Manzanita Webcam – Oregon Beach Below Neahkahnie Mountain

The Manzanita Webcam looks north from the Ocean Inn at 32 Laneda Avenue, over the spot where the town’s main street runs out onto the sand. A paved turnaround, a row of rough stone blocks and a set of steps lead into a dune covered in beach grass, and beyond it the Pacific breaks in long white lines along Manzanita Beach. On the right, the forested cliffs of Neahkahnie Mountain drop to the sea and close off the northern end of the beach. On the left, the open sand runs down to the water, with walkers strung out along the shoreline and shallow pools left on the flat beach as the tide drops. Clear days put the headland in sharp relief against a blue sky, while a grey morning can soften it to an outline behind the surf.

About Manzanita

Manzanita is a small beach town in Tillamook County on the north Oregon coast, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Seaside to the north and the same distance from Tillamook to the south. It had 603 residents at the 2020 census and covers just 2.13 square kilometers (0.82 square miles), at an official elevation of 12 meters (39 feet). The post office opened in 1914 and took its name from the manzanita shrubs that grow here, a Spanish word meaning little apple. The street in front of the camera keeps an older name alive: Edmond Lane bought land here in the late 1800s, and the area was known as Laneda by the Sea before it became Manzanita.

The town was platted as a beach resort in 1912, the same year Sam Reed opened the Neahkahnie Tavern and Inn, the area’s first oceanfront hotel. Highway 101 was completed along this coast in 1940, linking the small communities, and Manzanita incorporated as a city in 1946. The Ocean Inn grew from an apartment building put up in the early 1940s, which still holds its four oceanfront suites, with a second building added in 1997. The beach in view runs for about 11 kilometers (7 miles) from the foot of Neahkahnie Mountain south to the mouth of the Nehalem River, and Laneda Avenue meets it near the middle.

Neahkahnie Mountain rises to 513 meters (1,683 feet) inside Oswald West State Park. It also carries the best-known treasure story on this coast. Local legend says Spanish sailors buried a chest on its slopes, and the tale gained weight because beeswax has turned up for years on the beach below the southwest side of the mountain, thought to come from the galleon Santo Cristo de Burgos, which disappeared in 1693. A later wreck, the Glenesslin, came to grief off Manzanita in 1913.

Weather and Climate in Manzanita

Manzanita has a mild, wet ocean climate with only a small swing between the seasons. Averages for 2016 to 2025 from the Open-Meteo archive at the beach put January highs near 10 C (49 F) and lows near 4 C (40 F), with February nights the coldest at around 3 C (38 F). Most of the year’s rain falls between October and March, and November through January are the wettest months by a wide margin. On a wet winter day the Manzanita Webcam can turn grey from top to bottom, with darker sand and low cloud sitting on the shoulder of Neahkahnie Mountain.

Summer is the dry season. July and August each bring less than 30 millimeters (1.2 inches) of rain on average, and August highs reach about 20 C (68 F) with nights near 13 C (55 F). Spring warms slowly, with April highs around 12 C (54 F), and October still averages about 15 C (59 F) before the heavy rain returns. Because the camera faces north, the midday sun sits behind the lens and lights the cliff face of the mountain head on, which is when the headland shows the most detail.

Things to Do Near Manzanita

The simplest outing starts right in front of the camera. From the Laneda Avenue access you can walk north toward the foot of Neahkahnie Mountain, or south along the open sand toward the Nehalem River. The Manzanita Beach Walk and Run has been held on this beach, at the foot of the mountain, every year since 1990, and Oregon Beach Rides takes visitors out on horseback in season. For a view from above, hikers who climb Neahkahnie Mountain in Oswald West State Park can follow the headlands up and down the coast from the top.

South of town, Nehalem Bay State Park opened in 1972 and fills the whole of Nehalem Spit, with the ocean beach on one side and the bay on the other. It has 265 campsites, 18 yurts and 17 equestrian sites with corrals, a 12 kilometer (7.5 mile) horse trail, a forested 2.9 kilometer (1.8 mile) bike path with views over the bay, and fly-in campsites beside Nehalem Bay State Airport. Back on Laneda Avenue, inland from the camera, a few blocks of shops, cafes and galleries include the Hoffman Center, Steeplejack Brewing Co. and Manzanita News and Espresso.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More cameras along the Oregon coast, from Seaside in the north to Lincoln City in the south:

• Pacific City Webcam
• Lincoln City Webcam
• Seaside Osprey Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Manzanita located?

Manzanita is on the north Oregon coast in Tillamook County, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Seaside and the same distance north of Tillamook. The camera sits at 32 Laneda Avenue, where the town’s main street meets the beach.

What can you see on the Manzanita Webcam?

The camera looks north over the Laneda Avenue beach access, with its stone blocks, steps and grassy dune, toward the surf of Manzanita Beach and the cliffs of Neahkahnie Mountain. People walking the beach, pools on the sand and the state of the surf are often visible.

What is the weather like in Manzanita?

Mild and wet. January highs sit near 10 C (49 F) and most of the rain falls from October to March, while August highs reach about 20 C (68 F) and July and August are close to dry.

How tall is Neahkahnie Mountain?

Neahkahnie Mountain rises to 513 meters (1,683 feet) at the north end of Manzanita Beach. It lies within Oswald West State Park, and its cliffs form the headland on the right of the camera’s view.

Is there buried treasure on Neahkahnie Mountain?

That is the local legend. The story says Spanish sailors buried treasure on the mountain, and it has lasted partly because beeswax, thought to come from the lost galleon Santo Cristo de Burgos of 1693, has been found for years on the beach below its southwest slopes.

How long is Manzanita Beach?

About 11 kilometers (7 miles) of open sand run from Neahkahnie Mountain south to the mouth of the Nehalem River. The southern 6.4 kilometers (4 miles) or so lie within Nehalem Bay State Park.

Can you camp near Manzanita Beach?

Yes. Nehalem Bay State Park, just south of town, has 265 campsites, 18 yurts, a horse camp with 17 equestrian sites and fly-in campsites beside Nehalem Bay State Airport.

Source: Ocean Inn at Manzanita