Nehalem Bay State Park
State officials acquired the land on the Nehalem spit during the 1930s. Workers planted grass, trees and Scotch broom to stabilize the sand during the 1940s and 50s and built the air strip in 1958. The park opened in the early 1970s.
Read MoreOrginal plans for Highway 101 called for following the spit to its south end, then building a bridge to Nedonna Beach. Early visionaries for the park thought this route would allow for 1,000 campsites and "turn the park into the Coney Island of the west." For additional information, see gallery "Highway 101" in category "topics."
Controversy in the early 1960s over ODOT plans in south Tillamook County killed the plan to use the entire spit for a highway. Instead, ODOT suggested crossing Nehalem Bay to Fishery Point, then following the east side of the bay to Nedonna Beach. Over 200 people at a public hearing in 1970 opposed the plan. None spoke in favor.