Nevada-Oregon Trip, Day 6: Oregon – Along the Southern Section of the Wild Coast

After the crazy night that was cut short by the police and finishing my sleep on the side of the road, I start the vehicle and begin moving back north toward Oregon.

A bit of personal history: years ago, I lived in Portland, Oregon, for a total of two years.

I deeply loved traveling around this beautiful state, but I cared a bit less for the weather, which is rainy and overcast for most of the year. I have visited the Oregon coast many times in the past, mostly its northern section, but I never had the opportunity to do a continuous trip along the entire coast.

This time, I decided to drive from south to north along all 360 miles of the scenic Highway 101. The general plan was to dedicate three days to this axis, stopping and visiting many points of interest along the way, while focusing less on long hikes.

Three days is a bit tight due to the sheer number of spots to visit, so I will have to see as I go what to do, what to skip, and what to leave for next time.

This is my first day along the coastline, and it was dedicated to the southern section of the axis, covering 255 miles of driving.

I opened the morning at sunrise with a short drive along the coast of Crescent City to its northernmost point, Point St. George Beach. There, I observed the St. George Reef Light, which sits far out at sea on an isolated rock about 8 miles from the shore.

From here, I left the city and drove north on Highway 101, crossing the geographic border line back into the state of Oregon, with a brief stop next to the familiar entrance sign: Welcome to Oregon.

I really wanted to stand on the beach with one foot in California and the other foot in Oregon, but the hour was too early and the beach access at that point was still closed.

From there, I continued driving and stopped at the first coastal town in Oregon, Brookings, in the area of the public library. Since it was also still closed at this hour, I decided to keep driving and return here later to see something special.

The Dramatic Axis of the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor

I continued driving north to one of the most beautiful coastal segments in the United States, where I had marked a long chain of stops and amazing viewpoints looking over the towering rock cliffs rising out of the water:

Cape Ferrelo Viewpoint and House Rock Viewpoint: First spectacular viewpoints over the dramatic coastline.
Whaleshead Viewpoint and China Beach: Stops at points overlooking the giant rocks in the middle of the sea and the isolated beaches hidden between them.
Thomas Creek Bridge Area: An impressive view of the high, iconic bridge that crosses the canyon.

Natural Bridges: One of the highlights of the southern coastline—massive natural stone arches created by the power of the ocean, surrounded by a thick forest that reaches right to the water's edge.

The official viewpoint is right next to the parking area on the side of the road, but I chose to descend along steep trails inside the forest until I reached the lower area closer to the arches.

Secret Beach and Arch Rock State Park: A short, scenic walk to the hidden beach, alongside viewpoints of the famous arch rocks jutting out of the water.

After visiting all these amazing places, the time was already around 10:00 AM, and that was my cue to head back south a bit to the city of Brookings to visit the library.

The Story Behind the Samurai Sword at the Brookings Public Library

The story behind the samurai sword displayed at the Brookings Public Library is one of the most fascinating and philanthropic stories born out of the horrors of World War II. In September 1942, a Japanese pilot named Nobuo Fujita flew a tiny floatplane launched from a submarine and dropped incendiary bombs on the forests in the Brookings area with the goal of igniting massive forest fires, an event recorded in history as the only time an enemy aircraft bombed the continental United States from the air.

Twenty years later, in 1962, Fujita was invited by the residents of the town of Brookings to visit them as a gesture of reconciliation. Fujita, who arrived filled with regret and a heavy fear of the residents' reactions, brought with him as a gift and a symbol of peace his ancient, 400-year-old family samurai sword that had accompanied him throughout his entire military service.

The townspeople received him with open arms, and the sword was donated to the local public library, where it is proudly displayed to this day as a living testament to the power of forgiveness, reconciliation, and friendship between former enemies. When Nobuo Fujita passed away years later, his ashes were scattered in the forest at the exact site where he carried out the bombing, and a tree was planted in his memory.

