Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The ghost forest emerges during an extreme low tide at the beach in Neskowin.

The lowest tide of the year is coming to the Oregon coast this July, giving people the chance to see a whole other side of our beautiful coastline.



As the ocean recedes, intertidal areas will become exposed, allowing slippery – and potentially dangerous – access to low tide treasures as well as tide pools, sea stacks and beaches that are typically inaccessible.



A low tide of this magnitude usually happens at least once every year, but this year’s big event coincides with the Fourth of July holiday, which could make it much more popular than usual. Whether you’re planning on heading out to the coast or enjoying photos from afar, here’s what you need to know about the big low tide of 2019.

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Jamie Francis

Luke Maxwell, 11, eyes a sea star hanging from a rock near Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach.

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WHEN IS IT HAPPENING?

The lowest tide of the year for most places on the coast will happen from July 3 to 5. The exact time varies by day and location, but low tide will generally happen sometime between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. Check local tide tables for specifics.



HOW LOW WILL THE TIDE BE?

The exact height of the tide will vary from location to location. At Depoe Bay for example, the tide will get as low as -2.6 feet on July 4, while Cannon Beach will see a low tide of -1.7 feet that same day. The low tide at many locations will near or exceed minus two feet, which is generally low enough to expose a lot of areas that are usually covered by water.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The ship's boiler is all that remains of the ill-fated J. Marhoffer, a steam schooner that crashed into the Oregon coast near Depoe Bay in 1910.

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WHAT CAN I SEE?



There are several natural and human-made attractions to see at low tide, as well as all the tide pools that will be more accessible than usual. Some of our favorite places include the ghost forest at Neskowin, Devils Punchbowl, the namesake boiler of Boiler Bay, and Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach.



HOW RARE IS THIS?

It’s not especially rare. Low tide in Oregon happens twice daily, and more extreme low tide events like this usually happen a few times each year, following the new moons during late spring and summer months. A major low tide event already occurred in June this year, and another will happen from August 1 to 2 for most of the coast.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Inside Devils Punchbowl, a collapsed sea cave near Otter Rock on the central Oregon coast.

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IS IT SAFE?

Exploring intertidal areas is a lot trickier than taking a stroll down the beach. With slippery surfaces, deep holes and jagged rocks, there's an extremely high risk of serious injury. See our list of low tide safety tips and etiquette before heading out this summer.



WILL IT BE CROWDED?



The Fourth of July holiday is always a busy time at the Oregon coast, and the low tide event will likely only make things busier. If you’re planning on driving down for the day, try to show up first thing in the morning. If you want to stay the night and don’t already have accommodations… good luck to you.

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

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