1. William L. Finley Wildlife Refuge

    1. William L. Finley Wildlife Refuge

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    Monroe, OR

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    William L. Finley Wildlife Refuge

    4.5 (8 reviews)

    William L. Finley Wildlife Refuge Photos

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    Park closed November to April for wintering birds
    Melanie K.

    Nice place. Wish I had gone when they were open. No hours and dates are on the website. Closed winters and early spring

    Dylan B.

    This place is amazing. Peaceful and a great place to watch birds. There are several places to stop and watch the wildlife. You feel like you're out in the middle of nowhere and the sounds of nature are all around. Lots of lookout places and hiking trails. I love it here. FYI, dogs are not allowed.

    Near parking lot for nature store, 12/2/18

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    Photo of Joyce T.
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    7 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    Photo of Melanie K.
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    7 years ago

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    5 years ago

    A great place to drive thru and see the elk herd, migrating waterfowl and many others birds/animals

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    8 years ago

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    Sweet creek trail - Bridges to pass.

    Sweet creek trail

    4.9(27 reviews)
    36.8 mi

    Many waterfalls and swimming holes along this amazing and shaded trail…read more Love mossy rocks? How about lush ferns? How do you feel about cascading water? Do you enjoy dipping your feet into cold water on a hot summer day? Or how about swimming among giant redwood trees? If any of this sounds appealing you need to visit Sweet Creek Falls. We came in the middle of summer and it was the perfect way to spend an afternoon hiking, meditating, and swimming. There are 11 waterfalls ranging in size and close to 2.5 miles all together of shaded trails to explore, rustic bridges included. This was definitely one of the highlights of our trip to Oregon last summer. Know before you go: Parking lots at each trailhead. Super stinky bathroom located only at Homestead Trailhead. Dog friendly. And most importantly FREE! *Don't be surprised to see topless women swimming. We all have breasts and it's a beautiful thing to be free especially in a place like this. If this bothers you just look away. *Don't use Yelp directions as they'll take you to the wrong place. Use Google instead. I've reported this several times but like nearly everything I report Yelp ignores it. And Happy Earth Day! If you haven't discovered what nature can do for your soul I highly recommend getting away from the daily grind, turning your phone off, and just enjoying what places like this can do for you. It's truly magical.

    Awesome trail with multiple waterfalls. Trails were nice and clear of debris and branches. A few…read morespots with bigger rocks, roots, and water. Gorgeous scenery! There are so many photo opportunities. Many different bridges along the trail allow you to walk over the water. There is a part of the trail where you have to walk through a small stream. I wasn't wearing the proper gear and didn't want wet shoes and socks, so we headed back at that point and headed towards the upper parking lot. The upper trail still had snow on the ground, and the parking area was pretty soggy. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our time here. We would love to come back again during a drier season. Highly recommend!

    Photos
    Sweet creek trail - Cascading water along the trail.

    Cascading water along the trail.

    Sweet creek trail - Just a happy banana slug.

    Just a happy banana slug.

    Sweet creek trail - Perfect summer afternoon as most of the trail is shaded.

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    Perfect summer afternoon as most of the trail is shaded.

    Hobbit Beach Trailhead - Ocean view from the beach

    Hobbit Beach Trailhead

    4.6(14 reviews)
    47.8 mi

    I thought it was rather anti-climactic. ‍ Had hoped it would be arched w/foliage... but it was…read moremostly just a trail. ‍ i don't think i'll go back anytime soon.

    The Hobbit Trail would make JRR Tolkien proud. The trailhead is a subtle affair and easily found…read moremainly due to the other cars parked at the trailhead. Parking is available on both sides of the highway, but remember, it's hwy 101 and traffic can be heavy. Because there is so much vehicle traffic as well as hikers coming and going, there are enough eyes there to make you feel okay about leaving your car there locked up. The trail itself starts out fairly smooth with gentle ups and downs, but get a bit more aggressive as you continue. A walking stick of some sort really comes in handy on a few of the steps and turns. As you progress towards the coast the forest starts to get thicker and darker like Mirkwood. The rays of diffuse sunlight scattered by drifting mists definitely lends a mystical element to the surroundings. Some of the trees are so twisted and gnarled that you might almost expect Treebeard or another Ent to come pacing past you. We did come across a gnome that was cleverly hidden by someone. After about a mile the trail reaches the end where the last section gets a bit steeper with plenty of roots to avoid. This is a very well used trail and there are a lot of very friendly hikers going both directions. The trail then opens onto a very large beautiful flat sandy beach with a cliff wall to your immediate south and a long flat sandy beach to the north. We found our first sandfall! A waterfall but it was sand, not water. Sand from the hillside above the cliffs was just pouring and cascading over the rocky edge. I posted a brief video of one with this review. All in all it was a good hike for a guy with a bum knee, anything worse than that should probably not try the whole trail. Mainly because a couple places had steps in and around roots that were probably around 1 to 2 foot steps. If you do push on to the bottom, the beach is worth it. Lots of very friendly smiling people and an awful lot of very well behaved dogs. I think the magic in this is that it was all so clean. The hike back out was easier than I had anticipated but there is no ADA assistance.

