Newport Day 12
Kayaking Beaver Creek
The put-in for the Beaver Creek paddle is across the highway from Ona Beach at Brian Booth State Park. Apparently, Brain Booth State Park was formerly called Ona Beach State Park. The signage creates the appearance that they are two separate parks, but available info the internet contradicts that. Beaver Creek is part of the park and the put-in is maintained by the state. The launch is paved as is the parking lot, which has a state maintained restroom similar to what you find at trailheads.
From the launch you can go right fo a short paddle under the 101 bridge to the beach or left and go up Beaver Creek. We went left and had a pleasant paddle up the creek with no detectable current. The Creek was ver calm and serene as we explored the waterway. Wildlife was minimal at best today, but when we stopped in a couple of days ago while searching for a paddle route, we were told of otters and waterfowl.
We came across several other kayakers and paddle boarders on the creek and an interesting family hiking along the creek. The family had apparently become separated and were hollering to each other trying to regroup. The hollering went on for quite a while and was rather entertaining.
One kayaker we met was fishing and told us that the salmon come up tthe creek to spawn. Apparently in about two weeks (first week in November) the salmon cross the beach where Beaver Creek flows into the ocean and there are hundreds of them flopping across the sand in about 6-12 inches of water. He said it is fascinating to wee.
We explored the waterway for a little over an hour. The creek forked as it narrowed with the left fork side ending at a small dock which we guessed was another put-in, while the right fork appeared to keep going. We did the right fork for a while, then explored the left fork. When we reached the dock, we decided to start our return.
The Return
The weather turned quickly, which is no surprise on the Oregon Coast. The sky turned overcast pretty much within minutes and the wind was blowing up the creek from the ocean. The wind was a bit of a battle for us as we paddled back down the creek. By the time we got back to the launch we were happy to be getting out of our kayaks.
Overall this was a nice paddle, but nothing extraordinary. If we were to paddle in this area again, we would look for a different route. This route was worth doing, but it’s kind of a “been there, done that” experience.