The Salishan Spit is a sand spit separating Siletz Bay from the Pacific Ocean. It's located in Lincoln County, on the coast of Oregon. (Map) It is attached at the south end to land occupied by the golf resort and gated community of Salishan. Three miles to the north, it terminates at "the jaws," the mouth of Siletz Bay, across fast-moving tidal water from the beach in the Taft district of Lincoln City.
The seaward side of the Salishan Spit is a long sandy beach, accessible to the public via beach accesses in Gleneden Beach, or by a nature trail that begins at a parking lot at The Shops at Salishan mini-mall. The beach along the spit can be less crowded than other nearby beaches, because of the walk to get there. The view spans from Cape Foulweather to the south to Cascade Head to the north.
A colony of harbor seals resides at the end of the spit, where the jaws constrict the passage of fish and provide easier hunting. Seals range offshore along the beach, and it's common to see their rounded heads pop out of the water to observe humans on the beach. Keep well away (and keep dogs on leash) if you reach the end of the spit; interfering with the seals is both illegal and poor planetary citizenship. Local seals carry leptospirosis, which can infect (and kill) both humans and dogs.
See an aerial view of the end of the spit and the lower bay from just offshore at the jaws. More images at Google Image Search. Read the teaser of William Sullivan's hike coverage.