Gardiner, Oregon

The Umpqua State Lighthouse is an emerald gem of Oregon Coastal perfection: dense forest intermingled with lakes and streams spill out onto a massive dune system that plays gatekeeper to the Umpqua River as it empties into the roaring Pacific Ocean.  Lake Marie sits nestled in the heart of the pa...

Make sure you add this hidden gem to your waterfall chasing plans on your road trip to Oregon. This underrated Oregon waterfall is the perfect hike for the entire family. The trail offers four different falls from 10-30 feet high. The trail slowly climbs 2.2 miles through a beautiful thick forest...

Getting here was half the adventure. Google led us in quite the wrong way. Whatever you do, approach this park from Allegany, outside of Coos Bay. From Allegany there are signs to the park. The road is about 9 miles from here. Drive until the road dead ends with cement blocks. Here you will have ...

At the mouth of Cape Creek sits a beautiful cove with one of the best views in Oregon. Above the sandy beach and sea stacks, rises the Heceta Head Lighthouse, a 100-year-old+ structure that's been laboriously restored and kept in working condition. At night, this quiet piece of the Oregon coast g...

If you find yourself in or around Coos Bay in Oregon, don't miss the opportunity to witness the most dramatic wave action you'll ever see. These gigantic waves are just mesmerizing! Shore Acres State Park is on the Cape Arago Hwy, 13 miles southwest of Coos Bay/North Bend and U.S. Highway 101. Th...

This state park, just off the 101 near Florence, Oregon, is a cool spot to turn out and check out! Great place to just stop and watch the waves crashing into the rocks as well as all the different wildlife in the area.  If you walk further south, Cummins Creek flows into the ocean. Also not to b...

First check out the tide books and find out when low tide is. At low tide, head to Cape Perpetua State park about 2 miles South of Yachats.Park at the Captain Cook Trail Head and head down the trail South to the tide pools. Look for a hole or well in the rock with plumes of spray shooting up with...

If you've set up camp at Perpetua Campground, head out toward the Cape Perpetua Visitors Center, head east along the Cooks Ridge Trail. After 3.75 miles and 1500ft elevation gain, head south and then west along the Cummins Creek Trail, eventually ending up at the ocean along Neptune State Scenic ...

Stay cool on a hot summer day with a natural rock water slide, multiple swimming hole areas, and multiple waterfalls. This is perfect for relaxing in the sun! The sign for the parking area is upstream of the falls. There is a store across from the lake if you need any last minute food and drinks...

The major draw of this campground however is the beach. Many of the campsites overlook the water, but if you don’t have a view from your site it takes less than a minute to be in the sand. We made our trip from the University of Oregon in Eugene. It was a gorgeous 2 hour drive, and after driving ...

Bandon, Oregon, located on the Southern Oregon coast, is about 90 miles north of the California border and about five hours south of Portland. In other words, it's just far enough away so that it has not become a touristy, seaside destination. And that's good news for all of us.This sleepy seasid...

The Bandon State Natural area is a wide, mostly undeveloped section of the South Coast that is perfect for beachcombing, exploration, and fat tire biking with fun driftwood for tricks and jumps along with large flat shallow areas extending far out into the ocean.  Sure you will get wet and always...