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Months of winter storms and King Tides have transformed last summer's welcoming Driftwood Beach. The smooth sand entrance onto the beach from Driftwood Wayside has been scoured out, and foredunes have been sheared off into perpendicular faces. The huge 100 year old driftwood log I photographed in October south of Buckley Creek is now 100 yards to the north. More of Buckley Creek's sand bluff has sloughed off, and the impressive driftwood lean-to I began photographing last June is gone. It's a different, wild but very beautiful beach.

Conditions

Temperature: 50 F. Cloud Cover: Partly Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: W. Tide Level: 7.0 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 15. Number of dogs: 5. Walking or running: 14. People walk or stand close to the water (one with a small child) with high tide approaching. The surf looked pretty uncertain, and I greeted people with a friendly "Be careful!"

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 6.

Notable Wildlife

Virtually no wildlife, even gulls.

Dead Fish or Invertebrates

Unusual concentration. Pyrosomes in the driftline. These seem to be fairly new here, coming further north perhaps because of warmer waters in recent years.

Driftline Content

Small rocks, Shells, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Wood pieces. Pyrosomes. Very little debris here.

New Development

After last year's delays, OSU's PacWave South wave energy project was expected to begin here in February, the offshore energy collection cables to come ashore under Driftwood Beach and into the Driftwood Wayside parking lot. So far there's no sign of activity.

Natural Changes

Erosion of vegetated foredune, Visible retreat of solid bluff, Evidence of wave overtopping.

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All Mile 204 Reports

Showing 8 of 55 reports

Mile 204

November 19, 2023

Today marked my latest sighting of the old growth driftwood log that I've admired and whose comings and goings from Driftwood Beach I've documented since June 2020, when I first photographed it high on the beach south of Buckley Creek.

Jon French

Mile 204

August 11, 2023

I had read that the 265-foot vessel Seacor Lee would be anchoring a mile off Driftwood Beach in support of OSU's PacWave South wave energy testing project, positioned so that divers from the ship could perform work on previously installed seafloor conduits.

Jon French

Mile 204

June 17, 2023

I haven't walked Driftwood Beach regularly since the PacWave South wave energy project completed work underground in the Driftwood parking lot.

Jon French

Mile 204

January 1, 2023

By the time I got to Driftwood Wayside, a lot of people had already arrived for their New Years Day beach walks, some 30 vehicles in the parking lot and 30 - 40 people down on the beach, accompanied by at least half as many dogs, almost all leashed.

Jon French

Mile 204

October 23, 2022

This was probably the last dependably dry Mile 204 walk before the rains begin in earnest.

Jon French

Mile 204

August 17, 2022

After the morning fog lifted and before the marine layer moved in, I walked from Seal Rock on Mile 205 to Beach Access 66C on Mile 203.

Jon French

Mile 204

June 3, 2022

Driftwood Wayside is open again after PacWave's departure, but I was the only visitor on this breezy, drizzly day.

Jon French

Mile 204

May 10, 2022

The PacWave South wave energy project hosted a BBQ today at Driftwood Wayside for staff and neighbors to celebrate the completion of construction work here and the reopening of the Wayside later this month.

Jon French