Birding Near Gold Beach - Port Orford Area

333 Hiking Trail

The 333 trail has everything a day hiker could want on the Oregon Coast Trail: easy access, it is well marked, beautiful scenery, lots of options, and yet it is not widely used. The trail travels through an excellent example of a temperate rain forest, down to the Pacific Coast Trail. The hiker then has the option of heading north, to a beach destination, or south and a moderately challenging hike to the top of Cape Sebastian. Hiking time can vary from 2 to 5 hours depending on the route selected. The trail is so named because it starts at the 333 mile marker on Route 101. There is an unimproved gravel parking area about 50 feet south of the entrance. Hike into the woods, following ... more

Arch Rock

Arch Rock is a natural bridge located just off shore in the blue Pacific ocean. A convenient parking lot just off Route 101 offers ample parking and a short paved walk is just the place to try out that digital camera.

Arch Rock is the near the northern end of the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor and is also the northern end of a long stretch of the Oregon Coast Trail that rarely touches US Route 101. This portion of the trail offers stunning views and is well worth hiking. This unbroken portion of the trail continues south to House Rock and is excellent for day hiking.

Arch Rock is located about midway between Brookings and Gold Beach, on the Oregon coast.

Cape Blanco Lighthouse and State Park

The Cape Blanco Lighthouse is a favorite location for whale watching and offers spectacular views. Built in 1898, the historic Hughes House is also located at the park with tours available while the lighthouse is open. There is fishing access to Sixes River from the State Park. The Cape Blanco State Park has over 8 miles of hiking trails, beach walks, and 7 miles of horse trails ... more

Cape Sebastian

Cape Sebastian offers stunning views to the north and south on a clear day. This is a "must" for anyone traveling the Pacific Coast Highway Route 101 through Oregon. From the south parking lot, there is a spectacular view of the Pistol River, 3 miles (5 km) to the south. The Point Saint George Lighthouse and Crescent City are 34 miles (55 km) due south. Don't stay in your car, but venture out a short distance on the trail on the west side of the parking lot for views ... more

Floras Lake - Boice-Cope County Campground

Flora Lake is ideal for windsurfing and kiteboarding. Kayaking is also a favorite on the lake. Nearby trails make hiking in the area easy. A short walk from the boat launch is the beach, which is frequently deserted. Located near Flora Lake is Boice-Cope County Campground with 34 campsites, 22 of which are paved. There is water but there are not any hookups. Restrooms and showers are available. Flora Lake is located south of Bandon and just south of Langlois and north of ... more

Gold Beach Visitors Center

(800) 525-2334
The  Visitors Center is located on the beach at the southern end of town. It is located on beach and offers information about area artists, art galleries, events, hiking, camping, etc - open 7 days a week in the summer, closed Sunday during the off season.  There is ample parking, RV turnarround and easiy access to the beach.  Restrooms and Internet access.

Gold Beach beaches

The beach immediately west of the town of Gold Beach is known as Agate Beach. It stretches from the south jetty of the Rogue River, down to Cape Sebastian. Towards the center is a landmark rock outcropping known as Kissing Rock which itself is located along Hunter Creek. To the north of the Rogue, and outside the city limits of Gold Beach is Bailey Beach. This beach is listed on some maps, ... more

Lola Lake

Lola Lake is a little known small lake located south of Gold Beach, just south of Pistol River. Lola Lake is wet even during the dry season, but is overgrown and swamp-like, making it a perfect place for nesting and migrating birds and birders. The hike is short as the total distance around the lake from the parking area is just over a mile (1.7 km).

The challenge to get to the lake is not the fairly easy hike, but the parking. There is not an official parking area, but a well used spot on the west side of US Highway 101, just north of the 341-mile marker and south of Pistol River. The parking area is immediately at the end of a guardrail. There is a fairly sharp drop off from the paved highway into a sand and dirt area. Luckily, there are two southbound lanes, which makes it a bit safer to slow down to look for the pull off.

Lola lake is located just north of Crook Point and the bird sanctuary of Saddle Rock - also known as Mack Reef. While Saddle Rock is more famous, it is also essentially unreachable by land. If hiking past Lola Lake to the beach, the beach stops shortly to the south in a fortress-like point. There are fences on the land marked as "No Trespassing" in order to keep people from getting near the refuge. To the south of Crook Point is private property that is currently planned to be developed as a golf course.

Download a GPX file of the Lola Lake hike for your GPS unit. Download a kml file for use in Google Earth.

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Otter Point

This little secret is a must see for those who travel along the Oregon Coast. Park your car and take a short walk out to the point and gaze at the waves crashing below, the surf at the cove to the north, or the broad long Bailey Beach to the south. If you have time, there is a 10-minute hike to the south. For the adventurous, there is a short but challenging trail on the north ... more

Pistol River

Pistol River, OR, is one of the most scenic stretches along any coast in the world. There are numerous scenic viewpoints along Route 101 to pull over and watch the Pacific Ocean. Meyers Beach and Hunters Cove are a favorite of surfers, wind surfers and equestrians, and is a wide, kid and pet friendly beach to walk along. At night, it is not unusual ... more

Rocky Point

Rocky Point is a scenic pull off with views of Humbug Mountain to the south. It is also a favorite place of locals to dig up butter clams at low tide. The area is popular with whale watchers, windsurfing and scuba diving.

Rocky Point is located 2 miles south of Port Orford, Oregon, along US Route 101.

Port Orford, OR

Rogue River

The best way to experience the Rogue River is to take a ride on one of the Jet Boats. Fishermen should make plans to stop and fish, either by renting a boat, or signing up with one of the highly skilled river guides. For those looking for an alternative, take a short 22 mile scenic loop on the north and south banks of the Rogue. The round trip crosses ... more

Rogue River Walk

The Rogue River Walk is a trail for nature lovers that extends just east of Gold Beach to the Lobster Creek Bridge. This trail provides stunning views of the Rogue River as it weaves its way along the riverbank. The walk is relatively flat with benches located along the trail. Osprey, Bald Eagles and River Otters can be seen from the trail.

The trail starts east of US Route 101, near the old mill site, and continues up to Lobster Creek, where it connects (over the bridge) to the Lower Rogue River Trail. Those planning on continuing to this trail will need to hike a gravel road, FS-3533, to the trail head.

For more information, download this PDF of the hike with additional information and a map.

Sisters Rocks

For the more adventurous, looking for views, a sea cave and remote beaches, don't miss the Sisters Rocks. Sisters Rocks is a Oregon State Park but without any improvements. Sisters Rocks are three outcroppings, two of which are connected to land. Middle Sister is a short distance off shore. Sisters Rocks is also known as the Devil's Backbone Rocky Shore Area and consists of 2.7 miles of offshore rocks and sandy beaches. The offshore rocks and islands are part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge and contain colonies of seabirds. Sea lions are common in the area. Activities include tidepooling, beachcombing, bird watching, ... more