Image via / Oregon King Tides / Flickr CC2. The most important thing to remember is this mantra: NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON THE OCEAN. Incoming tides and sneaker waves are always a threat while walking Oregon’s coast. Stay Safe and Watch The Oregon Coast Tides While Rockhounding ![]() Pick a spot to stick to, or walk the shore scanning for treasures, the choice is yours. Be Courteous of Your Fellow Agate Huntersįrom hardcore collectors to the casual beachcomber, you can bet there will be other folks out searching our beautiful beaches, especially at low tide. Agates will tend to go rolling up with the waves instead of sitting stationary in the sand like the heavier basalts. This means that searching at the water line where waves have just been will often yield good results. Agates are Less Dense Than Other Minerals Found on Oregon Beaches Image via / Openviolin / Flickr CC2 Hunt For Agates With The Sun Behind YouĪll of those translucent beauties light up in the sun’s glow, making them easier to spot amongst the wet rocks. These beautiful stones also become much more vibrant when wet, and thus easier to spot. They may be a solid color, have bands of minerals, or even crystals. Is it shiny or waxy-looking on the surface? Agates, jasper, and gemstones stand out from common sandstone and basalt by their luster. It goes without saying that more stones present on the beach equals better conditions for collecting agates.Įxamine the stone you’ve just picked up. Look For Beaches That Have Exposed Gravel Beds The best time of year to find Oregon agates is winter into early spring when storms have stirred up the rock beds and intertidal sand. Hunt For Oregon Coast Agates In The Winter Generally, high tide is the worst time to go on a beachcombing adventure. Since these beautiful stones form on beach cliffs, natural erosion washes them down into gravel bars where they’re churned and polished by the sand and ocean. The best time to hunt for agates is during low tide when the beach’s rocky areas are exposed. Image via / Openviolin / Flickr CC2 When is the best time to find agates? Look for rocks with distinctive patterns and colors, as this is a good indication that you may have found an agate. Agates are often small and can be easily missed if you’re not paying close attention. When you’re searching for agates, it’s important to know what you’re looking for. Getting Started Hunting Oregon Beach Agates: Tips and Tricks I personally have also uncovered marine fossils in the gravel beds, usually mollusks. Other gemstones to be found near the ocean are Jasper, Oregon Jade, Bloodstone, Carnelian, and Petrified Wood. ![]() The most highly prized of these beach finds are translucent, in colors from deep reds and grays to yellow, all the way to almost clear and transparent. They come in a wide range of colors and patterns, from white to black, and everything in between. Agates are a semi-precious form of chalcedony that forms in volcanic rocks. Image via / Kasey Eriksen / Flickr CC2 What Are Agates?īefore you set out on your adventure, let’s start with the basics. In this guide, we will take you through everything you need to know to find the best agates on the Oregon coast. How and Where To Find Agates on the Beach in Oregon In fact, Oregon boasts 363 miles of free and public coastline, so your chances of finding agates on the beach are excellent. Oregon’s section of Pacific Ocean beaches is home to some of the most unique and beautiful rocks in the world, including the highly coveted agates. ![]() Welcome to the Pacific Northwest’s gorgeous coastline, where you can explore some of the most scenic beaches in the United States. The basalt of the Yachats area is also included, and the volcanic rocks at Yaquina Head, Cape Foulweather and Depoe Bay are briefly discussed.A collection of agates, shells, and hagstones I've collected on Oregon beaches / Image via / The Author The area of focus is a seven-mile stretch of coast in Lincoln County, Oregon, from Ona Beach State Park south to Alsea Bay near Waldport, and about two miles inland to South Beaver Creek Road. It features over 100 photos and includes maps, diagrams and references. Sections on paleontology and buried forests are included, plus a discussion of earthquakes and tsunamis and how these forces may affect the geomorphology of the coast in the future. Unable to find one, she eventually decided to learn as much as she could and compile the information.Ĭompleted in November 2013 this document tells how the sedimentary rocks, basalt, marine terraces and sea cliffs in this area were formed and where they are visible. A local resident of the central Oregon Coast found herself wishing for a pictorial guide that explained the geology of the area’s rocky shores, sea cliffs, and beaches to a layperson.
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