Coos County: Coast, Lakes and Nature

On the coast of Coos County, Cape Arago juts out into the Pacific as a headland. Other travel experiences range from lakes and waterfalls to wildlife watching and local history. When planning, you can prioritize according to your interests: beaches and tide pools, water sports, or cultural exhibits. If you’re looking for a hotel for your trip, this focus can help you choose the places and experiences you’d like to explore more closely.

Lakes, Rivers, and Water Sports

Coos County’s parks offer easy access to fishing in lakes and rivers. Powers County Park has a kayak launch at the pond; only non-motorized watercraft are allowed there. North and South Tenmile Lakes have a combined estimated water surface area of about 2,000 acres. Water skiing, wakeboarding, swimming, sailing, and boating are possible there. At Hall Lake, you can swim and kayak, as well as explore the surrounding dunes. These activities offer a concrete guide for choosing: fishing in lakes and rivers, water sports on the Tenmile Lakes, or a stay at Hall Lake with its dunes.

Coastal Trails and Beaches

At Cape Arago State Park, the South Cove Trail leads to a sandy beach and tide pools with plants and animals of the intertidal zone. Fishing and beachcombing are possible along the North Cove Trail. Within the park, the focus is therefore on both observing life in the intertidal zone and enjoying activities on the beach.

Bullards Beach State Park has an equestrian camp and access to 11 miles of trails and four miles of beach and dunes. The park also offers 4.5 miles of beach for walking and mountain biking on firm sand. These details distinguish between access to trails, beach, and dunes on the one hand, and beach activities on the other. At Cape Arago, the trails lead to specific coastal destinations; at Bullards Beach, horseback riding and mountain biking on firm sand are also among the activities described.

Wildlife Watching, Gardens, and Ocean Views

Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge protects the only remaining tidal marshland in the entire Coquille River estuary. You can watch wildlife from public nature trails and viewing platforms. In Bandon, Coquille Point provides year-round public beach access via two wooden stairways.

The formal garden at Shore Acres State Park includes a Japanese-style garden, a lily pond, and two rose gardens. One trail leads to Simpson Beach; another runs along the cliff edge and offers views of ocean scenery, storm waves, and migrating whales from December through June. This makes it possible to include gardens and coastal views in your travel plans at Shore Acres, while Bandon Marsh and Coquille Point offer other nature experiences: wildlife watching or beach access.

Local History and Special Collections

Powers County Park also displays a steam-powered logging winch, known as a steam donkey, and an authentic, hand-carved 20-foot-tall totem pole. The Bandon History Museum features exhibits on shipbuilding, shipwrecks, beach life, Indigenous basketry, fires, floods, gold, cheese, and cranberries, among other topics. For an insight into early logging in Coos County, the Coos County Logging Museum displays photographs and historical objects in a historic building. The collection also includes large, hand-carved myrtlewood sculptures by Mr. Warnack.

In Coos Bay, the Coos Art Museum is located in the city center in a former city post office. The Oregon Coast Historic Railway displays historic railroad and logging equipment. These sites have different areas of focus: art; railroad and logging history; and the local and coastal themes at the Bandon History Museum.

Seasonal Events and Getting Around

The Coos Bay Farmers Market takes place on Wednesdays from May through October; dates may change. In Bandon, the Cranberry Festival is celebrated on the second weekend of September. If you’re planning your trip around a market visit or the festival, check the latest dates in advance. Coos County Area Transit operates local routes in the Bay Area as well as express services to Coquille and Florence. Since routes and schedules can change, it’s also worth checking the latest information before planning.

Explore more destinations: Coos Bay, Bandon, Powers, Wallowa County, Polk County, Yamhill County, Crook County, Marion.

For the broader travel overview: Oregon.