SOUTH OREGON COAST 81 VISITTHEOREGONCOAST.COM Sheep Ranch at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort or book a charter fishing trip. The Curry Historical Museum features cultural- and natural-history exhibits. Head to the black-sand beaches for colorful rocks and petrified wood. Families love the Francis Shrader Old Growth Trail, a loop through a lush forested area, and the Myrtle Tree Trail, where hikers marvel at a grove of this fragrant Southern Coast native. BROOKINGS A pleasant climate is one of the many draws in Brookings, where weather patterns create warmer conditions than elsewhere on the Coast. Enjoy the harbor at waterside eateries, or head out for ocean and Chetco River fishing with a guide. In spring Azalea Park features 33 acres (13.4 ha) of azaleas bursting into bloom, some 200 years old. Alfred A. Loeb State Park on the Chetco River has a hike through the country’s northernmost redwood forest groves. For spectacular scenic viewpoints and pocket beaches, traverse the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, covering 12 miles (19.3 km) of rugged coastline. at Valley Flora for salad greens, U-pick strawberries and more. PORT ORFORD In Port Orford, you’ll find a productive fishing village with a unique port where boats are hoisted up via crane to a dry dock. Enjoy local seafood and stop in at one of several cozy art galleries and a lively community bookstore. For great views of Port Orford Bay, head to Battle Rock Wayside Park, featuring an iconic sea stack and view of Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve. Scenic stops include sunset at Paradise Point State Recreation Site; viewing the shifting sands of Tseriadun State Recreation Site; and Port Orford Heads State Park, home to windswept hiking trails and a museum in a historical Coast Guard lifeboat station. GOLD BEACH A gold rush enticed prospectors during the mid-1880s; today travelers come to Gold Beach for access to the beaches, Wild and Scenic Rogue River, and wilderness trails. Take a scenic river trip on a historic mail route with Jerry’s Rogue Jets CHARLESTON A gateway to cliffside state parks and local seafood, Charleston keeps it wild. At the Charleston Marina Complex, take out a fishing charter or buy seasonal fish or crab off the docks from the commercial fleet. Touch tide-pool creatures at the Charleston Marine Life Center. The South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve is a 4,800-acre (1,942.5-ha) paddler’s paradise. The Cape Arago Beach Loop leads to stunning public land with ocean vistas. Gardeners adore Shore Acres State Park, a historic estate with formal gardens, perched on the cliffs above the Pacific. Each year during the holidays, more than 325,000 lights transform the grounds. BANDON Bandon is known as the “Cranberry Capital of the West Coast,” a distinction celebrated each September during the Cranberry Festival. Its glorious beaches are studded with offshore sea stacks like Face Rock, and some have views of the 1896 Coquille River Lighthouse. In town look for giant sculptures made of beach waste by Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea. Birders watch for species at the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in a 400-acre (162-ha) tidal marsh, and mountain bikers ply the trails at Whiskey Run, north of town. The historic Bandon Dunes Golf Resort has multiple Scottish-style links perched on a bluff above the ocean. LANGLOIS The steady winds at Floras Lake and Boice Cope Park in Langlois call out to windsurfers and kite-boarders in this small community. Rent a board in season at Floras Lake Kite & Windsurf. Running along 9 miles (14.5 km) of the beach just north of Floras Lake, the New River Nature Center area has self-guided loop trails winding through a variety of habitats. Don’t forget to stop for a world-famous hot dog at the Langlois Market. In July pick blueberries at several farms, and from spring through fall, stop by the farmstand COURTESY OF BANDON DUNES GOLF RESORT
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