Bandon Beach

Since I was in the southern Oregon area this weekend, I had to head out to one of the nicest beaches in the area. The small beach town of Bandon, at the mouth of the Coquille River is a typical Oregon community. When I would come to this small town as a child, there was a cheese factory which made cheese from all the local dairy farms. But the factory is long gone and the town is now a ‘vacation’ town with several golf courses in the area.

But for me the draw is the strip of beach on the south side of the town and river. Many large rock formations jut out of the sea and the beach forming an interesting landscape and many opportunities to climb and poke around in.

The water is cold but wading around some of the close in rocks or walking out to the large Sea Stacks in ankle deep water is fun. Poking around there bases you can find crabs, sea amenities, muscles clinging to the rock and lots of barnacles.  

The beach can be wind swept, but this weekend it was very pleasant and few people. This is a place where you can just sit on some drift wood and relax. The town itself is not a hot bed of activity and there are few attractions if fishing is not your thing.  But I come for the beach and that alone…

Bridge north or Coos Bay

Bandon is about twenty miles south of Coos Bay, the largest town in the area, and the drive is quite pleasant with lots of views and scenery.