Sand Dunes is a National Recreation Area extending some 30 miles along the Oregon coast from…read moreReedsport to Florence. If you like sand dunes, you'll enjoy this place.

I will definitely have to come back and do a rental to ride the dunes . My son and his girlfriend…read moredrove me out to see the dunes when we went to do the tour of the Lighthouse and Museum in September , which I recommend you do . He said they had a big event a few weeks ago with a ton of ATVs and such . We used to race dirt bikes when he was little back in Nevada . We went to the beach also . I saw a couple people on the dunes that day .

I decided to stop here because I was hoping that we could find out if Crater Lake was worth…read morevisiting that day. We were greeted by two ladies. They were both friendly and helpful. They gave us all kinds of information about Crater Lake. Unfortunately, the day we were there was a bad one. Not all of the roads were open. We would have been unable to view Crater Lake. There is plenty of other information provided about the surrounding area. They have brochures covering everything from wineries to covered bridges to a drive thru safari. Tons of activities and places to visit if you have the time. So stop on in to learn more about the area.

Found the Roseburg Visitor Center closed during their listed hours. We double checked their…read morewebsite, and they were definitely supposed to be open for two more hours. Couldn't find anyone there, nobody picked up the phone either. We saw three other cars, including two families with children, pull up and leave disappointed, just in the 20 minutes we spent there. If your visitor center isn't even open on a Sunday afternoon, the biggest part of the week for tourism and recreation, then why have one at all? Tourists don't generally show up in town on Monday mornings, on a work day. They also organized a very poorly put-together geocaching tour, which I discovered was organized without official approval from geocaching.com. I finally got a hold of them a few days later, to try to get them to mail me the documents I needed from them. First of all, they were very nice, I'll give them that. They could probably show you a whole range of colorful brochures and perhaps even tell you about the attractions. That said, I'm not sure these women even live in the same century as we do. I simply could not explain to either of the two women there, no matter how simply I said it, that you can email documents to people. I highly doubt either had ever in fact seen email. When I said, in these exact words "Could you perhaps attach the documents to an email?" They said "Whoa, hold on, you're going to have to repeat that, I have no idea what you're talking about". Several more minutes of explaining the concept didn't help either. So they took down my name and address for a third person to look into it. I am not exaggerating when I tell you I had to spell my first name FOUR times. That's right: "Claire, C L A I R E, the common girl's name, Claire" "Sorry, what? Can you spell that again? "Claire, C L A I R E" "C L A R I...? Sorry, what is it?" "C L A I R E" "Okay, Clarie?" "No, the girl's name Claire, spelled the way you usually spell it, C L A I R E. Like Claire Huxtable." "Okay!" I then spelled out my email address, which has one word plus the name Claire. The next day they called me back: "Hi Clarie? The email didn't go through!" They had STILL MISPELLED CLAIRE. I facepalmed so hard. How is that even possible? *cry* I didn't bother a fifth time, so I gave them my husband's email address. His name is Rob. I'm amazed that email actually arrived. I feel bad complaining, because the ladies were nice (well the first two, the third who called me back wasn't terribly friendly), and they're volunteers I'm guessing, but honestly... most incompetent government agency in Oregon. And that says a lot. It's awesome that people are willing to volunteer, but a city the size of Roseburg simply needs to hire at least one professional to manage the visitor center and be present on site.

It's worth a stop here to pick up literature on whale watching and local points of interest. The…read morefriendly staff are experts. They know the roads. Any visitor to Port Orford gets used to seeing this harsh-looking sign as they enter a place of business: NO PUBLIC RESTROOM. That being the case, you would think the visitor center would have a decent restroom. The restroom at the visitor center is not as bad as many of its type, but still. Port Orford needs to extend a little warmer welcome to tourists. Maybe the visitor center itself could print a friendly sign inviting people to use their facility. I didn't see a flier listing upcoming events. Maybe they could work on that too. Upcoming events are covered in a haphazard way in Port Orford Today!, a free publication for locals. If a local happening is mentioned, they don't let you know where. In one issue they mention live music at the Port & Starboard Lounge, the PWRA Horse Playday, the contradance at Sixes Grange Hall, and the senior center spaghetti feed without any hint of the location. It's pretty clear they don't want tourists at these local events.

