Seaside Point and Cove

South of Seaside, the wide sandy beach runs into the rocky headland of Tillamook Head, which projects westward into the Pacific. But even this northern edge of the headland has a beach, it's just a very different one. The lower beach is rounded boulders and the upper beach is a coarse gravel and cobble berm. I assume this coarse material is all basalt, eroded from the promontory and spread eastward along it's northern shore.

AERIAL VIEW

The westerly swell sweeps along this shoreline, breaking at a very sharp angle and creating (at least under the right conditions) a strong left break just offshore. Seaside Point is a beach with a guarded, but apparently well-deserved, local reputation. During our visit, the waves seemed a little choppy and chaotic (surfers probably have a better vocabulary), but there were still a lot of surfers in the water. A strong rip develops right along the beach, making it easier for them to paddle out, but also creating a bit of a hazard.

I think the little divot in the corner (where the headland meets the main beach) is what is referred to as "the cove." The cobble beach takes an inland excursion (see aerial), leaving a sandy pocket - makes an easier entry for the surf crowd then stepping through the boulders farther out. Interestingly the cobble then continues a little farther north until it is overwhelmed by the sand (see previous post). I was curious about the origin of the cove (it's more complicated than simply being an inside corner between the north-south sandy beach and the east-west cobble beach), but so far my ideas are pretty speculative (even more speculative than usual).