When I heard about this special historical story, which teaches about the capacity for repair and deep regret that exists in people, I told myself that I simply must see this sword with my own eyes. Besides the sword, the library building itself is really beautiful and new, but what surprised me the most was discovering that the old video format is still highly popular in these remote areas; I saw a large number of shelves there packed with movies in DVD format, a sight that instantly brought me back to the Blockbuster days of thirty years ago…

Continuing North Along Highway 101

Meyers Creek Beach Viewpoint: A stop in front of an expansive, impressive beach dotted with giant monolith rocks protruding from the sand and the water's edge.
Mary D. Hume: A short stop in the town of Gold Beach to view the picturesque remains of the historic steamship shipwrecked in the harbor, which was built locally in 1881.
Sisters Rocks North Trailhead and Prehistoric Gardens: Driving along the "Sisters" cliffs and a photogenic pass by the amusing dinosaur park nestled in the heart of the forest.

The Lighthouses and Beaches of Cape Blanco and Bandon

Battle Rock Arch: A visit to the historic town of Port Orford and a view of the unique rock formations on the coastline.
Hughes Historic House and Cape Blanco Lighthouse: Driving to the westernmost point in the state of Oregon, and a visit to the historic farmhouse and the impressive Cape Blanco Lighthouse standing above dramatic cliffs.

Here, I struck up a conversation with a volunteer in the small gift shop and received a detailed map from him of all the major lighthouses scattered along the Oregon coast.

I set a goal for myself to visit or at least see most of them. Afterward, I made another short stop in the port town of Port Orford itself.

Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint and Bandon Beach: Arriving at the beautiful town of Bandon and viewing the prominent, jagged rocks scattered along the white sandy beach.

This is without a doubt the most beautiful beach in all of Oregon!

Unfortunately, I arrived here at midday on a sunny but very cold day, accompanied by a strong wind. I walked along the trail on the cliff above the beach, and after a short deliberation, I decided not to physically go down to the sand. I still faced a long day of driving, and the noon hour is not the ideal time for dramatic beach photography anyway.

I promised myself that next time I would plan the route so that I would be here exactly at sunset.

Coquille River Lighthouse: A beautiful historic lighthouse sitting on the mouth of the Coquille River. Driving to it requires a very large detour and I did not have enough time to reach it directly, so I settled for a good view of it from the south side of the river opening.

The Nature Reserves and Hidden Lakes of Coos Bay

Shore Acres State Park and Cape Arago State Park: A smooth and enjoyable drive along the high, vertical stone cliffs of the reserve, a famous spot where giant waves crash onto the rocks with immense force. I made a short stop at Sunset Beach and visited the viewpoints of Cape Arago.

There were tons of sea birds and many seals resting to their hearts' content on the rocks, warming up in the sun.

Cape Arago Lighthouse: A side view of the picturesque and isolated lighthouse, which sits on a small rocky island of its own.

South Slough Bridge and McCullough Memorial Bridge: Crossing the large, historic bridges of the Coos Bay area as I continue driving north.
Oregon Dunes OHV Horsfall Area: First entry and first encounter with the massive and famous sand dune area of the Oregon coastline.

Ending Point and Lodging in the Umpqua Area

Hall & Schuttpelz Lakes and Hall Lake: A short loop around the fresh, hidden lakes, tucked into the forest in a truly fascinating way right behind the coastline's sand dunes. There is a trail there that goes straight up onto the dunes, allowing you to hike on foot in this beautiful and special area. It was getting late, clouds covered the sky so there wouldn't be a pretty sunset, and it looked like rain was about to fall.
Campground - Umpqua Lighthouse State Park Campground: Arriving at the Umpqua lighthouse area, located near the town of Reedsport. The lighthouse itself is not particularly impressive and it was also closed.

Tonight, after the drama with the police from the previous night, I wanted to get a full, quiet night of sleep without any disturbances or surprises at two in the morning, so I decided to sleep in an established park campground.

I booked a site online right from the campground entrance and found that it was of a very high standard, located deep within the forest and adjacent to a lake, a beautiful, quiet, and wonderfully maintained place with really clean and new restrooms and showers.