drop-off. There’s a little stream trickling down the side of the bluff that was the best way I found to get down. It’s muddy and slippery. You won’t like it.

After the last scramble, you’ll reach gorgeous and peaceful Starfish Cove. A marine layer during my visit added some extra atmosphere. Yaquina Head frames the beach to the south, capped with its lighthouse. Just offshore, Colony Rock is a sea stack where birds nest during part of the year. Look for seabirds like pelicans, cormorants, and common murres, not to mention bald eagles on the hunt for chicks.

Starfish Cove Oregon Coast — *Starfish Cove*

If you walk to the south end of the beach, you’ll be at the base of Yaquina Head. The boulder pile beneath the headland is a good place to see intertidal critters. The tide was coming in when I visited, but I saw some anemones and barnacles under the water.

Yaquina Head blocks off the coast to the south, but the beach stretches out to the north if you’re in the mood to walk. After about a mile, you’ll reach the access point for the easy way. If you hike at low tide, you can make it to Moolack Beach. Just be sure to save energy for the trip back up the hill. It’s just as bad as you’re thinking.