Romance of the South Oregon Coast: From Sand to Soaring Clifftops

Published 2/14/24 at 5:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Coos Bay, Oregon) – From gi-normous waves to boundless tracts of sandy beach, and from soaring cliffs to hidden coves, Oregon's south coast is an intricate and extremely diverse segment of the shoreline. With some wee towns like Port Orford, Bandon or Coos Bay getting heavy with traffic on occasion, it still makes the northern half look like a flurry of activity. (Above: Bandon at night, Manuela Durson - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts for more)

Therein lies the ultimate romantic secret about the southern half: it's like 180 miles of hidden spots just waiting for the two of you. The ooey-gooey wooing possibilities are incredible.

Oregon National Dunes Recreation Area. Need a bit of adventure with your romance?

Oregon National Dunes Recreation Area is 40 miles worth soft, fluffy piles of sand, interspersed with the occasional small or even large lake. The massive slopes provide numerous opportunities for dune buggies or other offroad vehicle action, turning even the most tender of dates into an exhilarating thrill-stuffed day.

For something even more extraordinary, see if you can hear the famed singing sands of the Oregon coast dunes.

Shore Acres Views and Garden. Hands down the most intense of storm watch spots in the state is at the cliffs of Shore Acres, where its shoreline compresses all that wave energy into mighty bursts that can soar well over 100 feet in the air above you. It's downright dizzying.

Then, for quieter moments, take a stroll through the elaborate gardens on the grounds, impeccably maintained for wowing viewing all year round. However, it's definitely at its most spectacular in spring through early fall. The Maker of Monsters: Shore Acres on South Oregon Coast in Video, Photos

Bandon's Boardwalk - photo courtesy Ian Sane / Flickr

Coos Bay and Bandon Boardwalks at Night. At Bandon, it's a long, long wooden structure encompassing a chunk of the bay, situated in Bandon's Old Town, showing off the best of these calm waters as well as the beachside burgh itself. Plenty of seating and the smell of the sea are part of the allure here.

Coos Bay and North Bend also have their lovely boardwalks, set over lulling, quiet waves. Yet at night, all three really bring on the atmosphere. There's little that beats a bay walk like this after dark, with all those lights reflected on the water.

Manuela Durson - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts for more

Bandon's Face Rock Viewpoint, Caves. One of the more iconic sights on the entire Oregon coast is that of the colossal face out at sea, along with much-loved rocky spires like Castle Rock, the third Haystack Rock that no one seems to know about, and Wizards Hat Rock. The viewpoint above makes for great smooch sessions, or maybe get down to the beach find one of the area's famed caves to steal a kiss. How Bandon's Face Rock Was Created A Wild S. Oregon Coast Geologic Tale

Cape Blanco. Half of the fun here is the pure romance of being around a lighthouse, and this one's a beauty. Then there's the surrounding beaches themselves, which are a non-stop ride of fun and long walk possibilities.

Manuela Durson - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts for more

Humbug Mountain. The tallest point overlooking the Oregon coast is found here, but it's quite a hike. Humbug Mountain and all its camping and lower beach pullouts are a mass of wonders. There's so much here it's impossible to explore it all in one day. Humbug Mountain and State Park on South Oregon Coast: Varied, Intricate Attractions

Kissing Rock. Near Gold Beach, this unique, slightly pointy rock structure has for obvious reasons become the place to smooch by. To some, its profile looks a bit like someone's protruding lips readying to plant one, while to others it's just going to be a strange formation that causes multiple interpretations.

Either way, if you don't mind a bit of claustrophobia, there are large crevices around the rock's base that can accommodate two for a mini makeout session.

Lone Ranch Beach - Manuela Durson - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts for more

Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor. 15-some miles of pure scenic wonder have managed to cram in a monstrous amount of amazing sights and sites. Near Secret Beach (not really a secret) there's the Natural Bridges area, which hosts some of the more complex and yet rugged scenery on the Oregon coast. It's not just a freaky bridge or two of rock, there's a bundle of islands out there just beyond the cliff and trails.

Cape Ferrelo and Lone Ranch Beach provide some cool coves to hide out in, or hang out on stunning clifftops like Arch Rock or the vast expanse of House Rock Viewpoint. The whole area is a mix of sandy stretches and towering cliffs that never cease to fill you with awe.

Not to mention, much of the time the whole area is bereft of others.

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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.

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