Oregon Dunes: Wax Myrtle Beach, Siltcoos Recreation Area & Tahkenitch Dunes

​‪@WanderlustMAX‬
Music by: NaturesEye
Welcome to Wanderlust MAX and to the Siltcoos recreation area, located within the Oregon Dunes National Recreation area.
I’m staying at Waxmyrtle campground, in the heart of the Oregon dunes, nears Dunes City, which features a trail that leads along the Siltcoos river where it meets the Pacific Ocean.
My journey begins along the waxmyrtle trail. This view shows the Siltcoos river as it meanders toward the ocean and through the dunes. The Oregon dunes are really a patchwork of habitats including beach, forest, open sand, grass-covered dunes, river and wetlands.
Lakes and marshes abound within the Oregon Dunes, many of which were formed as the developing dunes dammed up streams and rivers
After a short walk from the campground through a beautiful forest and past marshlands, I came to Wax Myrtle Beach. One of the reasons I planned my trip to the Oregon coast was to evade a massive late-June heatwave impacting most of Oregon, with the exception of the coast. It was hard not to be in a wonderful mood as I enjoyed ideal temperatures and gorgeous scenery.
To get to my next destination, all I had to do was cross the street and head east to the Siltcoos Lake trail, but not everyone seemed happy to see me walking through their coastal forest…
The trail leads through rolling hills and marshlands on the way to Siltcoos lake, to a few hike-in, LakeSide campsites, but what really makes them enticing is the architecture of the outhouses nearby.
Siltcoos Lake, is the largest lake on the Oregon Coast.
I figured it would be a good evening to take in the sunset, so I made my way to Siltcoos Beach. The roar of ATVs is a part of life on the Oregon Dunes
If you’re a dog, you’re only allowed to go to the right of the sign, as the resident snowy Plovers find K9s absolutely revolting and will abandon their nests at the first sight of mangy mutts.
The snowy plovers nearly went extinct but are on the rebound after strict measure were put in place to protect them such as the installation of these posts tied together by rope to section off their nesting grounds
Whenever I find myself at an estuary, I keep an eye out for seals and they always seem to keep a close eye on me.
After slamming back the tasty canned triple shot coffee, I headed to The Tahkenitch Dunes trail where I planned to spend the entire day exploring. I was excited to get a real taste of what the diverse ecosystem of the dunes had to offer.
Not far into the hike, I came across a stretch of trail within a dense forest entirely composed of fine sands. I saw a little side-trail leading up the sand, which lead me to a hidden little pond.
Whether in the valley, the mountains or the coast, I always seem to come across a garter snake at some point during the day.
At last I reached an open view of the pacific Ocean from the top of a forested dune.
Nearby is Three-mile Lake, which is fairly remote and open to campers along the northern shoreline if they’re willing to trudge down the steep incline to the lake.
Be warned that hiking in loose, dry sand can be exhausting. I definitely had to catch my breath after slowly plodding up the hill.
It’s a thoroughly poetic and mysterious place - in fact, the seemingly endless ridges of sand inspired Frank Herbert’s science-fiction classic “Dune.”
I admit that I’m inclined to visit a location if it has an intriguing name. I was on the Tahkenitch dunes trail, but some of the signs misspelled the name, which had me confused about how to pronounce it. This one made me think it was pronounced something like, “Take - a - nitch”
From a remote lake to a remote beach, I was reveling in solitude by this point, which seemed to be accentuated by the marine-layer gloom gripping the coastline. I peered back see patches of blue sky from the way I came.
My favorite shoreline treasure I’ve collected thus far was found on this beach. I believe it to be a geode of some kind.
After walking along the beach for a mile or two, I came to Tahkenitch creek and took advantage of being alone to set up my camera and do a timelapse of myself running around taking pictures.
The Tahkenitch Dunes trail is the quintessential Oregon Dunes Hiking experience. To spend an entire day out there soaking up the scenery is sure to mark a lasting impression upon the soul.
Thank you for watching Wanderlust MAX.
Not all who wander through the dunes are lost, some merely pretend to be…