Backpacking

Backpacking Areas

• Florence to Coos Bay

  The landscape changes south of Florence, although the most dramatic change, the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, is often hidden from view.

  The 47-mile long and one-mile wide sandbox has areas designated for bird watching and dune riding. Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, more than 31,000 acres, offers a place for everyone. You can camp, arrange a tour, take an exhilarating off-highway vehicle ride, walk along tranquil lakes, forest trails and beaches, and much more.

  Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is a destination site, drawing people from around the Northwest and across the country. Highway 38 offers connections to the southern Willamette Valley and the city of Eugene, or on to Roseburg via Highway 138.

• Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

  The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is a special place. One of the largest expanses of temperate coastal sand dunes in the world, the stark, mist-shrouded views of dunes, forests, and ocean in such close proximity to one another are rare and hauntingly beautiful. Many plants and animals, including some found in few other places, call this area home. In 1972, Congress designated this 31,500-acre portion of the Siuslaw National Forest as a National Recreation Area in recognition of its unique values. Learn more about the geology of the dunes here.

  Adventure and solitude await! Among the tree islands, open dunes, wetlands, and beaches you will find Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) riding (experience it with Google Trekker), hiking, paddling, wildlife viewing, birding, camping, picnicking, sand play - the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area has it all.

  Be a Friend to Snowy Plovers! Share the Beach March 15 – September 15

  During snowy plover nesting season (March 15 - September 15) we coordinate with Oregon State parks and beachgoers to protect these threatened birds during a very sensitive time. By following nesting season restrictions and sharing the beach, you can help ensure plover chicks survive to adulthood.

  Dunes areas from north to south

  • South Jetty: South Jetty provides day use access to beach and dunes, with separate areas for OHV and non motorized use.
  • Siltcoos: Along the Siltcoos River are traditional campgrounds and easy trails along the river and to the beach. OHV users will find developed and dispersed camping opportunities.
  • Oregon Dunes Day Use: Miles from OHV recreation, this area provides exceptional opportunities to explore the dunes on foot.
  • Tahkenitch: With easy access off Hwy 101, traditional campgrounds provide lake access for boaters and dune access for hikers only.
• Tahkenitch Area

  

  Within easy access of Highway 101 Tahkenitch area, which is closed to OHV use, offers two traditional campgrounds, two boat launches and two trailheads are directly adjacent to Highway 101 and Tahkenitch Lake. The lake provides opportunities for bass fishing.

  Tahkenitch Creek and Tahkenitch Dune trail provide opportunities to hike through the coastal forest, as well as access to the dunes and beach.

• Tahkenitch Creek Trail #1336
• Tahkenitch Dunes National Recreation Trail #1353
• Newport to Florence

  The central section of the Siuslaw National Forest finds the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway (Highway 101) moving closer to the Pacific Ocean providing outstanding views of the Pacific Ocean and plenty of publicly owned beaches to explore.

  Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, located between Newport and Florence, offers the Forest visitor a chance to wander through old-growth Sitka Spruce, experience crashing surf, investigate tide pools, whale watch or take a guided hike.

  Check out a haunted lighthouse keeper’s home at Heceta Head. Try boating, fishing, hiking to waterfalls, berry picking and more.

  Inland are more recreational opportunities, including Marys Peak, in the Coast Range. Highways 20, 34 and 126 offer connections to the mid and southern Willamette Valley and the cities of Corvallis and Eugene.

• Cape Mountain Trails #1329
• Cape Perpetua Scenic Area

  
   

  Towering 800 feet over the Pacific Ocean, the Cape Perpetua headland is the highest viewpoint accessible by car on the Oregon Coast. From this high point, enjoy views of the Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve and the rugged and rocky shore where visitors can witness the power of the ocean as it meets the coastal temperate rainforest.

  Cape Perpetua Scenic Area encompasses 2,700 acres of coastal habitat and was set aside for its exceptional ecological characteristics. A 26-mile trail system offers many opportunities to experience this lush and diverse temperate rainforest.

