Adventure’s Calling: The Beaches in Lincoln City Are Ideal for Beachcombing in Oregon

Oregon beaches are known for dramatic coastlines, wide expanses of sand, weather that is often cloudy or rainy, and quaint small towns that dot the edges of the shore. A lesser-known (but much beloved) pastime on many Oregon beaches is beachcombing, but nowhere has this passion been taken more seriously than in Lincoln City. 

Lincoln City is a beachside community that sits above Newport but below Tillamook in Oregon. It is a sprawling city formerly made up of multiple smaller towns that were combined together. As such, there is no real "downtown" district, and there are many areas of interest in all parts of the city: the casino, the outlets, the beaches, multiple breweries, galleries, and charming family-owned restaurants. But, of course, the city is better known for what you can find while beachcombing. 

Beachcombing is the process of searching along the beach for little treasures. No, not gold and silver or jewels, these beaches aren’t the site of buried pirate booty (although the ship that inspired the famous tale of One-Eyed Willy from "The Goonies" was found along the Oregon Coast in 2022). Beachcombers typically look for natural objects like shells or stones. 

In the case of Lincoln City, shells and stones are commonly obtained treasures, as is petrified driftwood, semi-precious stones like agate and jasper, and occasionally fossils. However, the city is best known for a substance that began as a human product, but was molded and shaped by the sea into something else entirely—sea glass. These polished pieces of glass are typically found among rocks during low tide, but glass can be found in another form on these beaches as well. 

Lincoln City is famous for glass floats. These are hollow balls of glass that were traditionally used to keep nets afloat in the ocean. Over time, some of these floats from Japan washed up on the Oregon Coast, and this, along with the natural sea glass found, inspired a program called the Finders Keepers program. This program pairs with local glass blowers to make over three thousand small glass floats that are hid on the beaches in Lincoln City for people to find every year. Once found, you can keep the float for free, but you can also register your find with the city and get an official certification of authenticity for it, as well as more details on the craftsman who made it. 

But, for those who don’t want to find glass floats and want to focus more on beachcombing for other items, there are rules in place you need to keep in mind. You can only take non-living items and must check all shells to make sure it isn’t something’s home first. Additionally, you are only allowed one gallon of shells, stones, fossils, and agate per person a day. Then, three gallons per year is permitted (so, three days of beachcombing per year). 

Whether or not you’re looking to fulfill your inner Goonie dreams and become a full-fledged treasure hunter, or you’re just looking for a beautiful souvenir from the Oregon Coast, Lincoln City is the place to be! But maybe you think there’s a better beachcombing spot? Use our nomination form and tell us all about it!