    Photos
    Hobbit Beach Trailhead
    Hobbit Beach Trailhead - Leap into the new Lunar Year!

    Leap into the new Lunar Year!

    Hobbit Beach Trailhead

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    Alsea Falls Recreation Site - Falls

    Alsea Falls Recreation Site

    4.0(1 review)
    9.6 mi

    I'll be up front. I love Oregon. I love how beautiful it is here. I love the slower pace of life. I…read morelove the food. I love that people here have manners. Actual manners! Sh*t, I haven't experienced anything like this since living in New England (shoutout to NH, VT, and ME). But I digress. Dealing with folks takes a toll on me so I knew I wanted to grab a couple close friends and find a serene spot in a forest somewhere to recharge my batteries. Oregon delivered as usual. Alsea Falls Recreation Site (AFRS) is a picturesque area located 30 minutes southwest of Corvallis and boasts gorgeous forests of red cedars, maples, and Douglas firs as well as two waterfalls. I thought hiking trails here were pleasant. They offer plenty of shade and aren't very strenuous. Alsea Falls is located rather close to the day use parking lot, but there is a 1.4 mile trail leading to Green Peak Falls if you walk across the wooden bridge. The trail is poorly marked so you may lose it when you end up at McBee Park campground. Stick to the right and you will find two trails. Take the right official trail with the trail post. The left trail is shorter but there are stinging nettles along the way. Green Peak is the larger of the two falls and it is possible to climb to the top via the adjacent trail (right side), but it is steep so be careful. O T H E R I N F O -Day use parking is $3. Fill out an envelope. Drop off the envelope with payment in the receptacle across from the outhouse. Keep the stub in your vehicle. -Amenities within the campground include drinking water and vault toilets. Several campsites can accommodate large RVs or trailers; up to 32 feet long. -Dogs are allowed on a leash so bring the family pup along! -Salmon and steelhead fishing during the winter months. -The park is clean. Keep it that way and pack your trash until you find a rubbish bin. -Pack a camera. Take plenty of photos. Collect memories instead of things.

    Photos
    Alsea Falls Recreation Site - Water

    Water

    Alsea Falls Recreation Site - Water

    Water

    Alsea Falls Recreation Site - Water fall

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    Water fall

    Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area - Gull posing at Boiler Bay  May 25, 2023

    Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area

    4.6(42 reviews)
    40.8 mi

    What a beautiful destination. We started out by walking down to the tide pools. We got there at low…read moretide and the Ranger there was very helpful. To get to the tide pools, you have to walk across uneven rocks, so it is not easily accessible for people with balance issues. It's worth noting that the staircase in the lighthouse is under construction and not available. From there, we walked up the incline to get views of the cove and the north beach areas. It was just one perfect photo after another. We then hopped back into the car and drove down to the Cove parking lot. There are not many parking spaces there, but we were there early and had no problem. Just another wonderful set of views.

    Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area is just amazing. But I will admit that I am heavily biased in…read moremy opinion as I love Newport, Oregon and could easily see myself having a second home here. Perhaps even a primary home as well but I do like living in a large metro area because of the various services and entertainment options at your disposal. I have been to this Natural Area twice now and it's just so beautiful! The first time I really took advantage of taking pictures of the lighthouse here as well as the view. The second time was a repeat of that particular activity but in addition to that we went down to the tide pools and were immediately entranced with all of the aquatic life in those pools. We took pictures of that and were just so revitalized immersing ourselves in the nature there. I t was beautiful and simply amazing. Really nothing else needs to be said other than if you are touring along the Oregon Coast and are hitting the lighthouses this is a must stop... well they all are actually but this one really is. There is another lighthouse on the south end of town so Newport has scenic and at another time more practical advantage of having two lighthouses in the same town all within very close proximity. Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area is truly a beautiful place!

    Photos
    Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area - Yaquina Head - side action while we were watching the seals

    Yaquina Head - side action while we were watching the seals

    Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area - Siletz Bay at low tide, 
 5-24-2023

    Siletz Bay at low tide, 5-24-2023

    Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area

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    William L. Finley Wildlife Refuge - parks - Updated September 2026

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