This is one of my favourite "hidden" beaches along the Oregon coast. Closer to California than to…read morePortland, Whaleshead is part of the Samuel Boardman Scenic Corridor and it's not terribly well-marked so you have to keep a lookout for the turn-offs off of Highway 101 to get here. This is not a swimming beach, like the other beaches along Oregon and Northern California, the water is way too cold and turbulent and there are probably sharks in the area (since they like cold water). This is more of a walking and exploring kind of beach. Both times I came, I basically had the entire beach to myself except for some seagulls and the odd turkey-vulture that showed up on my path. You can walk, and walk and walk and not see another soul. Along with the setting sun against the sea haystacks, the photo ops and atmosphere here cannot be beat. With forested pines running along a cliff behind you, few beaches are as wild as this one, without a development in sight anywhere. Let's hope it stays that way because the natural beauty here is truly pristine and overwhelming.

I wanted to sit at a beach awhile and so we stopped here to spend some time. The breeze was a bit…read moremuch but it was a beautiful little beach.

An absolute stunner of a state park. It has it all: river, cool trails and bathrooms! It's so green…read moreand stunning, there's some little bridges to cross on the trail by the river. A lovely place to hike or enjoy a delicious meal with a panoramic view of nature. This park was free to enter! I was shocked it wasn't more packed with people!

Park at the day use area. Pick up the Chetco River Trail for about a mile. Connect with The Redwood…read moreTrail. It's a 1 mile loop of Oregon redwoods, not as immense as the avenue of Giants in California. But it's an impressive walk through a lush green forest with these giant redwoods, gushing streams curving, and rolling over rocks. Lots of licken, moss, and ferns in this natural wonder.

This corridor was really awesome! We explored it all I think. Secret beach was definitely our…read morefavorite beach. The hikes weren't too bad. Nice viewpoints and a little bit of something for everyone. We didn't really understand the path to see the bridge so we skipped that. The natural bridges were nice, but we didn't feel safe hiking down to them. Really beautiful corridor though!

We visit the central and northern coast regularly. It took me a few years to get down to the…read morecorridor. My expectations were fairly high truthfully. My first thought was that it is more remote than I had for some reason assumed. I really appreciated the relatively large spans of almost no civilization and all nature. Second thought, the entire Oregon coast is stunning...the most beautiful coast line in the country in my humble opinion. Rugged, treed, full of wildlife, serene. Third note, the corridor did have the most rock formations as compared to other parts of our coast, very fun to admire, especially from the higher vantage points of the many, many viewpoints along the route. Overall, a stunning area...but let's be real...it's just another jaw-droppingly beautiful piece of a state overflowing with spectacular sights.

What a fun labyrinth of different kinds of hiking trails, ranging in degrees of difficulties…read more There's something for everyone. We came here with our two friends each of them having a little one strapped to their backs. Our dog Momo was also part of the group and she particularly loved this walk. At the time we were her in late spring (end of May), we were able to see still lots of wild flowers, but my friend mentioned that Renee were even more a few weeks earlier. The trails are mostly leading through forest area and so you're in the shade most of the time. We took a trail that led us to the peak and we were able to enjoy lovely views over the valley. Note: there's lots of poison oak here. If you have small kids with you, remind them to be vigilant.

This is such an amazing place! There are so many trails at different experience levels. They're all…read morekept up very well too. It even provides maps at the head/parking lot and there are benches/places to rest intermittently. Such tranquility! It's well worth visiting!

To get to Damnation Creek Trail, you'll have to follow a short bit of the Coastal Trail (which…read morefollows the old Highway 101). It's a fun descent to the ocean, over some little bridges and through some high brush at times. Time your hike with the tides. If you reach the trail's end at low tide, you can scramble down the rocks to the rocky beach. There are succulents clinging to the rocky bluffs, wildflowers growing above the beach, and waves crashing on the seastacks. You can find tidepools with all kinds of sea life. Wear waterproof shoes. The hard part is the walk back. The hike is a dead end, and the first half is downhill. That means you'll be walking up hill (the hike begins/ends with a 1000-foot elevation) for the second leg of your hike, so pace yourself. But the views are well worth the effort. You can even cool off by walking a bit of the coastal trail when you're done. It covers part of the old highway, so it's flat and paved. In the spring there are some pretty wildflowers, too. One of my favorite hiking trails in the area.

Beautiful ending to a hike. By the time you get to the bottom (1000 ft) on the ocean, you just…read morewant to stay. However, the climb back will hit you. If you jump into the stream it refreshes you and gets you ready for the hike back up. Takes about 2 -3 hours on a decent pace. Make sure you head down. Don't make a left or right. You will see a sign that says 1.7 miles and dead end. Follow that one. Wear hiking shoes, it gets slippery. I wouldn't do it if it was raining. It can be dangerous.

Beautiful trail which has parking near the trailhead. Loading dock 100 feet from parking…read more Absolutely beautiful trail that leads for miles around the lake. Watch out for mountain bikers and poison oak

Great place super cool tour unique. If you are traveling in this area these caves are a must!!…read moreBeautiful

Older folks beware. The your route is heavily constricted and the tour groups can be too large. You…read moreend up cheek to jowel on low ceiling staircases unable to move. Our tour guide was passionate but very young, I judged her incapable of responding to an emergency. We bailed early but I don't think they warn you enough about what this tour entails. Hard pass.

We love the asphalt trail for its flatness and safety. Occasionally we'll take the rock path for…read moresomething different but when you're in your 70's you Choose safety over view every time...

Beautiful falls. The falls have 2 entrances…read more Main road directs to the location with designated parking and bike trail. It has a look out area. Several side trails to water but not a great view of the falls. When leaving Gold Hill before you reached the freeway entrance had a roadway under a bridge. I was able to follow that road until we reached the falls. I'm giving it a 4 star since no restrooms at either location that I was able to see. Also not able to access Falls safely.

Located on Highway 199, the Simpson Reed Grove Trail was the seventh (11:48) stop (not counting our…read moreretail stops in nearby Crescent City) during our fourth day of our trip to the northern most point of California. This trail was the primary reason why we came this way, as it was clearly called out as being the best combination of redwood seeing/admiring with more accessible trails for the mobility impaired. My wife, her 85 year old mom, and I knew this to be one of our last forest stops, so decided to take the trail slowly. Not sure if mom would have agreed to take it if she knew exactly how long the loop was (0.8 miles), but with a lot of rest stops (plenty of places to sit on the trail), it ended up being a very worthwhile experience. The Simpson-Reed Grove trail is located in Jediah Smith Redwoods State Park, and is named for the first president of the Simpson Timber Company, whose family made significant philanthropic contributions to preserve the old growth redwoods in the area. There isn't much change in elevation on the main loop of the trail, but a subsequent outshoot loop (Peterson Memorial Trail that adds .13 miles and takes you over foot bridge crossing over small creeks) has more incline. We ended up skipping that portion. There are a lot of fallen trees, left to provide to nutrients for subsequent generations. It gives multiple opportunities to get up close (tactile) and clearly experience some of the largest living things on Earth.

Right off the Redwood Highway, on the north side of the road (just a little ways from Highway 101,…read moresits an astounding grove of redwoods. If you're just driving through the area, or even if you came to camp for a while, this place will provide you with some great photo opportunities. The trail is a wide, flat, and very short loop that even the weakest members of your group can probably tolerate. (Don't expect a real hike on this one. It's more of an easy stroll.) If you don't have the time or the desire to go deep into the forest or get dirty at all, this is the best way to see how truly magnificent the redwoods can be.