The Southern Oregon Coast is scenic and rugged, with sea stacks and tree-topped islands along the coast line. Camping at Harris Beach State Park makes a great basecamp for exploring the Samuel Boardman Scenic Corridor.

Trip planning resources

Set in coastal forest with easy access to the beach, this large campground has four loops of campsites for RVs and tents. While the campsites vary in size, most have good privacy with trees and shrubs separating them. Note that there is some highway noise due to being located next to Highway 101, but this also provides great access to exploring the southern Oregon coast, including the Redwoods National Park in northern California.

• location: Brookings, Oregon
• campground: Harris Beach State Park
• tide tables: TidesChart – Harris Beach

Getting there

From Portland, the drive to Harris Beach campground is about six hours. Our favorite route is I-5 south, then Highway 38 west, passing through the towns of Drain and Elkton before reaching Reedsport at the coast. From there, the route south on Highway 101 passes through several coastal towns. We always plan a stop in Bandon to visit the Bandon Sweets & Treats candy store and lunch at one of the seafood restaurants next to the small harbor. The rest of the drive is sparsely populated until reaching Brookings and the campground.

Harris Beach

Easily accessible from the campground via short trails, we spent a lot of time at Harris Beach at low tide. Known as the Oregon Coast’s banana belt, the weather is often warmer than at other parts of the coast.

trail from the campground to the beach

a few homes in Brookings are visible at the south end of the beach

sea stacks at Harris Beach

rocky shoreline at low tide

native Western Azalea

Samuel Boardman Scenic Corridor

The Samuel Boardman Corridor contains some of the most visually striking and secluded sections of Oregon’s coast, with jagged cliffs, secluded beaches, and rocky islands. Located between Brookings and Gold Beach along Highway 101, this scenic corridor is 12 miles long with numerous pullouts designed to help explore the area. The Oregon Coast Trail runs the length of the corridor, with 27 miles of trails meandering through coastal forests that feature 300 year-old Sitka spruce. The trail is broken into segments that go through forest, across beaches, and along sections of the highway. The trails here can be confusing, so look for posts with the Oregon Coast Trail marker.

On the third day of our trip, we spent a full morning exploring parts of this area, starting about 12 miles north of the campground at Arch Rock (Highway 101 milepost 344.8). Short trails lead to viewpoints looking to the north and south, as well as to the namesake Arch Rock.

Our next stop was one of our favorites, Thunder Rock Cove (milepost 345.8). From here, we hiked to Secret Beach and Natural Bridges. Both are accessible from the same parking lot, although the hike to Secret Beach is longer from this point, we enjoyed the trails through the forest. This part of the Oregon Coast is unlike any other… I especially love the sea stacks with conifers.

view to the south from Thunder Rock Cove

Secret Beach

looking north towards Secret Beach

Natural Bridges

With several beaches accessible only via hikes along the Oregon Coast Trail, we took the trail to China Beach that begins at the North Island Trail Viewpoint (milepost 347.4). A trail here leads for 0.7 miles down to the dark sands of China Beach. The trail is steep and overgrown in places, with a drop of about 350 feet before reaching the beach.

With multiple trails leading in different directions that are all unsigned, it’s not always easy to find your way on the right trail. However, sometimes a trail post marked for the Oregon Coast Trail will help. At times overgrown with conifers and salal, the trail descends quickly to the beach after following parallel to the highway for a short distance. Once the beach comes into view, follow the faint trail all the way to a rocky area to access the beach.

Indian Sands (milepost 348.6) is a unique section of this corridor, with sculpted sandstone rock and dunes forming the landscape above the coastline. A short but steep trail leads to a section of the Oregon Coast Trail. At the junction, turn right to reach the open sandy area with trails through Indian Sands. Small meadows atop the rock are full of wildflowers in mid-June.

Whaleshead Beach (milepost 349.1) has picnic tables, restrooms and views of many sea stacks, including Whaleshead Island.

Lone Ranch Beach (milepost 352.6) is the last stop in the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor. A wide, sandy beach is easily accessible from the large parking lot.

Low tide and sunset at Harris Beach

Back at Harris Beach for low tide, it’s possible to get around a few headlands that are otherwise inaccessible. At sunset, we scouted several locations at the beach before finding the perfect spot next to blooming wildflowers.

This was our third time camping here, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. There’s still a lot in the area to explore, including more of the Samuel Boardman Scenic Corridor, the Chetco River, and Oregon’s Redwoods. Plenty of reasons to return to this incredible location!