Oswald West State Park preserves a large stretch of Oregon’s Pacific coast south of Cannon Beach, uniting shoreline, forest, creeks, headlands, and miles of trails, including part of the Oregon Coast Trail. Its best-known features include Neahkahnie Mountain, Cape Falcon, Short Sand Beach, and Smugglers Cove, with Short Sands especially popular for surfing in a forest-backed cove. Named for Governor Oswald West, who helped preserve Oregon’s beaches for public use, the park also honors journalist Matt Kramer for advancing beach protection. Offshore, protected waters around Cape Falcon restrict extraction and most fishing. The park is now day-use after its former walk-in campground closed because of hazardous trees.