Yes, the staff here are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. As I tried to NOT take too much…read moreadvantage of all the free brochures for every state park, wayside, and coastal community chamber of commerce, they were rather insistent that we take a couple of the most useful guides, including the booklet which gives you the lay of the land milepost by milepost. I wish we had more time to spend in Port Orford because it was gorgeous that late November day (sunny and 75° if you can believe it! (They called it a rare "real estate day" (time for the aerial photographers to snap the perfect pics of the coast at its most idyllic)). After the man there explained what's unique about their port (where cranes actually lift the entire ship out of the water), I wanted to go down there and watch. But we needed to make it to Brookings before sundown. The only way they might've steered us wrong was when the fellow told us that the fish 'n chips at the Crazy Norwegian were recommendable. "Sunset Magazine rated the Crazy Norwegian as the second best seafood on the Oregon Coast," he said. "And that survey included fancy gourmet restaurants that cost $50 a plate." We were sold, so we went, but we were kinda disappointed that it was only about two standard deviations above the norm for a Long John Silver's. I've definitely had better fish 'n chips here in Sacramento! From the parking lot, there are two trails with good footing that lead down to a public beach that was awesome, with superb views of the more drastic coastline to the south.

Beautiful, lush landscape. Well maintained trails that wander through forest and marshlands and…read moreinclude boardwalks and viewing platforms. The interpretive center was closed when we were there on a Monday but the hiking was well worth stopping at this wonderful place. A previous viewer said that the trails were poorly marked. I felt that the trail markers were clear. There is also a nice map at the research center kiosk.

Blah, I wish this place was better. Trails are EXTREMELY poorly marked, so we wound up spending…read moreabout 30 minutes on the "10 minute loop" because of signage issues near the bat houses. Also, for some insane reason they had heaters going in the bathrooms when it was like 60+ degrees outside.

The John Dellenback Trailhead is an interpretive trail and dunes area open to the public. One of…read morethe huge benefits of the trail is that there is no recreational vehicle use allowed there, so you don't have to worry about being run over by a dune buggy or atv while taking in the beauty of the dunes. To get to the trail, take the turn for the eel creek campground and follow signs for the trailhead. There are bathroom facilities available. Make sure to purchase a pass- you can purchase a single day pass on location or purchase a yearly pass for all the Oregon state parks in Coos Bay at the visitor center for about $30. If you are the active type, you can rent a sandboard and sandboard down the dunes, which is a lot of fun! The trail begins in a wooded area and takes you down a path of dirt that gradually turns into sand as you arrive near the dunes. You see a lot of local plants and wildlife, and there are some exhibits to check out and rest spots with benches along the way. The trail will begin to take an upturn and then you will suddenly come out of the trees onto what looks like a huge desert.... it is breathtaking! You can take the same way back on your way out or for some new sights take the trail located closer to the large mountain-esque dune. Really good hike for kids- they love rolling down the dunes and feeling the sand between their toes. Just be sure you are okay with finding sand everywhere for the next month. Happy hiking!

The entrance to the John Dellenback Dunes (JDD) is accessible to pretty much anyone. It's an easy…read morehalf-mile hike to get to the dune area. Once you enter the JDD you're in a vast "desert." It's harder to walk on sand than dirt, so be aware of this fact if you decide to go to the beach area (about two-miles away). The JDD has a mystical magical quality. Some spots feel like you're in a different country all together. The high mounds of sand, vast vistas, and sense of being somewhere else adds to the experience. In fact, I believe the beach is anticlimactic compared to the dunes, although the hike to get there is worth doing. The parking fee is five dollars (cash/check only). I suggest driving about 200-feet past the entrance; then park for free at the cross road. It has large turnout area that is perfect for parking.

