Sand Lake Recreation Area

The Sand Lake Recreation Area is located along Oregon's North Coast, 15 miles southwest of Tillamook, OR between Cape Lookout and Cape Kiwanda. It covers 1,076 acres of open dunes, surrounded by forests and adjacent to the Pacific Ocean. The Sand Lake Recreation Area is popular with OHV riders but offers a variety of recreational opportunities. Map of Sand Lake Recreation Area The Sand Lake Estuary, adjacent to the Sand Lake Recreation Area, provides opportunities for fishing, swimming, crabbing, kayaking, hiking, and wildlife viewing. The near-natural state of this 900-acre estuary provides a home to many species of waterfowl and access is available at Fisherman’s Day Use Area near the Sandbeach OHV Campground. The dunes begin at the estuary and extend to the northeast for about 3.5 miles. The dunes are surrounded on three sides by a coastal mixed-conifer forest and the west by the Pacific Ocean. The dunes are an example of an extended parabolic dune system. Dune vegetation is mostly European beach grass and shore pine. Find out more about coastal dunes from our Geology of Dunes page. The climate at Sand Lake has strong marine influences. Summers are cool and winters are moderate. Westerly winds predominate - from the northwest during the summer and from the southwest in the winter. These winds from the ocean bring heavy rainfall in the winter and fog in the summer. Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation The Sand Lake Recreation Area is popular with Off-Highway Vehicle enthusiasts. It offers to ride on open dunes with access from campgrounds/day-use areas that are open year-round. Sand Lake has three developed campgrounds, a dispersed camping area, and a day-use staging area that allow access to the dunes and beach. A fee is required at all campgrounds, the day-use lot, and the open sand. Campgrounds fill up every weekend from May through September. Know the regulations before you arrive! The State of Oregon establishes and administers OHV permits and regulations. Regulations are strictly enforced by the Tillamook County Sheriff and the U.S. Forest Service.