Hi all,

I am flying up to the Oregon Coast this weekend. I plan on driving back to California using the coastal routes. I know a few of you live in that region and, I was wondering if you know of any must visits
as far as tidepooling goes.

Thanks, H

Will you be collecting, or just looking?

If you know roughly what dates you will be where, I suggest you go to the Tide Predictor web site, select a few sites along the west coast, and print out a listing of the low tide times.

Tide pools are only tide pools at low tide (and the low tides aren't very low next week, although in November and December they will be very, low very often.)

IDK where u live in cali but Half Moon Bay has some awesome tide-pool spots. we actually had a local club get-together to go tide-pooling once. it was pretty fun from what i heard.
hope you can find some awesome tide-pools!

Yes I may collect on the drive back home. I have
A tide table app on my I Phone and, I will check
to see low tide times. This is cool wireless while
flying. I wrote this lost at 30,000 feet, wow!!!
I will update hopefully.

Thanks, H

Oh yes I am from that general area. The tide pools are
awesome. My favorite place is south Bean Hollow Beach.
I am going to explore the northern portion of California
and most of Oregon.

Thanks, H

oh ok cool! well other than that all i know is that socal has some beautiful sites on the coast ( not really tide-pools though.

There is a good tidepool area north of Newport, Oregon. I think it is Yaquina head. Google it and see. There is a lighthouse and wilderness area. It costs a few bucks to visit, but it is worth it at low tide.

The problem is that most of the places are best at low tide. You can't be everywhere at once, and the lowest tides are usually in the early morning. Otherwise, you are stuck just watching the surf on the beach.

I would also recommend the Oregon Coast Aquarium. It is no where near as good as the Monterey Bay or the Seattle aquarium, but it is still a good stop.

If you have questions about if a place is worth it, send me a PM and I'll try to reply.

dsoz

For what it's worth, I killed a few things before I learned to use a battery powered air pump and a bucket in an ice chest to keep things alive during a long drive home. I've also found that there is often no cell signal on the coast highway Northern california, so if your iPhone app depends on having a signal you may be blind.

Sounds like a great trip!

Yaquina head is awesome, but it's illegal to collect there, just so you know. Barview jetty, the north jetty of Tillamook bay, is great for collecting because there are lots of small, easily take-able rocks. I imagine this would be the same for the jetties at newport, but I have never collected there. I can tell you that the docks at Newport have great stuff growing off them, metridiums, tunicates, etc.

Fitzgerald marine reserve is pretty cool, it's about 45 min from San Francisco. It's at moss beach 8 min north of half moon bay. Collecting is illegal though.
Have a nice trip

I fav growing up was seaside and the old stardard haystack rock. there are great tide pools there if the tide is low enough

^ also a great spot, also protected from collection of any kind. Just to the north is ecola state park, however, where you can find most of the same things.

Some of my best childhood memories there!!!

Thank you all for your responses. I have a good idea
how my trip back to California will proceed. I really
enjoyed my couple days in Seattle. I did the usual Pikes
Street, Space Needle and Seattle Aquarium. (awesome)
I even drove as far as Port Angeles and Hurricane Ridge.
I must say the Puget Sound is beautiful. Now my
drive home to Califorinia begins. I have a full tank of
gas, map in hand, battery powered air pump, bucket and
many many miles of Pacific coast. Here I go!!! My first stop
Barview Jetties then Newport and possibly Yaquina and Seaside.

H








Barview Jetties is better during low tides? Where is the best place
to look north jetties inland or the tip?

yes, low tide is necessary, but it doesn't have to be super low. You don't have to go far out to find good stuff. The easiest spot is right at the back of the main pool of water on the shore side. the water floods both sides of the area at high tide, and forms a giant tide pool there. The closer you get to the jetty itself the batter, but unless it's a really big low, you won't be able to find much, or even access, to the ocean side.

Newport, CA has a bay where i found some nudibranchs and other cool stuff just to let you know if you ever go down there.