Sitka Sedge State Natural Area, Natural area in Tillamook County, US

Sitka Sedge State Natural Area covers 357 acres (144 ha) of tidal marsh, mudflats, dunes, forested wetlands and uplands at the south end of the Sand Lake estuary, north of Tierra Del Mar in Tillamook County. A dike built by farmer Fritz Beltz still crosses the old pasture, and the land he cleared for rock became a trout pond and swimming hole for his daughters.

The site was acquired in 2014 by Oregon Parks and Recreation Department using lottery funds and a national conservation grant for coastal wetlands. This purchase protected the land as a natural area for future generations.

The site lies in the traditional territory of the Nestucca group of the Tillamook people and fell inside the Siletz Reservation boundaries from 1855 to 1875. Oregon State Parks notes that the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde also claim cultural affiliation with the area. The name Sitka Sedge comes from Carex aquatilis v. dives, a sedge native to the site.

Sitka Sedge lies at the south end of the Sand Lake estuary, north of Tierra Del Mar, reached from Sand Lake Road off Highway 101. The dike Fritz Beltz built along the ocean front now carries the Beltz Dike Trail, a flat, wheelchair-accessible route; other paths cross dunes and wetland. The beach was closed to motorized vehicles on weekends and holidays in 1995.

Three separate creeks flow into the southern section, feeding a complex system of tidal marshes, sand and mudflats. This interplay creates an unusually rich and changing ecosystem.