Introduction to Southern Oregon Coast

Port Orford: 27 miles S of Bandon; 79 miles N of Crescent City, CA; 95 miles W of Grants Pass. Gold Beach: 54 miles N of Crescent City, CA; 32 miles S of Port Orford. Brookings/Harbor: 26 miles N of Crescent City, CA; 35 miles S of Gold Beach

The 60-mile stretch of coast between Port Orford and the California state line is perhaps the most beautiful stretch of the entire Oregon coast, yet because of its distance from major metropolitan areas, it attracts surprisingly few visitors.

Anchoring the northern end of this stretch of coast is Port Orford, which is today little more than a wide spot in the road, yet it is the oldest town on the coast other than Astoria. Named by Captain George Vancouver on April 5, 1792, this natural harbor in the lee of Port Orford Heads became the first settlement right on the Oregon coast when in 1851 settlers and soldiers together constructed Fort Orford. A fort was necessary because of hostilities with the area's native population. Eventually the settlers fled inland, crossing the Siskiyou Mountains.

The first settlers made camp here because there was something of a natural harbor, and today a small commercial-fishing fleet still works out of Port Orford harbor. However, the harbor is not really very protected, and consequently, a large crane is used to haul the fishing fleet out of the water every night.

Cape Blanco, located just north of Port Orford and discovered and named by Spanish explorer Martín de Aguilar in 1603, once made an even grander claim than Port Orford when it was heralded as the westernmost point of land in the lower 48. Today that claim has been laid to rest by Cape Flattery, Washington, and Cape Blanco now only claims to be the westernmost point in Oregon.

In 19th-century California, gold prospectors had to struggle through rugged mountains in search of pay dirt, but here in Oregon they could just scoop it up off the beach. The black sands at the mouth of the Rogue River were high in gold, and it was this gold that gave Gold Beach its name. The white settlers attracted by the gold soon came in conflict with the local Rogue River (or TuTuNi) Indians. Violence erupted in 1856, but within the year the Rogue River Indian Wars had come to an end and the TuTuNis were moved to a reservation.

The TuTuNis had for centuries found the river to be a plentiful source of salmon, and when the gold played out, commercial fishermen moved in to take advantage of the large salmon runs. The efficiency of their nets and traps quickly decimated the local salmon population, and a hatchery was constructed to replenish the runs.

Brookings and Harbor together comprise the southernmost community on the Oregon coast. Because of the warm year-round temperatures, this region is known as the Oregon Banana Belt, and you'll see palm trees and other cold-sensitive plants thriving in gardens around town. Farms south of town grow nearly all of the Easter lilies sold in the United States. Other plants that thrive in this climate include coast redwoods, Oregon myrtles, and wild azaleas. Dividing the sister towns of Brookings and Harbor is the Chetco River, one of the purest and most beautiful rivers in the state.