Afternoon drive-on-the-beach plan · Clatsop County, OR
You can't drive the beach in Seaside or Cannon Beach (no permit). And the Fort Stevens stretch (Peter Iredale → South Jetty) is CLOSED to vehicles noon–midnight, May 1–Sept 15 — so skip it in the afternoon.
✅ Go to Gearhart / Sunset Beach / Del Rey — open all hours, all year.
Closest to Seaside (~10 min). Easy hard-packed access.
Directions →Open to vehicles 7 days/week, any hour. Great wide beach.
Directions →County-maintained, open 7 days/week. Another solid entry.
Directions →🚗 Street-legal 4WD only (you're set). No safety flag needed on these highway-vehicle beaches — flags are only required in OHV dune areas.
Re-inflate to your door-jamb PSI before you get back on the road.
Saltwater gets into the undercarriage and causes corrosion. Rinse ASAP — the sooner, the less the salt eats at it. Do a plain undercarriage rinse (no soap/wax), run it twice.
Seaside Car Wash / Car & Boat Wash
📍 2297 N Roosevelt Dr, Seaside · Open 24/7 · self-serve bays · undercarriage wash · free vacuum
Hit wheels, wheel wells & mudflaps by hand too.
Air compressor — the pick: VIAIR 88P Digital. Clamps to the battery, 120 PSI, handles up to 33" tires. Set your target PSI (35), clamp on, and it auto-shuts-off — hands-off for all four tires. Tucks into the 2-door's under-floor bin next to the jack.
🛒 VIAIR 88P Digital on Amazon →Get the Digital version (auto-shutoff) — not the plain analog or the pricier "Off-Road/SXS" (same compressor, just adds a strap).
The ARB510 E-Z Digital Deflator makes airing DOWN fast and easy — screws on the valve, dumps air quickly, digital readout so you nail ~18 PSI. Pairs with the 88P (deflate with this, inflate with that).
🛒 ARB510 on Amazon →Look for model ARB510, digital display + pouch — not the old analog dial.