Southern Oregon Coast Recreation & Attractions
SHORE ACRES STATE PARK, located 12 miles west of Coos Bay is part of a spectacular state park threesome, which includes CAPE ARAGO ST. PARK and SUNSET BAY ST. PARK. Three of the most scenic parks on the Oregon Coast, all within a few miles of each other, each with something unique to offer. Sunset Bay St. Park is a sheltered bay with a nice beach for swimming or sunning and also has overnight camping. Cape Arago St. Park is situated on a rugged headland with some of the most scenic picnic sites you will find anywhere.
Sitting on sandstone cliffs high above the ocean, Shore Acres State Park was once the estate of timber baron Louis J. Simpson, the park features a formal garden with plants and flowers from all over the world. Visitors will find a Japanese-style garden and carefully curated rose gardens and something is in bloom almost every day of the year, designed to take advantage of the area's mild year round climate. HOLIDAY LIGHTS AT SHORE ACRES draws more than 50,000 visitors each season and features 200,000 lights. Open from 4-10 pm every night after Thanksgiving through New Year's.
BANDON DUNES GOLF RESORT, 57744 Round Lake Drive Bandon, Or. 855-220-6710. World famous destination golf resort just north of Bandon. With 5 different links style courses to choose from plus a par 3 course, hotel lodgings, restaurant, this is the Oregon Coast's premier golf destination. Bandon Dunes golf courses are walking courses only, with caddies available and are open to the public,. Green fees range from $100-200 or higher in summer.
THE ROGUE RIVER from its source in the high Cascades near Crater Lake, flows more than 200 miles, entering the Pacific Ocean at Gold Beach. One of the eight rivers established with passage of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 1968, The Rogue River is known nationally for its salmon and steelhead fishing and high-quality whitewater boating opportunities.
ROGUE RIVER JET BOATS Cruise the historic mail boat route just as Rogue River pioneers have done since 1895 when mail and freight were boat delivery only and road access did not exist. Mail is still delivered via mail boats today from Gold Beach to Agness 32 miles inland passing thru scenic landscapes and wildlife along the river. Summer temperatures can be 25-30 degrees warmer inland than on the beach.
COOS BAY-NORTH BEND is the largest city on the Oregon Coast with a population of 27000, Coos Bay is a shipping port, with timber, fishing and tourism as major industries. The Coos Bay area is a good base for exploring the Southern Oregon Coast, with scenic state parks nearby to the west at Shore Acres and Sunset Bay State parks, charter fishing at Charleston, and the Oregon Dunes to the north just across the bay. Bandon Dunes golf resort is 20 miles to the south.
CAPE ARAGO LIGHTHOUSE sits on a small island off Cape Arago, south of the entrance to Coos Bay and operated for more than 140 years until 2006. The lighthouse and island are owned by the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians. Explore the many other Historic Lighthouses of the Southern Oregon Coast:
Umpqua River at Winchester Bay
Heceta Head north of Florence
Cape Arago west of Coos Bay
Coquille River Lighthouse at Bandon
Cape Blanco north of Port Orford
SALMON RUN GOLF COURSE, 99040 South Bank Chetco River Road Brookings, OR 97415 877.423.1234. Tucked between Southern Oregon's spectacular coastline and the rugged Kalmiopsis Wilderness, you'll discover a championship course designed as much by nature as by man. Where enthusiasts and purists alike will find a challenge for every club in their bag. Salmon Run Golf Course is 3 miles from Brookings. With four sets of tees that stretch from 4,129 yards to over 6,000 yards, Salmon Run offers a course for every skill level in a setting that you will never forget. Open to the public, you may even see salmon and steelhead as they swim up Jack Creek to spawn. Accompanied by a restaurant, full-service bar, pro-shop.
BANDON has become one of the major destinations on the Oregon Coast, with close proximity to the Bandon Dunes golf resort, scenic beaches with stunning rock formations and many quality restaurants and hotels in the area.
OREGON DUNES NATIONAL RECREATION AREA, Reedsport. 541-271-3611. The Oregon Dunes Park features 30 lakes, 14 hiking trails, 13 campgrounds, 11 beach parking areas, 9 day use areas, 3 off-highway riding areas, 1 dunes overlook, and a visitor center. Fee is $3 per vehicle per day. Stretching along Hwy 101 from North Bend to Florence. 32,000 acres of shifting sand dunes up to 385 ft. high in a Sahara like atmosphere. Includes ghost forests, lakes, and ocean beaches. Siuslaw National Forest area map.