Trail, falls, and day use area along OR138 (with toilets). You can park at the decent sized…read moretrailhead or across the highway at the day use area that's set on the river. The trail up is through the burn zone on a well-maintained mostly flat path that zig-zags to the falls. While not one of the more spectacular falls you'll encounter on this road, it's accessible to most anyone.

In A Nutshell: -The…read moreSusan Creek Campground is a cool place to check out b/c of the background is spectacular. -The Tioga Bridge is also located here & if you walk across it & look down at the North Umpqua River, you'll instantly feel refreshed & at peace. -Southern Oregon in general is such an awesome place to visit during the summer months, the weather is much like California. Overall, this is a nice place to check out, I bet the camping rocks.

this is an absolutely belated review (i visited this past summer), but from time to time I'll think…read moreback on my hike here: wow is an understatement. to visit south slough is to truly pause and appreciate our delicate ecosystems. such tranquility, much needed solace. the salty air literally invites a few deep breaths. i imagine mary oliver often watches in awe from above. south slough is a gem, and i was impressed by just how maintained the reserve is kept. it definitely is worth the drive here, but just know that the drive can be a little bumpy and windy, if you get car sick easily like me. once you're here, there's several trail options.

So it says that it's closed today but I think that's just for the interpretive center. We hike here…read moreregularly on the weekends when we're in the Coos Bay/North Bend area. They allow dogs on the trail as long as they're leash and you clean up after them so regular rolls in my opinion. It's a great place to hike with your dog. The trails are decently maintained they are easy to follow and the signage is really clear. I've wandered many trails one that hook up and Link into another trial and one that I've made a choice to walk down a different path and no matter how long I've walked and how many different trails I've taken we've never got lost. It's a great place to grow mushroom hunting as well. I've never run into any problems with trickers or transients. Every trial we've ever taken has led to a positive outcome. I probably spent 15 hours hiking here with my dog and her friends. It's free and not too far away from whiskey run if you want to hit the beach. I don't know anything about The interpreter center or classes they offer here because I have never been here without my pup.

Lovely spot for a leg-stretcher right as you come into town at Port Orford. There's a decent sized…read moreparking lot, as well as restrooms, benches, and informational signs about the history of the area. It definitely has the feel of rest area, but with access down to the beach below. We considered climbing up but the access up and over the driftwood was a bit too precarious for us older humans. It was fun to walk through the rock tunnel though.

I stumbled upon Battle Rock Wayfinding Point while driving Highway 101 south through Port Orford,…read moreOregon. The view from the road of the beach coastline seemed pretty promising and since I was in no rush, figured why not stop and check this place out. For 9am in early August, the parking lot was half empty. I noticed people had their surfboards and boogey boards ready to go out in the waters. According to one of the entrance signs, Battle Rock said it's a city park but also a historic memorial "dedicated in memory of the ancient people and pioneer founders of the townsite". It was a quiet Sunday morning without a cloud in the sky and ideal for strolling the beach shores. This was a good opportunity to do some quality reflecting while taking a break from driving. The beach had a calming setting with moments to take photos of those vintage Oregon rocks protruding up from the ground. I would say though compared to the many vista point lookouts along Highway 101, this Battle Rock Park was just okay within the bigger picture of it all. I used 45 minutes walking the beach shores and soaking up the fresh air. It is free to stop on by here and explore. I noticed a Visitor Center next to the parking lot. It was closed unfortunately. And that's really it. Lastly, if I can say anything else, this Battle Rock Wayfinding Point is 13 miles north of the next roadside stop on my itinerary - Sisters Rock - a short trail to hike for terrific perspectives of Oregon's grand coastline.

Saved our collective asses a couple of times. The absolute best! Nancy is a joy to work with. Would…read moregive six stars if possible!!!!

Really work to arrange travel details so clients have a positive experience and great vacation.read more