King Tides on the Oregon Coast: What They Are and Why They Matter
- Liz Bigda
- Dec 30, 2025
- 4 min read
Click here to jump straigt to our King Tide Viewing Checklist
Along the Oregon Coast, winter brings what many now call King Tides. Longtime locals
may still refer to them simply as high tides, and for good reason. They are high tides, specifically the highest tides of the year, and the term “King Tide” is relatively new, so it was not part of the language many grew up with.
The phrase was first coined in Australia in the early 2000s to describe these extreme tidal events. It gained wider use on the Oregon Coast around 2009 with the launch of the Oregon King Tides Project (click here to learn more).
The King Tides Project is a community effort that invites residents and visitors alike to photograph areas affected by high tides. These images help document vulnerable coastal zones and offer insight into how rising sea levels and stronger storms may impact the coast over time. If high tide watching or photography interests you, the project also hosts an annual photo contest, including a new youth entry category, which you can check out on their website (this same section of their website also has a tide map).
A high tide occurs when the sun, moon, and Earth align, increasing the gravitational pull on the ocean. These tides can dramatically reshape the shoreline, sometimes making a familiar beach look entirely different from one day to the next. Places like Cannon Beach offer striking examples of this shift, especially around Haystack Rock. If you are on TikTok, make sure to check out Cannon Beach Adventures as they share some great examples.
When I first heard the term King Tide, I imagined towering waves crashing against the shore. Most of the images I had seen focused on dramatic surf and spray. What surprised me the first time I went to see them was that, in many places along our coast, King Tides are not about waves at all. They are about water quietly moving farther inland than usual. Streets flooding. Beaches disappearing. Familiar paths temporarily erased.
The effect can feel subtle at first, especially if you are viewing a single photograph without a “before” or “after” (shown in the link on your right) for comparison. But once you begin to notice how much the landscape shifts, the power of these tides becomes clear. It is a quieter kind of force, but no less significant.
Now King Tides, or high tides, cannot be discussed without also discussing safety. The Oregon Coast is beautiful, but it is not forgiving. Sneaker waves, which deserve an entire conversation of their own, carry far more power than their name suggests. These waves can pull people out to sea without warning and have taken lives, including those of children and pets.
If you choose to view or photograph King Tides, these guidelines are not optional. Mistakes here do not only affect individuals and their families, but also the wider community that too often bears the weight of their consequences.
Please keep the following in mind:
Never turn your back on the ocean.
Stay high and dry. View tides from designated viewpoints, headlands, or safe indoor locations such as hotels.
Avoid beaches and jetties during high tides. These areas are best enjoyed once tides have receded.
Know the tide. Check tide tables in advance and plan accordingly.
Last, and far from least: keep children close and pets leashed and near you at all times.
King Tide season typically runs from November through January, which means you have not missed it yet (as of writing this). The next set of King Tides is expected January 1–4, 2026.
Every month, we release a soap bar made with a purpose beyond simply washing. Each
bar is created to tell a story and to help ground us in the moments we often rush through. When you wash with this bar, you’re invited into a closer connection with the high tides and the winter spirit of the Oregon Coast.
This soap was originally imagined as a King Tide bar, but as I began formulating the recipe, the story widened. Rather than focusing on high tides alone, I found myself thinking about winter on the Oregon Coast as a whole, the gray skies, restless ocean, salt air, and quiet endurance of the season.
Winter on the Oregon Coast is wild and beautiful, filled with gray skies, a restless ocean, wind that carries cold and salt, and rain that falls for a season rather than a day or two.
Winter Tide captures that season. A steel-gray bar with shimmering salt and a scent that is both haunting and softly sweet, like standing on the shoreline after a storm. Clean, crisp, and unforgettable, just like our winter coast.
All of our bars include sea salt, but this one is made with half its weight in sea salt, creating a bar that is surprisingly smooth, slightly more cleansing than our others, and our only current option suitable for our vegetarian friends.
If you are looking for rugged, wild experiences, the Oregon Coast has got your back. Just make sure that back is never facing the ocean.
King Tide Viewing Checklist
Before you go:
□ Check tide tables for date, time, and height (click here and here for tide schedule)
□ Plan to view from safe, elevated locations (try here, here, or check the town's Chamber of Commerce or Visitor's Center)
When you arrive:
□ Arrive 30–60 minutes before peak high tide
□ Stay well back from the shoreline (try to view from a space with an offical watching spot)
□ Never turn your back on the ocean
Safety essentials:
□ Avoid beaches, jetties, rocks, and driftwood
□ Keep children close and pets leashed
□ Respect posted warnings and closures
If photographing:
□ Focus on how far inland the water reaches
□ Document flooded paths or areas that are usually dry
□ Observe changes from a safe distance
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