As you travel down Highway 101 in Oregon on the coast, you’ll see hundreds of signs for parkways, beach access, camping, scenic lookouts, and more. Many people miss most and have to pick and choose as they travel the Oregon Coast as there are far too many to see in a weekend or even a week. Each time we’ve traveled up or down the coast, we always pick a new spot to experience.
One of these trips produced a stop at Hall Lake. We had heard that Hall Lake was a nice place to have a kayak ride or play in the water but no one really tells you about the sheer amazingness of the place. Note that there is very little parking for the lake and it is quite a small lake as it’s a lake that formed inside of the sand dunes on the coast. If you can park in the first few spots you see, do so as you may not find anything closer and it’s quite small for turning around and going back out.
Once parked, you’ll take a little walk through the coastal forest over to a bit of a grassy park area. The day we went there were a few families and all of their kids were having a great time swimming and playing in the water. We took the little trail off to the left from the parking area and began a very short hike over to the sand dunes. We crossed a beautiful little wooden bridge over the creek that ran into the lake, down a path layered in ferns, pines, Rhododendrons, and all sorts of other lush, green plant life.
At the end of the trail, you reach the sand dune. We removed our shoes – it was warm out and we were both wearing flip-flops. The sand was shaded in the first handful of steps and cold to the touch but felt so luxurious on our bare feet. It’s that soft, beachy sand. As we stepped into the warmer sand, heated by the sunshine, our feet warmed back up and we made our way to the opposite side of the lake from where the kids were playing when we arrived.
In front of us, lie a crystal clear lake with a fabulous sandy bottom like the ocean but no waves and with fresh water. Behind us a hundred foot sand dune rose out from the ground and towered over us. People hike the sand dune to slide down much like one would sled on snow. It was fun to watch all of the people go up and down the dune on their butts! We played in the water for a bit and then sunbathed in the sand until the day began to turn to evening.
Making the little trek back across the warm sand, then cool shaded sand, and back on to the trail, our hearts were happy and our souls were filled with an abundance of the sights and sounds of nature.
