Neskowin is a small town on the central Oregon Coast that most people drive through without stopping. The reason to stop is the ghost forest, though it doesn't advertise itself — you have to know to look at low tide, and even then it can be easy to miss if the tide is wrong or the sand has covered it.
The Neskowin Ghost Forest is approximately 100 ancient sitka spruce stumps emerging from the surf and sand at low tide — trees that died and were buried around 2,000 years ago and have been periodically re-exposed by changing sand levels ever since. They were largely a local legend until a series of storms in 1997-98 uncovered them dramatically and drew scientific attention.
Two theories compete for how the forest was buried. The leading geological hypothesis ties the trees to the 1700 Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake, which dropped forested coastal land into the tidal zone. Submersion in saltwater and then anaerobic mud preserved the stumps from decomposition. A competing theory involves gradual dune encroachment. Either way, standing at the waterline surrounded by 2,000-year-old stumps covered in barnacles and mussels while waves come in around your feet is one of the stranger experiences the Oregon Coast offers.
The best access is from the public parking lot off the Neskowin turnoff, walking directly onto the beach in front of Proposal Rock — the large offshore haystack rock that defines the town's silhouette. Low tide is essential. Check tide charts before you go.