Weekend on the Southern Oregon Coast

On our first weekend exploring our temporary home in Oregon, we headed out around the outskirts of the Rogue River National Forest for a coastal weekend. It took about 3 hours to get to our starting point, and ending up driving roughly 135 miles down the coastline from Reedsport to Brookings, OR.

When a lot of people think of the Oregon coastline, they're probably thinking of the famous Cannon Beach. While there's a ton of iconic spots in the northern region, the south didn't hesitate to impress. This very loosely planned trip ended up being a really long, but fun exploring adventure.

Stop 1: Oregon Dunes (Free)

The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is about a 40 mile stretch of land along the coast. Since we had a lot of ground to cover, this was a quick stop. We took a short hike on the Tahkenitch Dunes trail. We realized there were two trail option: the shorter version is about 1.5 miles, and the longer version over 3. We opted for the shorter, and still got a nice walk in through the forest and dunes. The longer version ended with a view of the ocean, which would have been neat to see if we had the time.

It was a good stop to warm up our legs, but if we could do it all over again, would probably eliminate this from the itinerary. It was pretty out of the way from our other stops & not nearly as impressive. If you have more than a weekend, we think it'd be definitely worth checking out the entire Dunes recreation area!

Stop 2: Cape Arago

For our next stop, we drove south around 45 minutes into Coos Bay. If you follow along with our blogs or Instagram account, you'll see that visiting lighthouses is always a necessity. 7 public lighthouses dot the Oregon coast, and we had to see this beautiful gem. Unfortunately, there's no direct access to visit it up close, so we just pulled over to the side of the highway into a small parking area. We were able to get some amazing pictures of the lighthouse and little island though!

Right down the road, we stumbled on Shore Acres State Park. This wasn't originally on our itinerary, but we couldn't be happier that we discovered it. The $5 parking fee is worth every penny, and ranks as one of our top attractions along the Southern Coast. We highly recommend following the 3 mile Simpson Reef Loop. The secluded beach and cliff views were utterly breathtaking. There is slightly overgrown vegetation to walk through at some parts of the trail, but it was manageable in regular tennis shoes and we would consider the hike to be pretty moderate. The views are 100% worth it with so much to look at. We didn't find the park to be crowded either, most of the time we were exploring by ourselves. Always a win in our book.

Stop 3: Bandon Beach (Free)

This beach was absolutely gorgeous, and is famous for its unique rock formations. The beach was quiet, and dotted with an array of beach houses. While beautiful, we didn't spend much time here for 2 reasons: 1) we were running out of daylight, and 2) the cold wind was quite brutal. We aren't sure if it's like this at other times of day, but late June evening was incredibly chilly. The wind was so strong it was almost hard to enjoy. Many restaurants also closed early (and are very expensive), so we settled on eating at a homestyle restaurant called Billy Smoothboar's. We would love to spend more time in the quaint area of Bandon, but would want to visit on a summer afternoon.

Stop 4: Cape Blanco (Free, aside from lodging)

To finish off our long day of driving on Saturday, we spent golden hour at Cape Blanco State Park. Cape Blanco is home to Oregon's oldest operating lighthouse and was magical to see at this time of day. This was another windy and chilly area, but the coastal park was incredibly serene.

We still had no idea where we were going to sleep that night, but decided to take a chance and ask a park ranger if they had any availability at their campsite. By the grace of God, someone had departed their site early and they had an open spot left (and thankfully took credit card). One thing we didn't realize before coming to Oregon was how hard it would be to reserve well-known campsites! As you'll see in future blogs, we have found a lot of free places to sleep, but many state parks book up months in advance for summer. We were truly lucky to snag a spot here. We had a nice private, wooded site with a toasty campfire. There are many areas in Oregon where the fire danger is too high, so it's not always allowed.

The next morning, we drove back over to the ocean side of the park. We took a 0.5 mile hilly, paved walk to see the lighthouse up close. We saw that they offered tours most days of the week, and were really hoping they could snag one, but unfortunately no guides were available that day. We talked with a gift shop employee and they told us a few facts about the lighthouse and its grounds while we browsed souvenirs.

Stop 5: Lunch

Cruising down the coast, we stopped in Gold Beach for a quick bite to eat at Double D's Cafe. This traditional American diner was actually really neat to eat at. We felt like we were stepping back in time with a classic atmosphere, hand-written tickets, and homemade ice cream. Being able to choose between breakfast and lunch foods during the afternoon is always a plus!

Stop 6: Arizona State Beach Recreation Area (Free)

This wasn't on our original itinerary, but that's the fun part of a road trip, right? We pulled over into this expansive, tranquil beach area. With large mossy cliffs on one side, evergreens on the other, and a huge sandy shoreline, I couldn't imagine anything more peaceful. We ventured off past the evergreens and got to see some amazing sea life such as barnacles and starfish.

Stop 7: Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor (Free)

While it's always hard to pick a favorite spot, we saved the absolute best for last. The corridor stretches for 12 miles, and we visited two incredible spots here.

Natural Bridges

This gorgeous ocean rock arch is a must-see, and one of the iconic stops on the stretch. What may be even better for some is that there's no hiking involved. The viewpoint is only a two minute walking from the parking area. We discovered later on that there is actually a trail you can take to walk out onto the bridge...I know that personally would have made me a little nervous, but Hunter would've been all in! Per Google, it's a 20 minute strenuous hike.

Secret Beach

This is one of the most breathtaking hikes I've ever done. This 1.6 mile hike was such a dream. From the coastal jungle vibes on the way down, to being greeted by small waterfalls, and a stunning coast line with dazzling rock formations, there's no wonder this is ranked as one of the best things to do in Oregon. Compared to some of the other areas we visited along the coast, this was also one of the warmer ones. The trail does get steep, but we promise you won't regret it. I don't think we'll ever stop thinking about this one!

We did this trip in about 1.5 days, but would recommend around 3 if you want to take your time with the long driving distances. We highly recommend looking for campsites well in advance, and scoping out bathroom, gas, & food stops. As we've found throughout a lot of Oregon, a lot of times you're in the wilderness. There are not as many modern conveniences until you reach town centers. This mini coastal road trip is sure to refreshen your soul without breaking the bank!

Wanderlog Itinerary

Highlight Reel

AllTrails

TRIP BREAKDOWN

LENGTH OF STAY: 2 DAYS

📍 Southern Coast of Oregon

💲$5 parking fee

⛺ ~$20 (one night)

⛽ 🍽️ : variable