  People have been part of this landscape for at least 6,000 years and Cape Perpetua bears evidence of this rich history. Archaeological sites provide hints into village life of the Native American Alsea people, who called this area Halaqaik. When British explorer James Cook saw the headland in 1778, he named it for Saint Perpetua. Many of the trails we find here today were first constructed by a unit of the Civilian Conservation Corps as President Franklin D. Roosevelt sought to provide work for young men during the Great Depression. Their camp occupied the area where the visitor center is today.

  Cape Perpetua Visitor Center is open seven days a week most of the year, with reduced hours in the winter. Visitor Center staff and exhibits will guide you to the cultural and natural history of the area. Friendly and knowledgeable staff are available to answer questions and help plan your visit.

  The area offers lots of great activities and adventures for families, including a mobile app to help explore the coastal forest, junior ranger programs, and more. Ranger-led programs and guided walks are available throughout the year, including winter and spring whale watch events. Be sure to check our news and events page frequently and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for event information and updates, or contact the Visitor Center for details at 541-547-3289.

  Download a trail guide here.
  
  Área Esenica de Cape Perpetua folleto en español aquí

  

  Come explore

  Tidepools, churns and spouting horns

  Coastal forests and ocean views

  Historical richness

  Visitor Center

  Would you like to share the wonders of Cape Perpetua with visitors? Volunteer at the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center! Find out more from our volunteer page.

• Cooks Ridge Trail #1372
• Cummins Creek Wilderness

  The Cummins Creek Wilderness features the only old-growth Sitka Spruce forest in the Oregon Wilderness system. Overhung with alder and maple, Cummins and Bob Creeks drain west through this dense rainforest Wilderness, where Sitka spruce sometimes reach nine feet in diameter. Both creeks spill into the Pacific Ocean, whose salty water almost reaches the western Wilderness boundary.

  Salmon, steelhead, and cutthroat trout spawn in the cool creek waters. Spruce-covered Cummins Ridge, which peaks at almost 2,000 feet, splits the rain forest in two. Yellow monkey flower, purple aster, white candy flower, and red foxglove brighten summer days, which otherwise tend toward the wet and foggy. Winters rarely see snow.

  The Cummins Ridge Trail (approximately 5.8 miles) cuts through the center of the Wilderness area and ascends more than 1,000 feet through towering stands of Sitka spruce, Western hemlock and Douglas-fir. Watch for wildlife along the way. It is the only trail within the wilderness area.

  View larger map
  

   

   

• Cummins Ridge Trail #1366
• Cummins Ridge Trail - East Trailhead
• Cummins Ridge Trail - West Trailhead
• Drift Creek Wilderness

  

  Drift Creek Wilderness is located in the Oregon Coast Range, 7  miles north of Waldport and south of Newport, Oregon. Towering Sitka spruce and western hemlock that sometimes reach seven feet in diameter shade the Coast Range's largest rainforest stand of old growth. The steep canyons of rock-splattered Drift Creek may give you the impression of mountainous country, but the forested hills rise only slightly above 2,000 feet. Soaked by as much as 120 inches of annual rainfall, moss and ferns as thick as six inches cushion the ground along numerous streams shadowed by overhanging bigleaf maples.

  Roosevelt elk and black bears share this lush territory along with northern spotted owl, woodpeckers, bald eagles, banana slugs, salamanders and many others. In fall, Drift Creek comes alive with spawning chinook and coho salmon as well as steelhead and cutthroat trout.

  The Drift Creek Wilderness (5,798 acres) is one of three wilderness areas established on the Siuslaw National Forest and the largest on the Coast Range. There are two main trails, the Horse Creek Trail and the Harris Ranch Trail. Stock use prohibited due to fragile soil conditions.

• Harris Ranch Trail #1347
• Horse Creek South Trailhead
• Horse Creek Trail #1362
• Rock Creek Wilderness