Beaver Creek flows generally west for 16 miles (26 km) to the Pacific Ocean at Ona Beach, approximately 9 miles (14.5 km) south of Newport and 7 miles (11.3 km) north of Waldport, Oregon. The stream begins at an elevation of about 1,400 feet (427 m) in the Oregon Coast Range and drains a watershed of about 32,500 acres (13,152 ha). Ona Beach is named after the Chinook word for razor clams. About 60 million years ago, the Siletz terrane accreted to the western margin of North America, creating the foundation of the Oregon Coast Range. Over the next few million years, the offshore subduction zone shifted westward into the Pacific Ocean to its present position. In the ensuing tens of millions of years, sea levels fluctuated, nearby volcanoes erupted and eroded, and species arose and went extinct. During this time, ocean sediments accumulated steadily, compressing into a thick stack of sedimentary rocks. Many older rocks remain offshore beneath the water, but uplifting, folding, and faulting associated with the subduction zone have pushed up others to form much of the Coast Range. The eastern part of the Beaver Creek watershed is underlain by the Tyee Formation, consisting of siltstones and sandstones that are more resistant to erosion than the rocks to the west. This creates higher and steeper ridges and confines streams in deeply incised tributary valleys. The western part of the watershed is underlain, from east to west, by the Nestucca, Alsea, and Yaquina formations, the latter mostly buried by Quaternary marine terrace deposits. These formations and deposits consist of more erodible sedimentary rocks, creating a wide, flat valley that allowed for wetland development and prehistoric human habitation.

Beaver Creek was the site of an Alsea village, though the territory of these Yakonan-speaking people overlapped with the Yaquina people to the north. Both groups may have used the creek lowlands for seasonal fish camps. They collected fish and shellfish in large quantities, but catching salmon was the village’s primary purpose. The salmon was also dried for winter storage. They made inland trips to hunt and gather camas and berries in the mountains. Midden excavations indicate they occasionally hunted marine mammals. In 1855, an executive order created the Siletz Reservation, closing the coastal area to non-Native settlements from Cape Lookout in the north to near Reedsport in the south. However, later that year, another executive order opened the reservation between the Yaquina and Alsea River estuaries to form a corridor for a railroad. This led to a rush of Euro-American settlers who made immediate land claims, driving the Native people out of the coastal area. Commercial logging operations began in the 1870s and 1880s, with small family-based sawmills supplying local building lumber. Euro-American settlement increased steadily during the 1880s and 1890s. Homesteaders moved far up into the valleys, clearing forests, grazing dairy cattle, and cultivating hay and garden crops. In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt designated 630,000 acres (255,000 ha) of forest land as the Siuslaw National Forest. After World War II, the demand for lumber surged, leading to political pressure on Oregon’s national forests to supply more wood. Consequently, the harvest of national forest land increased rapidly after the 1950s. Most logging activity after 1960 involved clearcutting, followed by the regeneration of Douglas fir, the area’s fastest-growing timber species. In the 1970s, cable logging techniques enabled the harvesting of trees on very steep slopes. By 1995, nearly 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) of national forest land in the Beaver Creek watershed had been logged.

The land for Ona Beach State Park was purchased between 1938 and 1968 from private owners, including a 10-acre (4-ha) gift from Lincoln County in 1963. Before the Coast Highway was established in 1926, the beach between Newport and Seal Rock served as an access road. Motorists traveled at low tide, following the mail carrier who knew how to cross Beaver Creek. Ona Beach became known for its fossils, agates, and beach walks. The land for Beaver Creek State Natural Area was acquired from various private owners between 2007 and 2009 using lottery funds and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Wetland grant. This acquisition was a key part of a multi-partner strategy to connect old-growth forests in the upper watershed with downstream beach, coastal dune, estuary, and marsh habitats. Natural Areas like Beaver Creek are part of a global program to set aside sections within existing parks that have unique scenic, geological, or ecological value. These areas are maintained in their natural condition by allowing physical and biological processes to operate without direct human intervention. They are designated for scientific observation of natural systems, protection of typical and unique plant and animal communities, and preservation of outstanding examples of natural beauty. Development is restricted, though trails and signs may be included to educate and guide visitors. A house on the property was remodeled into a visitor center and opened to the public in 2010. In 2013, Beaver Creek and Ona Beach were incorporated into Brian Booth State Park, honoring the first chair of the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission. Read more here and here. Explore more of Beaver Creek and Ona Beach here: