Last-Minute Summer Mind-Blowers of the South Oregon Coast

Published 8/04/24 at 5:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection

(Coos Bay, Oregon) – Getting walloped in the eye with scenic wonder and awe: there's not much like that feeling. Especially when it comes to finding something new on your travels. (Shore Acres' Gardens / Friends of Shore Acres)

There isn't a lot of summer left to do that, and the south Oregon coast presents some ways to truly get away from it all before the season goes bye-bye.

Here's just a smattering of ideas....starting south and going north.

Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor. Here, you're entering the true wilds of the Oregon coast. It's about 15 miles worth of scenic smacks-in-the-head, covering most of the stretch from Gold Beach down to Brookings. It includes ironic goodies like Secret Beach and its mere quarter of shoreline – or less. In fact, it's a thin beach that's sometimes not even really there as the tides take it over. It's not a secret at all and fairly visited, but it's chock full of untamed beauty.

Lone Ranch Beach, courtesy Manuela Durson - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts

The Corridor includes of a lot of areas that are enormous and sometimes wind around in intricate ways, and that includes the oft-photographed Natural Bridges – where former sea caves have left curious, thin bridges between forbiddingly distant rock islands. China Beach is another that goes on for a ways, with some legendary rocky blobs dotting its rough terrain.

Indian Sands, courtesy OPRD

Check out two enormous arches at Arch Rock Picnic Area and another almost hidden one at Indian Sands. Next to that sits the Thomas Creek Bridge and its soaring heights and hidden trails, while nearby Lone Ranch and Cape Ferrelo form memorable stretches with all kinds of different rocky forms and sands.

Oregon State Parks photo

Cape Sebastian. Just south of Gold Beach, Cape Sebastian gives way to rugged, primitive beaches with striking landforms and a stunning view from the top. At this soaring highlight, not far from the parking lot, you're 200 feet above the raging surf and coastline as far as you can possibly see in either direction. That means on a clear day you can see 50 miles southward into California. Talk about a real Oregon coast beach connection....

All this is a fairly quick walk from the parking lot, though a bit of an incline. However, to make it to the rugged beaches it's about 1.5 miles down switch-backing trails. If you're of that hearty stock, it's worth it.

China Creek area, courtesy Manuela Durson - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts

Around Bandon. The area is too full of beach wonders to mention them all here, and some are the obvious choices like Face Rock. Looking for a little less crowds? The area between Bandon and Coos Bay contains some almost-secretive choices, (Between Coos Bay and Bandon). Then there's always just south of town, which includes the pure amazement of Blacklock Point next to Floras Lake, where unbelievably stately cliffs soar and almost glow in hue.

Short Acres State Park's Garden, Coos Bay. A lot of people are well aware of the oceanic insanity of the cliffs of Shore Acres, but the really gargantuan waves don't come for a couple more months. So maybe a garden tour should be in store? Especially while summer is still in bloom here.

Shore Acres' gardens are a formal construct that holds plants and flowers from all over the world, something that started way back over a century ago, as builder Louis Simpson collected flora that was coming into the area via the town's shipping industry. He constructed a Japanese-style garden with a lily pond and two curated rose gardens that include All-American Rose Selections.

Little else in the region has something else equally striking and singular: a richly-layered garden that is pure explosive colors. It's the largest such garden on not just the south Oregon coast but anywhere in the state, outside of the biggies in Portland and Silverton.

Oregon Coast Hotels for these - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours

MORE PHOTOS BELOW

More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....

Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection
All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright © Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted