With its beautiful beaches, rugged cliffs, and towering sand dunes, Oregon’s Adventure Coast: Coos Bay, North Bend, Charleston is a haven for anyone looking to unplug and reconnect with nature. This largely undeveloped stretch of Oregon’s south coast is a biodiverse treasure, home to lush coastal forests and a thriving ecosystem with thousands of species of flora and fauna, where the land meets the bay and the open Pacific—a natural paradise for exploration.

Whether spotting migrating whales in the Pacific, admiring seals and sea lions basking in the sun, marveling at seabirds in flight, or exploring tide pools alive with marine life, every corner of this enchanting region invites you to uncover its wonders. Keep reading for helpful guidelines on where to connectwith nature and wildlife on Oregon’s Adventure Coast.

Wildlife Viewing Tips

• Do Not Touch - VERY IMPORTANT! When exploring the outdoor environments on Oregon’s Adventure Coast and viewing wildlife, remember these are living plants and animals in their natural habitat. Always observe wildlife from a safe distance, and never touch or disturb them—you are a guest in their home. If you spot a seal pup on the beach, do not touch it; it’s not lost, just waiting for its mother to return.

   

• Leave No Trace. Exploring Oregon’s beautiful south coast comes with the shared responsibility of preserving its natural beauty by preventing litter, erosion, invasive species, and pollution, ensuring its protection for future generations. Read Leave No Trace: 7 Guidelines to Protect Oregon’s Adventure Coast for Future Visitors for additional guidance

   

• Pack binoculars and a camera. To fully immerse yourself in the experience and preserve the memories, bring binoculars for a closer look at wildlife and scenery, and a camera to capture the beauty of your surroundings.

   

• Dress appropriately. If you plan to hike, be sure to wear good hiking boots, as the trails are a bit steep and you may encounter slippery rocks. We also recommend dressing in layers, the weather can change quickly on the coast.

Where Can I View Migrating Gray Whales?

The rich marine ecosystem along Oregon’s Adventure Coast: Coos Bay, North Bend, Charleston provides ideal feeding grounds for the more than 18,000 gray whales in the eastern North Pacific. These whales can grow up to 45 feet long and 70,000 pounds. Each winter, the whales undertake a remarkable 12,000-mile migration from the Arctic to Mexico’s warm bays to give birth before returning north. An estimated 30 whales per hour pass along the Oregon coast during peak migration.

Visitors are welcome to witness this incredible spectacle during Oregon Winter Whale Watch Week , December 27–31, 2024. At designated Whale Watching Spoken Here® sites, like Shore Acres State Park , trained volunteers will be available daily from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to help you spot the whales and share fascinating insights about their journey. Can’t make it in winter? These dedicated volunteers return for Spring Whale Watch Week, March 22–30, 2025, as the whales head home on their northbound journey. Be sure to download the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department whale-watching brochure and visit orwhalewatch.org to learn more.

Where Can I View Seals & Sea Lions?

If watching sea lions and seals in their natural habitat sounds like your perfect day, head to the beaches and state parks along Charleston’s Cape Arago Highway Loop , where you can spot Harbor Seals, California Sea Lions, Stellar Sea Lions, and occasionally Elephant Seals.

How to Get there: From Hwy 101, head west on Newmark Avenue (just south of the Mill Casino). Follow the road until you reach the stop sign at the end, follow the signs and turn left onto Cape Arago Hwy. Follow this road for several miles. Once you cross the bridge into Charleston, turn right on Boat Basin Road to head for the docks, or continue straight to follow the Cape Arago Beach Loop. This road will eventually loop back around. Enjoy the views and pull over often!

Here’s where you are most likely to spot the enchanting seals and sea lions on Oregon’s Adventure Coast:

• Shore Acres State Park : Shore Acres State Park is an excellent locale to observe marine life on Oregon’s Adventure Coast. The park’s cliffside viewpoints offer a panoramic spectacle, where seals and sea lions can often be spotted swimming offshore or resting on rocks below. The park’s beautiful gardens are a bonus, offering a tranquil setting for a day of wildlife viewing and nature strolls. Visitors can access a path leading to Simpson Beach, a secluded cove directly below Shore Acres State Park, which also offers wonderful coastal wildlife viewing opportunities.
• Shell Island and Simpson Reef : On a clear day, the Simpson Reef Interpretive Stop, located just south of Shore Acres State Park on Cape Arago Highway, provides exceptional views of hundreds of marine mammals on Shell Island and Simpson Reef, part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. This fully accessible overlook includes three permanent benches, offering a comfortable place to take it all in.
• Cape Arago State Park : Located at the end of Cape Arago Highway, Cape Arago State Park is a scenic headland extending into the Pacific Ocean and one of our favorite destinations on the southern Oregon coast. Visitors can immerse themselves in nature while watching for migrating whales, marine mammals, and fishing boats navigating in and out of Coos Bay. Take the north trail for a spectacular viewpoint of more seals and sea lions.

Other must-see destinations along the Cape Arago Highway Loop include Sunset Bay State Park and Bastendorff Beach . For those seeking an invigorating hiking adventure , the 6-mile loop from Sunset Bay Cove to Cape Arago State Park offers a journey through dramatic cliffs, lush coastal forests, and down to tide pools and beaches, providing excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing.

It’s also not uncommon to spot mischievous sea lions sunning and seals hanging around the Charleston Marina .

Where Can We Enjoy Birdwatching on Oregon’s Adventure Coast?

Did you know that Oregon’s Adventure Coast is a top destination for bird watching ? Here are some of our favorite spots where you can observe a variety of birds and other wildlife:

• The South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (South Slough NERR) : This 5,000-acre natural area in the Coos estuary offers wooded trails, open water channels, and a boardwalk where bird-watchers can spot Bald Eagles, Osprey, Great Blue Herons, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Varied Thrushes, and Double-crested Cormorants.
• Millacoma Marsh : Flat, walkable trails through freshwater and saltwater marshes provide opportunities to spot migratory species like Willow Flycatchers and Pectoral Sandpipers, bay birds such as Black Turnstones and Black-bellied Plovers, Barn Owls at dawn and dusk, and winter visitors like Orange-crowned Warblers and American Bitterns, making this a premier birding destination.
• Sunset Bay State Park , Shore Acres State Park , and Cape Arago / Simpson Reef are also wonderful destinations to spot shorebirds on Oregon’s Adventure Coast.

More Adventure Ideas for Nature Lovers

We all want to be good stewards of the ocean and waterways, the forests, and the land we are so fortunate to have access to, and we hope you find these outdoor activities as inspiring as we do:

• Tide-pooling : Discover the diverse marine habitats of Oregon’s Adventure Coast where you can explore rugged coastlines, tidepools, and undeveloped beaches teeming with sea stars, mussels, and other fascinating marine life. Please remember to treat the area with care. These are living plants and animals in their natural environment.
• Forest Bathing : Forest bathing, or Shinrin-yoku, is a mindful practice of immersing oneself in nature to improve well-being. Oregon’s Adventure Coast is a premier destination for Forest Bathing and offers diverse landscapes like forests, dunes, and wetlands, with popular spots including Sunset Bay State Park, Cape Arago State Park, and Shore Acres State Park .
• Golden and Silver Falls State Natural Area : Hike through a lush state forest to Golden and Silver Falls State Natural Area, home to two magnificent waterfalls and a haven for wildlife viewing, where visitors can spot native birds, deer, and other forest-dwelling creatures in their natural habitat.
• Charleston Marine Life Center : The 6,000-square-foot Charleston Marine Life Center is one of our most underrated gems on Oregon’s South Coast. It offers interactive exhibits like a Marine Ecosystem Gallery and an Underwater Oregon Gallery, an Oregon Fisheries Gallery (an open-air deck where visitors can watch fishing vessels coming and going from the harbor), touch tanks, whale skeletons, and more. Go to cmlc.uoregon.edu for more information and current hours.
• Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area : Explore miles of trails winding through 32,186 acres of dunes, forests, streams, and lakes in the largest expanse of coastal dunes in North America.
• Hiking : Explore the many hidden “trails less traveled” on Oregon’s Adventure Coast, like Empire Lakes Trail, Mingus Park, North Spit Of Coos Bay Trail System , and Simpson Park/Ferry Road Park.
• Beachcombing : Oregon’s Adventure Coast offers miles of undeveloped beaches perfect for quiet exploration, searching for beach treasures, and wildlife viewing. Visitors should stay safe by being mindful of coastal hazards like undertows, sneaker waves, and rolling logs. Click here for Beach Safety Tips .

With a temperate coastal climate and beautiful landscapes, Oregon’s Adventure Coast:Coos Bay, North Bend, Charleston offers endless opportunities for connecting with nature and wildlife . Click here for local lodging options, and visit our featured adventures page and trip ideas page to find more travel ideas and inspiration. You can also follow Oregon’s Adventure Coast on Facebook , @travelcoosbay on Instagram , LinkedIn , and TikTok to find inspiration on the best spots to visit, eat, stay, and explore any time of the year.