![Oregon Coast](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Oregon_Coast.png)
The Oregon Coast is a
coastal
The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in ...
region of the U.S. state of
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
. It is bordered by the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
to its west and the
Oregon Coast Range
The Oregon Coast Range, often called simply the Coast Range and sometimes the Pacific Coast Range, is a mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region, in the U.S. state of Oregon along the Pacific Ocean. This north-south ru ...
to the east, and stretches approximately from the
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
state border in the south to the
Columbia River
The Columbia River (Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, C ...
in the north. The region is not a specific geological, environmental, or political entity, and includes the
Columbia River Estuary
The Columbia River Estuary is situated on the Oregon–Washington border and the Pacific Coast of the United States. It was traditionally inhabited by the Chinook Native Americans and discovered by settlers in 1788. The Estuary plays host t ...
.
The
Oregon Beach Bill
The Oregon Beach Bill (House Bill 1601, 1967) was a piece of landmark legislation in the U.S. state of Oregon, passed by the 1967 session of the Oregon Legislature. It established public ownership of land along the Oregon Coast from the water up to ...
of 1967 allows free beach access to everyone. In return for a pedestrian easement and relief from construction, the bill eliminates property taxes on private beach land and allows its owners to retain certain beach land rights.
Traditionally, the Oregon Coast is regarded as three distinct sub–regions:
* The North Coast, which stretches from the Columbia River to
Cascade Head.
* The Central Coast, which stretches from Cascade Head to
Reedsport
Reedsport is a city in Douglas County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,310.
History
Reedsport was established on the estuary of the Umpqua River on January 7, 1852. It was named for a local settler, Alfred ...
.
* The South Coast, which stretches from Reedsport to the
Oregon–California border.
The largest city is
Coos Bay
Coos Bay is an estuary where the Coos River enters the Pacific Ocean, the estuary is approximately 12 miles long and up to two miles wide. It is the largest estuary completely within Oregon state lines. The Coos Bay watershed covers an area of abou ...
, population 16,700 in
Coos County on the South Coast.
U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States. It is also known as (The Royal Roa ...
is the primary highway from
Brookings to
Astoria and is known for its scenic overlooks of the Pacific Ocean. Over 80 state parks and recreation areas dot the Oregon Coast. However, only a few highways cross the Coast Range to the interior:
US 30
U.S. Route 30 or U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) is an east–west main route in the system of the United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. With a length of , it is the third longest ...
,
US 26
U.S. Route 26 (US 26) is an east–west United States highway that runs from Seaside, Oregon to Ogallala, Nebraska. When the U.S. highway system was first defined, it was limited to Nebraska and Wyoming; by the 1950s, it continued into Idaho and ...
,
OR 6,
US 20
U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. S ...
,
OR 18,
OR 34,
OR 126,
OR 38, and
OR 42. OR 18 and US 20 are considered among the dangerous roads in the state.
The Oregon Coast includes
Clatsop County,
Tillamook County,
Lincoln County, western
Lane County, western
Douglas County, Coos County, and
Curry County.
Geography
![Cannon Beach 02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Cannon_Beach_02.jpg)
The Oregon Coast is divided into three different regions based on their geological formations: the North Coast, Central Coast, and South Coast. Three primary landforms appear along its shoreline: sea cliffs, beaches, and
stacks.
Minor land variation, city size, and socioeconomic differences between the North and Central regions cause division between them to be made along geological lines.
North Coast
![Oregon North Coast](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Oregon_North_Coast.jpg)
The North Coast, which stretches from the Columbia River to Cascade Head, possesses longer stretches of unbroken beach (due to silt deposits washed southwards from the Columbia River), a higher concentration of logging zones, and larger, but less frequent
sandbar
In oceanography, geomorphology, and Earth science, geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank (geography), bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material and rises from the bed of a body o ...
-enclosed bays. Astoria serves as a staging ground for ships entering and leaving the Columbia River, because of the dangerous
Columbia Bar
The Columbia Bar, also frequently called the Graveyard of the Pacific, is a system of bar (landform), bars and shoals at the mouth of the Columbia River spanning the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington (state), Washington. It is known as one of th ...
