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

Oregon Coast Whale Watching

For year round whale watchers, here are a few whale watching tips: Gray whales may possibly be seen year round on the Oregon, Washington and California coastlines. Warm, weather - appropriate clothing and binoculars really help! Morning light (with the sun at your back) is often helpful to spot blows first with your naked eye, then focus more closely with binoculars. Calmer days are better whale watching days, by land, sea, or air! Any spot with an ocean view may yield whale sightings. 
Grey Whale Watching Facts
Check the Tides

Charter boat and air services are also available for modest fees at many locations for even closer experiences of gray whales and other sea life. Many of our Charter Boat members run Whale Watching Trips contact them directly for schedules and rates. A good source of Whale Watching information may be found a local Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife offices and at the Oregon State Parks Whale Watching site: Grey Whale Watching Spoken Here

Grey Whale Eschrichtius robustus

Tide Pooling

Check the Tides

Tide pools are rocky areas on the edge of an ocean that are filled with sea water. Many plants and creatures live there. For example, you might see starfish, anemones, urchins, barnacles, crabs, kelp and other sea plants in a tide pool.

 

Tide pools are a unique and brutal habitat where the ocean meets the land. This tidal zone is continually shaped by the actions of sun, wind, water, and rock. The sun bears down, heating exposed surfaces and organisms. Winds blow and contribute to the wave action, erosion, and drying of exposed plants and animals. Water in the form of waves endlessly pound at the rocks, constantly reshaping the coastline. Rocks are pounded by the waves and loose stones and sand grind into the shoreline.

 

Life is tough for plants and animals that live in tide pools. Here portions of the shoreline are regularly covered and uncovered by the advance and retreat of the tides. In order to survive, tide pool life forms must avoid being washed away by the tidal waves, keep from drying out in the sunlight of low tide, and avoid being eaten.

 

Tide pools are subdivided in four zones. They are the splash zone and high tide, mid-tide, low tide areas.

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.

TIPS FOR TIDE POOL VIEWING

Tide pool viewing is not for the faint of heart. But with a willingness to get wet, some common-sense safety measures and a spirit of adventure, you will be rewarded with hours of wildlife viewing pleasure.

• Pick up a Field Guide -- many good guides are available, but avoid the most basic guides that tend to focus on east coast species. Pacific Intertidal Life, by Ron Russo and Pam Olhausen is a great pocket guide for under five dollars.
• Low Tides Mean High Times -- plan your trip to coincide with the lowest possible tides, generally those that occur near the times of a full or new moon. Pick up a tide chart at a sporting goods store and look for minus tides for the best viewing opportunities.
• Stick to the Pools -- the best viewing occurs in the lowest exposed tide pools. Pass up the animals exposed to the air and watch the deep pools where animals will be feeding.
• Look, Don't Touch and Pry -- gently push aside floating seaweed to look beneath, but leave the animals alone. Quietly watch the pool for movements to discover crabs and fish that hide from view when they are disturbed.
• Tread Lightly -- stay out of the pools and carefully place each footstep to avoid stepping on sea life. Animals that can withstand crashing waves are easily crushed underfoot.
• Collect Only Memories -- leave everything where you find it. Even the smallest shell will be used by young hermit crabs. Remember most tide pool animals are protected by strictly enforced laws to conserve this unique natural resource.

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

Cody's Guide to Oregon Coast

Light Houses

Cape Blanco Lighthouse

Nearest town: Port Orford

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

Umpqua River Light House

At the entrance to Winchester Bay and at the mouth of the Umpqua River, stands a sentinel of the ocean, casting its red and white beams of light some 20 miles out to sea. The 67-foot tower is situated on a hill 165 feet above sea level surrounded by US Coast Guard buildings and a Museum.

An earlier light structure, the first on the Oregon Coast, was built in 1857 on the sandy north spit of the river. It fell into the swollen water four years later during a storm when the water eroded away the sand.

The current lighthouse was started in 1890 and was illuminated in 1894. It is the sister lighthouse to the one at Heceta Head just a few miles north of Florence. Both structures were built from the same plans.

The Umpqua Light shines through a first order Fresnel lens made of almost 1000 glass prisms handcrafted in France and weighing more than a modern automobile.

It is a beautiful display of fine craftsmanship and produces a spectacular colored light show at dusk. This is especially true if there is a very light mist in the air. The light rotates out to sea and on the trees behind it on the landward side. The light shines 24 hours a day, but visit after dark or before sunrise, if you possibly can. As you enter Umpqua Lighthouse State Park, down a winding road, the light's rainbow beacon rotates through the tall pines with an alternating red and white beam. The 65 foot tower is brick covered with white stucco, but you will not be able to take you eyes off this fantastic lens.

The lens assembly was originally turned by a clockwork mechanism much like a grandfather clock, powered by a huge weight which had to be wound up by the lightkeeper every three hours.

LOCATION: Six miles south of Reedsport above the entrance to Winchester Bay. Although the lighthouse is located near the Umpqua Lighthouse State Park, it is operated by the Douglas County Parks and Recreation Department.

SIZE: The 65-foot tower is surrounded by Coast Guard living quarters.

HOURS: The lighthouse is open for six-person tours from May 1 to September 30. Hours are 10 am to 4 pm Wednesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 pm on Sunday.

HISTORY: The lighthouse opened in 1894 and is one of five still operating on the Oregon Coast. It's red flash is the only colored signal on the Coast. The present light is the second on this site. The first, built closer to the river in 1857, was washed away by floods six years later.

An earlier structure, commissioned on the north spit of the river in 1857, was the first lighthouse on the Or. Coast. It fell into the river in 1861 after sand eroded under the foundation.

The current lighthouse, identical in design to the one at Heceta Head, was illuminated in 1894 and stands above the entrance to Winchester Bay.

NEARBY: The tower overlooks the Dunes, a popular recreation destination for all types of beach activities. Camping is at the Umpqua Lighthouse State Park and county parks at Windy Cove in Winchester Bay. RV sites are available at The Marina Resort.

The structure and museum are maintained by Douglas County Parks, which offers tours.

Umpqua River Light House

Reedsport Oregon Chamber of Commerce
Winchester Bay Chamber of Commerce

For Information on our other Southern Or. Lodging / Resorts and Accommodations options follow these Lodging links.

Southern Oregon Lodging
Fishing Lodges and Resorts
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Be Listed on Rogue River Country Web Site!
 
 E-mail: Contact Rogue River Country / Office Phone: (541) 247-4138