What to do on the People’s Coast
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Bob Straub State Park
Bob Straub State Park is a nice place to go to walk on the beach and explore the Nestucca sand spit. This park is located in Pacific City and provides beach access, parking, and restrooms. The Nestucca River is legendary for 50 pound chinook salmon. This park offers beach access, and opportunities for picnicking, fishing, wildlife watching, marine mammal watching, and bird watching.
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Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint
A miraculous and rugged, basalt-rimmed bay, Boiler Bay is a great place to watch wild surf action on the rocky spurs. This splendid panoramic viewpoint presents a good opportunity to see migrating and resident gray whales. Take your binoculars -- this is one of the best sites in Oregon to see oceangoing birds (like shearwaters, jaegers, albatrosses, grebes, pelicans, loons, oystercatchers and murrelets). In 1910, an explosion sank the J. Marhoffer, and you can see the ship's boiler at low-tide.
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Cape Arago Lighthouse
Cape Arago is located 12 miles southwest of Coos Bay and North Bend off Hwy 101. It stands 100 feet above the ocean on an islet just off Gregory Point. The light atop the 44-foot-high tower was first illuminated in 1934 and is easily noticeable due to its distinct fog horn. Although newest in terms of service, earlier structures were built on this site in 1866 and 1908, both succumbing to weather and erosion. Hidden behind a guarded fence, Cape Arago is not open to the public.
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Cape Blanco Lighthouse
This isolated lighthouse holds at least four Oregon records: it is the oldest continuously operating light, the most westerly, it has the highest focal plane above the sea, (256 feet), and had Oregon's first woman keeper, Mabel E. Bretherton signed on in March 1903. This lighthouse was commissioned in 1870 to aid shipping generated by gold mining and lumber industry. This is also a highly rated wildlife viewing area.
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Cape Blanco State Park
Use the extra-large, private, wind-protected campsites at Cape Blanco as your base of operations while you enjoy the lighthouse and historic Hughes House tours. Work off your picnic lunch by hiking over eight miles of trails with many spectacular ocean vistas, woodland and wetland settings. Bring your horse and enjoy seven miles of horse trails and the facilities in the horse camp. Don't forget a sunset walk along the headland beaches to finish out your day. Vital stats: All campsites are first-come, first served.
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Cape Foulweather
Cape Foulweather was discoverd and named in 1778 by the famous British navigator Captain James Cook. It was at this Point that Captain Cook first sighted the mainland of North America on the Pacific Coast, and one of the sudden storms which greeted his arrival almost put an end to his historical expedition. The fierceness of the storm is reflected by the name he gave this rugged landmark - Cape Foulweather.
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Cape Foulweather (Storm Watch)
Cape Foulweather has several viewpoints with rocky areas that make for more spectacular wave energy and comfortable viewing from your car.
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Cape Meares Lighthouse
Just 10 miles west of Tillamook and U.S. Hwy 101 this lighthouse stands 217 feet above the ocean and at 38-foot it is the shortest on the Oregon coast. Located near Three Capes Scenic Loop, Cape Meares was constructed in 1888. Visitors can take various trails to reach the lighthouse, as well as viewing areas with Stellar Sea Lions and various seabirds.
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Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint
A must-see when driving the Three Capes Scenic route, Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint is situated on a headland 200 feet above the ocean. Cape Lookout and Cape Kiwanda are the other two capes on this route. Cape Meares provides an excellent view of the largest colony of nesting common murres (the site is one of the most populous colonies of nesting sea birds on the continent). Bald eagles and a peregrine falcon have also been known to nest near here.<P>
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Cape Perpetua Scenic Area
The U.S. Forest Service maintains the Cape\'s 26 miles of hiking trails through coastal mature and old growth rain forests, to breathtaking vistas, tidepools and the beach. The viewpoints and trails are open to the public year round. Some of the trails are wheelchair accessible, one is suitable for mountain biking, and all provide opportunities for birding. The Forest Service at Cape Perpetua also offers interpretive walks and operates a Visitors Center with natural and cultural history exhibits, an interac <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Zvir8FoIKNE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Brought to you by OCVA in association with Travel Oregon & Wildernet