Wikimedia Commons/Chrahp

The tide comes in and the tide goes out. But when it recedes far back toward the ocean, treasures are sometimes unveiled in its wake.

The lowest low tides of the year on the Oregon coast give intertidal explorers an opportunity to find sea stars, anemone, ancient stumps and shipwrecks.



Lower low tides (below minus one foot) usually occur every month, based largely upon the phase of the moon, while super low tides (near or below minus two feet) arrive about once a year. This year's lowest low tide events will occur from June 4 to 6, July 3 to 5 and August 1 to 2, according to predictions by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Not everything on this list requires the lowest of low tides to see, so even if you miss the big event this weekend, rest easy knowing you can see some low tide treasures year-round.

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SAFETY

When exploring intertidal areas, it’s best to arrive as the tide is going out, giving yourself plenty of time to look around before it comes back in. Keep a sharp eye on the ocean, and try to avoid going to high rocks and other places where you could get stranded by rising surf.

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A CAUTION ABOUT THIS DATA

Please take these specific times and tide levels with a grain of salt. Tide tables are an essential tool, but inherently a little iffy to rely upon. The numbers I used below are from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which predicts tides for specific locations (usually harbors) on the coast – that means they're not necessarily the exact tides for the following low-tide attractions. Still, if it's low tide a few miles up the coast, it's pretty safe to assume it will be low tide where you are, too.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

1. Ghost Forest

Location: Neskowin

Next big low tide: July 13 at 7:50 a.m. (-1.88 feet)

In the late 1990s, a series of storms battered the central Oregon coast, unearthing a strange sight on the beaches of Neskowin: the remains of an ancient forest. Today, all you can see is a series of small stumps, but the so-called “ghost forest” remains an eerie and rare phenomenon.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

2. Boiler Bay boiler

Location: Depoe Bay

Next big low tide: July 13 at 7:06 a.m. (-2.82 feet)

Ever wondered how Boiler Bay north of Depoe Bay got its name? Go at low tide and look north for the rusty remains of a boiler from the ill-fated J. Marhoffer, a steam schooner that crashed into the rocks in 1910. The wreck was surely a sight to see, caused by a fire in the engine room that forced the captain to abandon the ship as it ran full-speed toward shore.

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Jamie Francis/The Oregonian

3. Tide pools

The many beautiful tide pools along the coast are a treasure in and of themselves. You can see them during most low tides – as is their nature – but the farther the water recedes, the more you'll be able to see. See my previous list of Oregon's tide pools, or just head to the rocky central coastline to see some of the best.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

4. Thor's Well

Location: Cape Perpetua

Next big low tide: July 13 at 7:58 a.m. (-1.85 feet)



Located in the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, Thor's Well is a bowl-shaped hole carved out of the rough basalt shoreline, that has captured the attention of tourists and photographers in recent years. Some like seeing it drain water at high tide, but when the water is low you can get an up-close view of the fascinating phenomenon.

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Mike Zacchino/The Oregonian

5. Hug Point

Location: Arch Cape

Next big low tide: July 13 at 7:32 a.m. (-2.05 feet)



Hug Point State Recreation Site is basically a low-tide attraction. Once the tide goes out, an old wagon road is unveiled, along with tide pools and sea caves. You can also find a seasonal waterfall and some stretches of sandy beach.

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

6. Secret Beach

Location: Samuel H. Boardman Corridor

Next big low tide: July 14 at 7:41 a.m. (-1.88 feet)



This small (and not-so-secret) beach is found near Thunder Rock Cove in the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in Oregon. Access is best at low tow tide, when you can rest on the beach before several stunning sea stacks just offshore.

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

7. Haystack Rock

Location: Cannon Beach

Next big low tide: July 13 at 7:32 a.m. (-2.05 feet)



Certainly, everyone in Oregon already knows about Haystack Rock (the most iconic landmark on the coast), but while its silhouette is world famous, its reputation as a low-tide attraction often flies under the radar. Home to an ecological wonderland of intertidal life below, and a sanctuary for sea birds above, it's truly a magnificent treasure to explore.

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8. Sujameco shipwreck

Location: North Bend

Next big low tide: July 13 at 7:05 a.m. (-2.45 feet)



Visitors to Horsfall Beach in North Bend might be able to see the iron skeleton of the Sujameco, a 324-foot steamship that ran aground in 1929. Lost in heavy fog, the ship got stuck in shallow water, turned around by breakers and finally ran ashore after trying to maneuver away at full speed.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

9. Peter Iredale

Location: Fort Stevens State Park

Next big low tide: July 13 at 8:19 a.m. (-1.90 feet)



Without a doubt the most iconic shipwreck on the Oregon coast, the wreck of the Peter Iredale is found just beyond a parking area at Fort Stevens State Park. Only the steel hull remains of the 275-foot sailing ship, which ran aground in 1906. The shipwreck is accessible at a normal low tides.

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Foster Church/The Oregonian

10. Devil's Punchbowl

Location: Otter Rock

Next big low tide: July 13 at 7:06 a.m. (-2.82 feet)



A word of caution: Devil's Punchbowl is a fascinating natural attraction to explore at low tide, but if you stay too long you'll be at a serious risk of injury or death. A trailhead found a couple blocks east of the main viewpoint will lead you along a short and easy hike to the interior of the collapsed sea cave.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

NORTHWEST TRAVEL GUIDES

A week in Olympic: Follow along on a five-day adventure through sprawling Olympic National Park.

John Day Fossil Beds: It's more than just the Painted Hills, you know. Here are 8 things to see at the fossil beds.

Oregon wilderness: Want to really get away? Grab your backpack and head into one of Oregon's 47 wilderness areas.



--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB

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