| To Do The Southern Oregon Coast offers an
extensive variety of activities such as:
Fishing:
The Rogue River is world famous, and fishing
is no doubt the big reason. The summer salmon run has over
200,000 fish running the Rogue River from mid July thought
October. It starts in the bay at Gold Beach and draws anglers
from around the globe. This is the time and place for Chinook
Salmon, packed with energy from months at sea and ready to put
up a fight.
Summer Steelhead & Coho Salmon are also around, starting in late
August and mid September.
The Salmon runs aren’t the only action. The Gold Beach ocean
charter season goes year-round and is the best in Oregon. With
consistent catches of lingcod and rockfish available just a few
miles offshore.
Jet Boating:
Gold Beach is synonymous with jet
boats and is the gateway to the Wild & Scenic portion of the
Rogue River. Departing from Gold Beach is the only way to get
jet boat access to this pristine "Wild Section." The trips are
considered a must-do during any Gold Beach visit — at least in
the months between May and October. Two outfits run the boats up
the Wild and Scenic Rogue River on trips of 64, 80 and 104
round-trip miles, the longer, the wilder — in terms of
whitewater and scenery. Excursions include lunch or dinner
stopovers at upriver lodges (meal price extra).
Jet boats are designed specifically for safely navigating strong
currents and shallow riffles, so you can relax as trained pilots
treat you to tall tales and river lore, incredible scenery and
sightings of black bear, river otters, eagles and the rare
mountain lion.
Golf:
A brief drive of approximately twenty miles south will bring you
to Salmon Run Golf & Wilderness
Preserve, a championship 18-hole course with five sets of tees
on every hole, plus the most incredible views. One of its top
attractions? The quiet — like golfing in a forest. Which,
actually, it is. Located 10 miles north of Gold Beach,
Cedar Bend Golf Course's nine holes play like eighteen, set up
with multiple tee locations and two flags on each green. Many
say that the greens are the
best on the coast, with Cedar Creek wandering across or
alongside almost every hole.
Or take a day to play one of the premier golf courses of the
world, Bandon Dunes, just an hour and a half north of Gold Beach.
Beachcombing & Tidepooling:
One man’s flotsam is another man’s find, and it seems that the
farther away you live from the ocean, the more interesting and
exciting the everyday stuff from the tides seem to you.
Combing the beach in Oregon is a very different adventure from
many beaches around the globe, and that’s mostly because of the
driftwood that makes its way down Oregon rivers to the sea.
Dramatic new shapes wash in almost daily, and a favorite sandy
cove can look entirely different from one day to the next,
especially in stormy weather. Agates are another local treasure,
a colorful stone that’s considered a real prize; December
through April is the best time to spot them, as well as jasper,
fossils and petrified wood.
In addition to the beach accessible from your home nearby
Meyers Beach is one of the most picturesque beaches in the
world. Hiking:
Coast, river or wilderness? How about all three in one hike?
This area is a Mecca for those who love to be out in nature at
its most… well, natural.
Coastal hiking doesn’t necessarily mean heavy boots and rocky
climbs to see incredible sights, and many of the best are short
enough so you can plan kayaking, fishing or napping later in the
day. Trail guides and maps for the Coast Trail, Rogue and
Illinois River trails and others are available at the Gold Beach
Visitors Center; there are fees to park at some of the
trailheads.
Just a short drive from your home is the Cape Sebastian Trail
- either a short or all day hike. Click
here for more details.
Whale Watching:
There are two ways to go about this: You can charter a boat and
get up close and cozy with a California gray whale, or you can
just keep glancing out to sea every time you’re on a bluff
hiking, biking, walking or driving. Chances are excellent that
you’ll eventually spot a plume of water spouting from a
blowhole. Carry binoculars and you may get to see the
magnificent mammals breaching the surface of the water.
The best time of year to take advantage of the California gray
whale's 12,000-mile migratory route is between December and May.
Till February they’re heading south as far as the Arctic, and
tend to travel to 2 miles offshore; from March through May
they’re on their way back north, and cruise closer in, just
beyond the surfline.
The rest of the year you might catch sight of one of the
"locals" — whales that have taken up permanent residence off the
Oregon coast. Early morning and late evening, when the water is
calm, are best times. Museums:
The Curry County Historical Society Museum maintains an
important collection of historic artifacts relating to the
area’s history; these items were recently relocated to Gold
Beach’s newest museum, named after its benefactor, a descendent
of one of the pioneering families of Curry County. At the Alice
Wakeman Memorial Building you’ll find the Salmon King of Oregon
exhibit, the Wedderburn Quilt and volunteers who can explain
these items’ significance. Check out the bookstore’s selection
of local and regional history books.
Other nearby spots to catch the local flavor of the past include
the
Rogue River Museum, and further upriver, the Agness-Illahe
Museum (541-247-7960). Coastal options include the
Coast Guard Station Museum at Port Orford, the
Port Orford Lifeboat Museum and the
Hughes
House Cape Blanco Lighthouse to the north, and Chetco Valley
Historical Society Museum in Brookings (541-469-2753).
Information about less traditional style museums (classic cars,
dinosaurs) can be found
here. Scenic Drives:
Well of course there's the coast. The stretch of US 101 between
Gold Beach and Brookings is considered one of the most "oooooohhh!"
and "wow!" scenic drives in the state, and one that’s usually
less trafficked than up north. Look for waysides; there are lots
of picnic spots and hiking trails.
But turn off the highway and you’ll find as much to be amazed
by. Considered one of the most beautiful is Floras Lake State
Park, off US 101 just north Port Orford. While you’re up here,
check out nearby Cape Blanco State Park, the westernmost point
in the continental United States, and the Elk River, also marked
along US 101. Near your home in a 1-3 hour 35 mile round trip
Pistol River Loop. The history of the Crook Family who
is hosting you is interwoven in this loop as you will traverse
through Pistol River and part of the 3,000 acre Crook Ranch.
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