Bandon, Oregon

Bandon, Oregon, is one of my favorite coastal destinations.  It's a picturesque town of 3100 on the sparsely populated southern Oregon coast.  It's the southernost incorporated town in Coos County, 26 miles south of Coos Bay and 25 miles north of Port Orford in Curry County.

Bandon is surrounded by natural beauty and worthy beach destinations.  Spectacular rocky spires rise from the sand of Bandon's beaches and the open ocean just offshore.  These are full of sea birds, and they comprise the Coquille Point unit of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.  The Coquille River reaches the sea at the north edge of town, and Bandon South Jetty Park at the mouth offers great beach access.  Along the river is a working fishing port in Bandon's Old Town, and the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge offers habitat for estuarine species.

Across the mouth of the Coquille River is Bullards Beach State Park, a gem of the Oregon State Parks system, with the Coquille River Light, a large campground, a long ocean beach, and shore-pine-clad dunes.  To the north are Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Whisky Run beach, Seven Devils State Recreation Site beach, two harder-to-reach beaches called Agate Beach and Sacchi Beach, and the wild and rugged Cape Arago area.

As a town, Bandon offers a charming Old Town full of art, inviting public spaces, and good food.  The area around the marina is worth a look for the public art including distinctive hardwood benches -- some within a glass-walled pavilion offering comfortable harbor viewing even during foul weather.  Nearby, the Nasomah memorial park is a moving experience.

Bandon's spectacular oceanfront offers attractions including sea stacks, Bandon South Jetty Park, Coquille Point unit of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint, Bandon State Natural Area including Devil's Kitchen and China Creek.  These can be reached along Beach Loop Road.  To the south, New River Nature Center, Floras Lake, Blacklock Point, and the Cape Blanco area also beckon.