Mile 242 Report
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
July 16, 2026
A damp, foggy coastal day resulted in fewer visitors and their pets enjoying the beach than on a typical summer day. Tide pool habitats were teeming with sea stars, anemones, mussels, limpets, and other marine organisms. Unfortunately, graffiti continues to spread across the sandstone cliffs and seawalls, diminishing the natural beauty of the area and creating an ongoing concern. Litter collection was especially productive during this survey.
Report Details
A damp, foggy coastal day resulted in fewer visitors and their pets enjoying the beach than on a typical summer day. Despite the quieter conditions, those who ventured out had the opportunity to experience the shoreline during a favorable low tide. Lincoln City Parks and Recreation, in partnership with Cascade Head, welcomed visitors at an informational booth, where they shared educational resources on local tide pools, marine life, and the importance of protecting these fragile coastal ecosystems. Tide pool habitats were teeming with sea stars, anemones, mussels, limpets, and other marine organisms. Although nudibranchs have been observed during previous visits, they continue to remain well hidden this season. The extended tidal exposure provided excellent opportunities for visitors to observe and learn about the rich biodiversity found along the Oregon coast. Unfortunately, graffiti continues to spread across the sandstone cliffs and seawalls, diminishing the natural beauty of the area and creating an ongoing concern. Construction also continues on the new visitor center, limiting public access to the Mile 242 monitoring area and requiring visitors to use alternate routes to reach portions of the beach. Litter collection was especially productive during this survey. A record 13.5 pounds of waste was removed from the shoreline, highlighting the continued need for stewardship and regular beach cleanups
Conditions
Temperature: 59 F. Cloud Cover: Foggy. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Tide Level: -1.9 feet.
Activities
Types of Activities: Walking/Running, Tidepooling, Other - see below.
Number of people: 47. Number of dogs: 3.
Other Activities: Building sand structures, eating, kite flying, and harvesting mussels. Continued destruction of the sea bluffs from climbing and carving initials and names..
Concerns
Climbing bluffs/seastacks
Notable Wildlife
Blue Heron, anemones, sea stars, sculpin, coralline algae, chitons, goose-neck barnacles, Turkish towel, crows, gulls
Beached Birds
Total dead birds: 5. Gulls, No leg bands noted
Stranded Marine Mammals
N/A
Wrackline Content
Small rocks, Seaweeds and seagrass, Shells, Wood pieces. Patchy
Man-made Modifications
Vandalism. Sea wall below the new visitor center, a continual carving along sandstone cliffs.
Natural Changes
N/A
Lincoln City greets visitors at the tidepools,
Gulls enjoying an early morning of misty rain.
Our tidepool observation area.
Small sea star
Sea star clusters
Sea anemones
Graffiti on sea walls
Blue Heron in D River
Tagging birds for COASST
Constuction continues on the new visitor center
Erosion observation area south of D River
Sandstone cliff observation over time
Report Images
Teachers Bobbie, Bill, Sally, Annette, Maureen
CoastWatcher
All Mile 242 Reports
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
A damp, foggy coastal day resulted in fewer visitors and their pets enjoying the beach than on a typical summer day. Tide pool habitats were teeming with sea stars, anemones, mussels, limpets, and other marine organisms. Unfortunately, graffiti continues to spread across the sandstone cliffs and seawalls, diminishing the natural beauty of the area and creating an ongoing concern. Litter collection was especially productive during this survey.
Teachers Bobbie, Bill, Sally, Annette, Maureen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
What began as a foggy morning along the coast soon became much clearer when we spotted a familiar face educating the public at the tide pools near Mile 242. Annette, a member of our group, took the opportunity to educate families about the Lincoln City Glass Floats program, encouraging participants to explore areas outside of protected habitats to increase their chances of discovering one of the treasured glass floats while minimizing impacts to sensitive coastal resources. The high volume of visitors also resulted in a significant amount of litter. As the fog lifted, the coastline came alive with activity.
Teachers Bobbie, Annette, Bill, Sally, and Maureen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
CoastWatch volunteers develop highly trained observational skills. Our monitored mile has changed dramatically as shifting sands have buried portions of the tidepool habitat. Construction of the new visitor center is also underway near our monitoring area.
Teachers Annette, Bobbie, Sally, Bill, and Maureen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
Anyone missing a sock?
Bobbie, Annette, Sally, Bill, and Maureen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
During our field observation at the Oregon shore, unseasonably warm weather conditions coincided with increased recreational activity.
Teachers Bobbie, Annette, Sally, Bill, and Maureen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
During the observation period, favorable coastal weather conditions attracted numerous visitors seeking relief from colder valley temperatures.
Teachers Bill, Sally, Bobbie, Annette, and Maureen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
At low tide, breakfast at the coast offered a view of the natural world awakening.
Teachers Sally, Bobbie, Annette, Kaily, and Maureen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
Over the weekend, a large number of visitors escaped the 100-degree valley heat and headed to the cool Oregon coast, where tidepooling proved especially popular.
Teachers Sally, Laurie, Bobby, Annette, and Maueen
