NOTES FROM THE ADVENTURE DESK
A GUIDE TO SEASONAL ADVENTURES – KAYAKING WITH OUR NEW ADVENTURE COACHES
April 2022
Hello from your new Adventure Coaches, Daniel, Kyle and Zak! As our most favorite time of the year is quickly approaching (longer days and ideal weather conditions means more time for adventuring!) we’ve been spending a lot our time outside crafting summer outings and scouting new spots to explore.
As you may have learned from our bios, we’re all avid water enthusiasts, and there’s not much we love more (other than surfing) than finding the best spots to drop in a kayak and discover new waterways. Recently we loaded up our kayaks and headed to Netarts Bay, a beautiful 30-minute drive north of Headlands, to explore the bay by kayak. The route to Netarts Bay follows part of the 40-mile long Three Capes Scenic Route and is worth the trip alone—the less traveled road winds through open pastures, climbs through a lush old-growth forest, and offers several stops along the way to take in the magnificent coastal views.
We checked the tides before heading out from the lodge and arrived at the bay right around low tide, and the moment we launched our kayaks into the bay we knew we were going to have an epic adventure! At low tide the bay is quite shallow, less than two-feet in some areas, which allows you to see amazing marine life. Only a few minutes after we set off from the shore we were able to see sea stars, sand dollars, and Dungeness crab! During the low tide the bay created several sloughs, similar to narrow channels, that we were able to easily paddle through. As our kayaks neared a sandbar we discovered over twenty seals sunbathing—a few even chose to follow us with the current!
After stopping at a small sandbar for a quick snack break, we continued our leisurely paddle and were met with spectacular views in every direction, including Cape Meares and Three Arch Rocksjust offshore from Oceanside to the north and Cape Lookout to the south. We also were fortunate to spot many shorebirds along the way, including Blue Herons and Western Snowy Plovers. The Snowy Plovers are a threatened species that rely on our beaches for survival, particularly during their critical nesting season from March to September. During your stay on the North Coast you may notice ropes at some beaches identifying sensitive nesting areas as well as signs indicating additional restrictions, adherence to these guidelines is crucial to help recovery efforts of the Plovers.
At the end of our expedition, we all agreed that a kayaking expedition at Netarts Bay is a not-to-be-missed outing—especially for those looking for a “taste” of our North Coast waterways. It offers a perfect combination of a leisurely paddle with spectacular views and plenty of wildlife sightings. We can’t wait to share it with our guests at the Lodge. Even better, if the tides allow join us for the ultimate Netarts adventure—we’ll begin the day with clamming at the south end of Netarts Bay, paddle for a couple hours on the bay, and then return to Headlands for an epic clambake on the patio!