Bandon & Southern Oregon Coast

A small town on the Southern Oregon Coast where sea stacks rise from Face Rock Beach and lighthouses and dunes line the shore — the top base for a South Coast road trip.

Bandon sits at the mouth of the Coquille River on the Southern Oregon Coast, a town of about 3,000 on coastal Highway 101, roughly 4.5 hours' drive from Portland. Dozens of sea stacks, including Face Rock and Table Rock, dot its beach, considered one of the most photogenic on the Oregon Coast, while Bandon Dunes Golf Resort on the northern outskirts has made the town a pilgrimage site for golfers from across the US. From Bandon, a northern route leads to the Cape Arago Highway beyond Coos Bay (Sunset Bay, Shore Acres gardens and the sea lions of Simpson Reef) and the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area; a southern route follows Highway 101 past Cape Blanco Lighthouse, Port Orford and Humbug Mountain to Gold Beach for Rogue River jet boat trips, and further south lies the natural-arch coastline of the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor. The best season is July–September, with little rain and plenty of sunshine, though sea fog often rolls in mornings and evenings; winter brings storms, ideal for watching huge waves at Shore Acres, and in December the gardens host a holiday lights display. The ocean is cold year-round and not suitable for swimming. A car is essentially a must; the nearest airport is Southwest Oregon Regional Airport in North Bend (Coos Bay), about 30 minutes' drive. Allow 2–3 days: one for Bandon's beach and Old Town, and one each for the northern and southern routes. Always check the tide tables before going down to the beach to explore tide pools, and watch out for sneaker waves and being cut off by the incoming tide.

Top sights

• Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint – The emblem of Bandon Beach, a sea stack that looks like a face gazing at the sky, surrounded by huge rocks. The sunsets here are stunning.
• Shore Acres State Park – Gardens of a former lumber baron’s estate on a cliff, facing a sandstone coast. Winter storms that send waves crashing against the rocks ar…
• Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor – A stunning stretch of coast about 20 km north of Brookings, with natural stone arches, rock arches and hidden coves. Many consider it the m…
• Coquille Point – A headland trail south of old Bandon overlooking Table Rock and other sea stacks, part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
• Old Town Bandon – The waterfront heart of this small coastal town at the Coquille River mouth, with a wooden boardwalk, seafood stalls, galleries and a marin…
• Coquille River Lighthouse – A white lighthouse built in 1896 on the north bank of the Coquille River mouth, facing old Bandon across the water and located within Bulla…
• Bandon Dunes Golf Resort – An American top-ranked links golf resort where several seaside dune courses consistently rank among the best public courses in the country.
• Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge – A salt marsh at the Coquille River mouth with birdwatching trails, one of the best places on the Oregon coast to see migrating waterbirds.
• West Coast Game Park Safari – A family-run zoo south of Bandon known for close encounters with baby animals, well suited for children.
• Cape Arago State Park & Simpson Reef – A headland at the end of the coastal road, where sea lions and elephant seals sprawl across the rocks, their calls audible across the cliff…
• Sunset Bay State Park – A semi-enclosed small bay ringed by sandstone cliffs, calm and gentle with small waves, good for paddleboarding, tide pools and sunsets.
• South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve – America's first National Estuarine Research Reserve, with forest trails and boardwalks leading out to tidal wetlands.
• Golden and Silver Falls State Natural Area – Two tall waterfalls deep in the old-growth forests of the Coast Range, with short trails to viewpoints of the roughly 60-meter-high falls.
• Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area – North America's largest stretch of coastal sand dunes, running about 65 km, where you can ride dune buggies, go sandboarding, or hike acros…
• Cape Blanco Lighthouse – Built in 1870 on Oregon's westernmost headland, this is the state's oldest active lighthouse, with wide views and strong sea winds.
• Battle Rock Park & Port Orford – A beach park in the center of the small fishing port of Port Orford, where a giant offshore rock joins sea stacks. Fishing boats are hoiste…
• Humbug Mountain State Park – A forested peak rising straight from the sea. A switchback trail climbs through old growth to the summit, with views over the Highway 101 c…
• Prehistoric Gardens – A long-running roadside attraction, opened in 1955, with more than twenty true-to-scale dinosaur sculptures set in the rainforest. Popular…
• Rogue River Jet Boat Trips – Jet boat trips from Gold Beach run upriver on the Rogue, through canyon rapids, and often spot deer, eagles, and bears along the way.

Where to eat

• Tony's Crab Shack – Iconic seafood shack on the Old Town Bandon waterfront, known for crab cakes, fish tacos and house-smoked salmon.
• Bandon Fish Market – Counter-service seafood shop in Old Town Bandon. Its fish and chips are often called the best in town, and there is alm…
• Alloro Wine Bar – Bandon's top-rated dinner spot, serving Italian-style dishes built on Pacific Northwest ingredients, with an extensive…
• The Loft – Second-floor brunch spot overlooking the Coquille River harbor, where the smoked salmon Benedict is the star.

Itineraries

• Oregon Gorge, Crater Lake & Coast Loop – Depart from Portland, looping through gorge waterfalls, Bend, Crater Lake, and the southern and northern coasts