Shore Acres State Park offers stunning cliff-side views Cape Arago State Park offers additional views and some of the best seal and sea lion viewing on the Oregon Coast and Sunset Bay State Park features lovely views of a naturally sheltered bay and its intimate arching beach. You can visit three amazing State Parks along a dramatic 2.5-mile section of the Oregon Coast. Must-See Side Trip: This remarkable stretch of coastline offers several must-stops for visitors. From Bandon, it's about a 30-minute drive north via the Bandon to Charleston Tour Route following Seven Devils Road north out of Bandon and turning west on the Cape Arago Highway. And keep an ear peeled: Cape Arago's signature foghorn is sure to surprise you. Today, it is owned by the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Suislaw. The structure stands on the site of two previous lighthouses, both of which fell prey to the whims of erosion and inclement coastal weather.

This lighthouse was first lit in 1934 and is not accessible to the public, but is best viewed from a viewpoint just south of Sunset Bay State Park or from Lighthouse Beach to the north. Must-See Side Trip: If you continue the nine miles south to Port Orford, you can visit Battle Rock Park for dramatic views and Port Orford Heads State Park, which features great hiking trails with stunning views and a historical museum housed in the old Port Orford Lifeboat Station which was built in 1934.ĭAY 2: CAPE ARAGO & UMPQUA RIVER LIGHTHOUSESĬape Arago Lighthouse: This 44-foot-tall lighthouse towers 100 feet over the ocean at the edge of a small island near Coos Bay. The lighthouse is a 40-minute drive south of Bandon, turning west toward Cape Blanco State Park nine miles north of Port Orford. Cape Blanco Lighthouse is perched in prime sight of plenty of fantastic coastal wildlife habitat and is open 10-3:15pm April through October, but is closed on Tuesdays. First lit in 1870, the lighthouse was originally commissioned to guide ships associated with the gold and lumber industries and was built in part out of bricks made by a local tradesman. The lighthouse is open to visitors 11am-5pm, mid-May through September.Ĭape Blanco Lighthouse: Sitting 256-feet atop a chalky-white cliffside on Cape Blanco that juts a mile-and-a-half out into the Pacific Ocean, this brick structure bears the title of oldest standing lighthouse on the Oregon Coast and is located on the westernmost point in all of the state. The lighthouse sat in disrepair for decades, but recent restoration efforts have revived the crumbling structure and a solar-powered light now sits in place of the original lens.

The lighthouse, boasting a 40-foot tower and a foundation hewn from locally sourced stone, was first lit in 1896. Originally, it guided many a nervous mariner over a dangerous sandbar until the construction of jetties eased the way inland. The lighthouse now feels a little upriver since building the jetties and the accompanying build up of sand on both sides of the jetty. To visit the lighthouse, it's a short 10-minute drive to the lighthouse on the north side of the Coquille River within Bullards Beach State Park. The best place for viewing on the south side of the river is from the Bandon South Jetty Park. In fact, you can see the Coquille River Lighthouse, on the north side of the river, from many places on Bandon's riverfront.

These lighthouses are situated atop rocky capes and are set in other scenic locations that offer stunning Oregon Coast views and outstanding wildlife and sealife viewing where you may experience a wide variety of birds, seals, sea lions and whales.ĭAY 1: COQUILLE RIVER & CAPE BLANCO LIGHTHOUSESĬoquille River Lighthouse: From Bandon, you don't have to go far to see your first lighthouse. Four of the Oregon Coast's nine lighthouses can easily be seen in a two-day itinerary using Bandon as a base. The Oregon Coast's historic lighthouses are icons of the region's maritime past and they sit in some of the most stunning natural locations anywhere on the planet.

Port orford to hecta head lighthouse