South Oregon Coast's Gold Beach Drops 1500 Floats Starting April 1, Going to April 30

Published 03/20/26 at 6:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Gold Beach, Oregon) - They call it “1 Month – 1 Miles – 1500 Floats,” and that's essentially what it is. Those distinctive and uniquely-colored balls of glass will soon be decorating the varied sands of the Gold Beach area on the south Oregon coast. (Float photos courtesy Gold Beach Visitor Center)

Gold Beach is preparing for its annual April float hunt, where actually more than 1,500 handcrafted glass floats will be hidden throughout the month. There's a higher number of them than before and it all promises to be interesting.

Everyone starts their experience in the same spot: the Gold Beach Visitor Center (GBVC), also known as Float Headquarters. Here, they can pick up a Treasure Map showing the general hiding areas. GBVC has been a bit vague about it this year, mentioning trails as well as beaches, but in the past they've talked about only the sands.

The map also lists participating shops where a free glass float can be earned with a minimum purchase of $25. Shoppers must return their receipts to the Visitor Center by May 1, 2025, to claim the gift. Some visitors may also be randomly selected for a special float simply by dropping by Float Headquarters. It's that random.

Organizers in the south Oregon coast burgh say just over 320 floats are hidden each week from April 1 through April 30. The three-inch floats, made in a variety of colors, are placed at different times of day, seven days a week. Volunteers hide them about five feet on either side of the vegetation line, tucking them under beach grass, driftwood, or lightly in the sand. They are not placed near the surf or deep in the dunes.

“We do ask that float hunters take only one float so that more people get the opportunity to find a hidden treasure,” they said.

The float tradition began around 2008, when volunteers hid floats along the high-tide line from Kissing Rock to the mouth of the Rogue River during February, March, and April. The effort helped draw visitors during slower months and highlighted the scenery of the southern Oregon coast in spring.

“After the pandemic, for various reasons, float season was reduced to one month,” the center said.

Safety and weather reasons played a part, and the hiding area was shortened to roughly one mile of beach.

The Visitor Center also plans occasional holiday float drops throughout the year, announced on social media, to offer additional chances to find a float and to showcase the region in different seasons.

Glass floats were once used by fishermen around the world to keep nets and longlines afloat, giving the modern hunt a link to maritime history.

“Beginning in Norway in 1842 or earlier, fishermen would attach glass floats to provide buoyancy to their nets. Japan began using glass floats for the same purpose in 1910. Other countries, including England, France, Russia, and the United States by 1940,” the center said.

These then made their way to Oregon's coastline, so numerous they weren't considered that special. Until they stopped being made: by the '90s their numbers greatly decreased and then they became the coveted find they are now. See Gold Beach Visitors Center

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