Planning a Trip

Getting There

There is no convenient way to get to this stretch of coast. Coming from the north, the nearest highway connection to I-5 is Ore. 42 from Roseburg to Bandon. Coming from the south, you must either follow U.S. 101 north through California or take U.S. 199 southwest from Grants Pass and then continue north on U.S. 101. There is also a narrow, winding road over the mountains to Gold Beach from Galice (near Grants Pass), but I don't recommend this road, and in winter it is usually closed.

Visitor Information

For more information on Port Orford, contact the Port Orford North Curry County Chamber of Commerce, Battle Rock Park, U.S. 101 S. (P.O. Box 637), Port Orford, OR 97465 (tel. 541/332-8055; www.portorfordchamber.com). For information on the Gold Beach area, contact the Gold Beach Promotion Committee, 94080 Shirley Lane (P.O. Box 375), Gold Beach, OR 97444 (tel. 800/525-2334 or 541/247-7526; www.goldbeach.org), which has its visitor center in South Beach Park at the south end of town. For more information on the Brookings area, contact the Brookings-Harbor Chamber of Commerce, 16330 Lower Harbor Rd. (P.O. Box 940), Brookings, OR 97415 (tel. 800/535-9469 or 541/469-3181; www.brookingsor.com).

Information, Please -- The Oregon state welcome center at Crissey Field State Recreation Area (tel. 800/551-6949), on U.S. 101 just across the state line from California, is big and green, like the state of Oregon itself. The center, which opened in 2009 and shares space with the U.S. Forest Service, is a showcase of "green" construction. There are photovoltaic panels on the roof, geothermal radiant floor heat, solar water heaters, and counters made from myrtlewood trees cut down in a nearby state park for safety reasons. All in all, this center makes an appropriate introduction to a state that is as "green" as it is green.