LOON LAKE LODGE & RV RESORT, 9011 Loon Lake Rd, Reedsport, Or. 97467 (541) 599-2244. Located 20 miles inland from Reedsport off of hwy 38, Loon Lake is a large inland lake and is popular for camping, boating and swimming, with warmer temperatures in the summer as a result of the sheltered inland valley location. Beautiful near wilderness scenery all around the lake. Loon Lake Lodge offers a wide a variety of lodging options including cottages, motel rooms, yurts, tent and RV spaces.
COQUILLE is in the inland Coquille valley which is uniquely home to thousands of rare Myrtle trees. Summer temps in the Coquille valley are usually 10-15 degrees warmer than on the beaches 20 miles away, with several campgrounds and RV parks in the area. Coquille is home to the Sawdust Theater which presents melodramas in the summer and the Coquille Valley Museum.
The scenic COQUILLE RIVER VALLEY has the largest watershed of any river on the Oregon Coast with several tributaries and many are bordered by parks and inland campgrounds, including BLM and county parks, providing access to parts of the vast Coast Range wilderness.
LAVERNE PARK, in the upper Coquille River valley 15 miles northeast of Coquille, is a county park with 76 campsites, including 46 with RV hookups, ideal spot for camping or picnicking in the warm summer weather which is often into the 80s, or swimming in the river.
PORT ORFORD is the westernmost town in the continental US 48 states, it's a fishing port with an active arts community. Port Orford is home to Battle Rock park, which was the site of a battle in 1851 between arriving settlers and local Indians. Fishing boats at the port must be lowered and raised into the ocean using dollies.
THE CONDE MCCULLOUGH MEMORIAL BRIDGE, built in 1936 over Coos Bay was named for the engineer who designed this and many other Oregon Coast Highway Bridges. One of the most significant bridges in Oregon.
THE PREFONTAINE RUN honors a great athlete and native of the southern Oregon Coast Steve Prefontaine, who held many American long distance running records during the early 1970's. This event is held every September in his hometown of Coos Bay, Oregon.
SOLVE OREGON has coordinated beach cleanups since 1984 along the Oregon Coast. Each year the Spring Oregon Beach Cleanup in March and the Beach and Riverside Cleanup in September draw thousands of volunteers. You can be a part of keeping this tradition going, visit www.solveoregon.org for more details!
OREGON STATE PARKS are among the most scenic in the world, with campgrounds, picnic sites, day use areas, hiking and more.
SAWDUST THEATER 541-396-4563. Corner of 1st and Adams, Coquille. Audience participation is what makes this theatre unique and contributes to making it one of the finest and oldest melodrama traditions in the Western U.S. Shows run throughout the summer..
COOS ART MUSEUM, 235 Anderson, Coos Bay. 503-267-3901. The museum features three galleries including the Prefontaine gallery, established in 1985 to honor former Olympian and Coos Bay resident Steve Prefontaine. Other attractions include works by major contemporary artists in america including Robert Rauschenberg, Alexander Calder, Red Grooms, Lary Rivers and Warrington Colescott.
STAY IN A YURT at an Oregon State Park, 1-800-452-5687 for reservations. Yurts are circular domed tents with wood floors and structural support. They are available for your camping adventures at Sunset Bay along the ocean beach southwest of Coos Bay, Bullards Beach at the mouth of the Coquille River, Harris Beach along the ocean beach near Brookings.
BIKING THE OREGON COAST, traveling the Oregon Coast by bicycle is becoming more and more of a popular way to see the coast. It is advisable to travel north to south in the summer months as there is a steady north wind, which works as a tailwind. Scenic state parks with camping and/or picnic sites dot the 300 mile route from Astoria to Brookings.
CRABBING AND CLAMMING are allowed year-round with no license required for on shore crabbing. There is a license requirement for crabbing by boat. For more info on current regulations check here: Crabbing & Clamming | Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (myodfw.com)
FISHING seasonal information: Fishing | Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (myodfw.com)
Other Beach Activities:
Enjoy Tide Pooling at Sunset Bay and Cape Arago State Parks
From November through May, Whale Watching as whales head south for the winter
