South Beach State Park spreads across a wide swath of sand and dune-grass just south of the Yaquina Bay Bridge. It offers Newport's most open beach experience: miles of sand for walking, kite-flying, or simply staring at the surf, plus the campground that is the most popular state-park reservation on the Oregon coast.
A short trail system winds through the spruce forest behind the dunes, and the jetty at the south side of the bay mouth — South Jetty — is reachable on foot for surf fishing or watching crab boats run in. Day-use fee, or covered by the Oregon State Parks pass.