Southern Oregon Beaches
Beachcombing / Tide Pooling
Climate: Marine
Southern Oregon Beaches are located on the coastal plain of the Pacific Ocean. On the
Southern Oregon coast we have a marine climate. The Pacific Ocean currents
keep temperatures the warmest in the state during the winter, seldom below
freezing with snow being rare on the Southern Oregon Coast. In the summer months the marine climate keeps
temperatures cool seldom-exceeding 80 degrees. Winter here starts in late
December and it is Spring again by mid February. Rainfall is high on the coast keeping the
Coastal Rain Forest green year around. Even though we are likely to get 80
inches of rain or more per year here it seems like a lot less. Most rainstorms
start as the sun sets and are finished by sunrise, however some large rain events
will start at sunrise and continue to the next sunrise. It almost never rains a little
bit. Rain falls at high rates for short times to be followed by glorious weather.
That's how it is on the coast. We get almost no rainfall in the summer months,
June-July-Aug.-Sept.
Did I say pure ocean air, no smog.
Coast Activities:
Surf and River
Fishing - Beach Combing - Whale Watching - Tide Pooling
Coastal Hiking - Storm Watching - Wind Surfing - Light Houses
Here you will find fishing a favorite pastime. With 8 Wild and Scenic Rivers, 7
Ocean fishing ports and 150 miles of Ocean Beaches located on the Southern
Oregon Coast this area is a fishermen's paradise. There are
more Salmon and Steelhead found here than anywhere else in the continental
United States and we have the best bottom fishing on the west coast. Clamming
and Crabbing will trill everyone as it is inexpensive and readily available.
Golf on the Southern Oregon Coast is big time. Here you will find some of the best Golf
Courses in the west. Fantastic golf weather with un-crowded courses.
Tide Pooling
 Check the Tides
On a trip to the coast's rocky shore, it's impossible for most visitors to
stay away from the tide pools. Tide pooling can be fun and educational, but
should be approached with some caution in mind.
There are all kind of plants and animals to be seen at low tide in the pools of
saltwater left behind in rocky areas. It's a harsh environment for the plants
and little critters surviving the crashing waves, blasting wind and baking sun.
Sunset Beach offers one of the many favorite spots in the area to explore. The
Coast to Crest Interpreters League leads many tide pool tours throughout the
year, especially for school children.
Tide pools are best viewed at low tide. Those who visit the tide pools are asked
to walk carefully on the tops of the rocks. It's best to avoid stepping in pools
or on covered rocks. Besides being slippery, it can harm the tide pool
inhabitants. It's OK to lift an occasional rock to see what lives underneath,
but be sure to replace the rock precisely as you found it. Tide poolers also
should not ignore the ocean or the tide and be aware of sneaker waves. These
large waves are responsible for drownings on the coast each year.
Southern Oregon Coast Beach Hiking Trails
 There are almost as many Coast Beach hiking trails as there are beaches on the Southern Oregon Coast and
there is over 150 miles of beaches. All beaches in Oregon are public access by
law. Oregon has protected the Ocean Beaches from development and for
public access. A bi-product of visionary protection of Oregon's Beaches is that
there is so many beaches to explore that most of the time you will have a
hard time finding another foot print if the beach is not right on the highway.
The links below are a great place to start your planning for Coast Beach
Hiking.
Boardman State Park Beach
Hiking Trails
Light Houses
Cape Blanco Lighthouse
Nearest town: Port Orford
The Fresnel lens of the Cape Blanco lighthouse was
first lit on December 20, 1870, in a tower which stands as the oldest, highest,
most southerly and most westerly lighthouse on the Oregon coast. Of the original
station buildings, only the tower remains, though there are more recent
buildings at the site. The current rotating lens replaced the original in 1936,
and in 1992 suffered damage at the hands of a pair of teenage vandals. It was
temporarily fixed to resume service, and fully repaired by 1994. Its size is
greater than a second order lens, but smaller than a normal first order. The
lighthouse is once again open for tours after a closure caused by the break-in.
Directions: From Highway 101 south of the town of Sixes, turn left onto
Cape Blanco Rd., and follow it to the end, through Cape Blanco State Park.
Hours: 10am - 3:30pm, Thursday - Monday, April - October.
Phone: (541)332-6774 (Cape Blanco State Park) or (800)551-6949 (State Parks & Recreation Department)
Links: Cape Blanco
Lighthouse - A page by the Bureau of Land Management, Coos Bay District.
Cape Blanco
State Park - The State Parks & Recreation Department page.
Cape Blanco Light House near Port Orford, Or.
Coquille River Light House
The tiny Coquille River Lighthouse is most often called Bandon lighthouse,
because it sits just across the river from that small town. It was first lit in
1896, and its fourth order lens shone until 1939, when the lighthouse was
replaced by an automated light on the nearby jetty. The keeper's dwelling and
all other outbuildings were torn down, and the small tower with attached fog
signal building then sat in abandonment, neglected and vandalized, until the
townspeople of Bandon finally took a liking to it in the mid-1970's. It has now
been restored as part of Bullards Beach State Park, and the fog signal room is
open daily. Although it is no longer a navigational aid, the lantern room does
display a decorative solar-powered light.
Directions: From Highway 101 two miles north of Bandon, turn west into Bullards
Beach State Park. Follow the main road southward all the way to the end.
Hours: The lighthouse's fog signal room is open from dawn to dusk, and tours of
the tower are available by request from the park staff.
Phone: (541)347-2209 (Bullards Beach State Park) or (800)551-6949 (State
Parks & Recreation Department)
Link: Bullards Beach State
Park - The State Parks & Recreation Department page.
Bandon Light House at Bullards Beach State Park
Bandon, Chamber of Commerce
Contact Rogue River Country
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