Southern Oregon Coast

July 17 – 24, 2021

Things are different on the Southern Oregon Coast.

Wild and scenic rivers are rowdier, beaches are less crowded and trails offer more rugged terrain. If you’re looking for crowds, the Southern Oregon Coast is not for you. But if outdoor adventures, secluded beaches, artistic communities and fresh coastal cuisine light your fire, the Southern Oregon Coast is your next destination.

traveloregon

Indeed this was our next destination. We just had to get there.

We left Klamath around 9:30 Saturday morning hoping to make it through the road repair area at Last Chance Grade. (A mudslide in January had taken out US 101 there and repairs were still ongoing.) Fortunately we only had to wait about 5 minutes and although the passage was a bit of a nail biter, we had no trouble negotiating the construction area. As we continued along the coast we passed through areas where the coastal fog still lingered. I was enchanted by the rays of the sun shining through the fog and trees and couldn’t resist trying to capture an image. We were leaving the redwoods (and California) behind and this seemed like a fitting farewell.

Our goal along the coast was Gold Beach, Oregon about two hours north of Klamath.

Gold Beach

Located on scenic Highway 101, Gold beach is tucked in between the Pacific Ocean, the Rogue River, and the Siskiyou Mountains. It’s the perfect blend of solitude and adventure. Leave the ordinary and the familiar. Grab your camera, your backpack, your fishing pole and explore our stunning and remote landscapes. Whether you choose the windswept ocean, the wild and racing Rogue River or the magic of a temperate rain forest, Gold Beach awaits. 

visitgoldbeach

Home base for our week was Honey Bear By the Sea RV Park about 10 miles north of Gold Beach. This was a nice RV park situated on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. They offered various types of sites including a limited number of ocean view sites. We had an interior full hook-up pull-through site. This was a long but narrow grassy site that shared living space with our neighbor. The turn into the site was so sharp that our neighbor (somewhat begrudgingly) had to move their dog pen and picnic table so that we could park. We really couldn’t enjoy sitting outside as our small living area consisted of a picnic table, a dirty fire pit, and our neighbor’s Jeep. The dirt roads through the campground were so dusty that some campers regularly watered the road near their campsites. There were sections of the campground with more spacious/nicer sites. Should we come back here we will be sure to reserve one of those sites.

The campground offered pretty fast internet service if you could get connected which was problematic for us. The office staff was aware of the problem and seemed to be at odds with their service provider.

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The campground map indicated there was a meadow where you could find elk in the evening. We stumbled across them one day while walking our dog.

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The campground also had a private trail that led to Ophir Beach. We took advantage of that one day for a relaxing walk on the beach.

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Coos Bay

Already looking ahead to next year, Bill and I discussed possible destinations in the Northwest following our much delayed Alaska trip. We wanted to check out Coos Bay (about 1 1/2 hours north of Gold Beach) as one of them. Specifically, we wanted to see if we could find an RV park that we liked. So, off we went.

We drove through Humbug Mountain State Park before stopping at Orford Heads State Park. We wanted to visit the Port Orford Lifeboat Station Museum there but it was closed. Only Lifeboat 36498 was viewable in an outdoor display.

Imagine men scrambling down 532 steep, slippery wood and concrete steps on a 280-ft. cliff in a raging storm to a 36-ft boat…surrounded by waves and rocks, buffeted by brutal winds, tearing out to sea to rescue sailors on a ship in trouble.

These men were US Coast Guard “surfmen,” and launched search and rescue missions from the Port Orford Heads from 1934 to 1970.

enjoyportorford

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We chose not to take the trail down to the Port Orford Heads but continued driving through Bandon (which had an interesting looking Old Town) and Charleston.

Once in Coos Bay, we checked out four RV parks and found one that we really liked. Declaring our “mission” a success we found a nice Mexican restaurant in North Bend, had lunch, and returned to Honey Bear.

Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor

Since we had investigated the area north of Honey Bear, for our next outing we decided to drive south along the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor.

This corridor is a 12-mile, forested linear park with a rugged, steep coastline interrupted by small sand beaches. This park was named in honor of Samuel H. Boardman, the first Oregon Parks superintendent. He and others of his generation felt this shining coastline should be saved for the public. What gems they gave us: admire the 300-year old sitka spruce trees, gaze at the amazing Arch Rock and Natural Bridges, and walk the 27 miles of Oregon Coast Trail that weave through the giant forests.

traveloregon

Although we had already actually driven the corridor with the RV when we came north from Klamath, we couldn’t easily stop at the overlooks. Now, with just the truck we could. It was a beautiful sunny day and, as you can see in the photos below, the water was a gorgeous blue/green. We had to pick and choose among the numerous overlook as some provided better/easier viewpoints that others. The winners for us were Secret Beach, Arch Rock, Natural Bridges, and Lone Ranch Beach. We found this part of the Oregon coast breathtakingly beautiful.

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Our southern trek for the day ended in Brookings where we drove around for a while, finally stopping at the Port of Brookings where the Chetco River empties into the Pacific. There we found some nice souvenir shops and an Irish restaurant where we had lunch.

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Days for Relaxation

The following two days were relaxation and chore days. I had intended to do laundry during this time but of the three campground washing machines, one was broken and one was in use. A good excuse to postpone that chore.

We did lose power during one of these afternoons. We were told that the outage extended from Gold Beach to Port Orford. Luckily it came back on in time to cook dinner (although we could have used propane).

Heading Inland

Gold Beach was our western-most point on this trip. From here we start our slow eastward swing. Don’t worry though as we still have some more north to do.