Pistol River South

Pistol River South is a beach access unit of Pistol River State Scenic Viewpoint.  The South unit is located just south of the highway bridge over the Pistol River near milepost 339 on US 101.  There is paved parking, but no rest rooms.

There are dunes where the Pistol River emerges from the Oregon Coast Range near the Pacific Ocean.  The river turns northward, forming a sand spit before it reaches the ocean.  Pistol River South is located where the sand spit begins, and offers access to the riverbank side and to the ocean side by walking a sandy trail across an old river channel and the foredune.  The old river channels form seasonal ponds; this place has an interesting dune morphology.

Pistol River South has been assigned  186  in Oregon's system of numbered beach access points.

Google Map.  Pictures at Google Image Search.


Begun 2020; updated 2023.