. Ships wishing to make the passage require the aid of specially trained
bar pilots. Along the coast are the cities of
Seaside,
Cannon Beach
Cannon Beach is a city in Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Its population was 1,690 at the 2010 census. It is a popular coastal Oregon tourist destination, famous for Haystack Rock, a sea stack that juts out along the coast. In 2013, '' Na ...
and
Tillamook Tillamook may refer to:
Places:
* Tillamook County, Oregon, United States
* Tillamook, Oregon, a city, the seat of Tillamook County
* Tillamook River, United States
* Tillamook Bay, a bay in the northwestern part of Oregon
* Tillamook Head, a natu ...
. Seaside and Cannon Beach lie directly on the Pacific Ocean, whereas Tillamook lies inland along
Tillamook Bay
Tillamook Bay is a small inlet of the Pacific Ocean, approximately 6 mi (10 km) long and 2 mi (3 km) wide, on the northwest coast of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located just north of Cape Meares in western Tillamook Count ...
. Because of the low lands that exist on this region of coast,
flooding
A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrolog ...
is an annual problem, especially in the winter, when storms push in from the North Pacific. Tillamook is particularly affected by these yearly floods, because of its location on a major
floodplain
A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...
. Sandstone cliffs occur rather sporadically in this region. This is due to relatively slow uplift rates as well as fairly constant
sediment
Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sand an ...
wash from the Columbia River. Future uplift from the subduction of the
Juan de Fuca plate will eventually create sandstone cliffs similar to those found further south and north. The North Oregon Coast is also a part of the
Graveyard of the Pacific
The Graveyard of the Pacific is a somewhat loosely defined stretch of the Pacific Northwest coast stretching from around Tillamook Bay on the Oregon Coast northward past the treacherous Columbia Bar and Juan de Fuca Strait, up the rocky western c ...
.
The weather on the North Coast is moderate. The average low in the winter is just under , while the high temperature is just above . The average high reaches its peak in early September at . The most rain occurs in November and December averaging over each month. July and August are the driest averaging under of rain each month. Most days are cloudy or partly cloudy throughout the year. The summer has the most sun with approximately half the days sunny or partly cloudy.
Central Coast
![Newport harbor (OR)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Newport_harbor_%28OR%29.jpg)
The Central Coast, which extends from Cascade Head to Reedsport, while similar to the North Coast, possesses fewer sandy beaches, more sea cliffs and terraces, and a greater number of bays. Several small urban areas exist in this region. Among these are the cities of
Lincoln City,
Depoe Bay,
Newport,
Waldport, and
Yachats. Because the usable lands of the region are squeezed between the mountains and the ocean, most urban areas are relatively small but are still larger than those of the South Coast region. The southernmost area of Central coast is the intermediary zone for this region and the more mountainous South Coast region. Exposed sandstone cliffs are also common along the beaches and highway. Local sandstones of the Central Coast were uplifted during the
Neogene Era. Higher layers of exposed sandstone are often varying shades of orange, and are often quite soft to the touch, often being very brittle, and relatively easily eroded. Lower exposed layers, though less frequent, reveal harder sandstone deposits. Unlike the higher layers, they are often gray-brown in color and hard in comparison. This lower sandstone often breaks off in large, squared chunks.
The weather on the central coast is similar to that of the north coast except the frequency of sunny or partly cloudy days is higher in the summer, approaching 75%.
South Coast
![Oregon Coast waves](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Oregon_Coast_waves.JPG)
The South Coast region, which extends from Reedsport to the California border, is distinct from the North and Central Coast regions because of its mountainous nature, due to
tectonic uplift
Tectonic uplift is the geologic uplift of Earth's surface that is attributed to plate tectonics. While isostatic response is important, an increase in the mean elevation of a region can only occur in response to tectonic processes of crustal th ...
and
terrane
In geology, a terrane (; in full, a tectonostratigraphic terrane) is a crust (geology), crust fragment formed on a tectonic plate (or broken off from it) and Accretion (geology), accreted or "Suture (geology), sutured" to crust lying on another pla ...
accretion in ancient times. Much of the coastline in this region is made up of sea cliffs and miles of beaches. Among the landscape of the region exists the
Oregon Dunes. There are seven incorporated cities on the south coast: Reedsport,
North Bend, Coos Bay,
Bandon,
Port Orford,
Gold Beach
Gold, commonly known as Gold Beach, was the code name for one of the five areas of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during the Second World War. Gold, the central of the five areas, was lo ...
, and
Brookings.
Cape Blanco, which is approximately north of Port Orford, is the westernmost point in Oregon. Cape Blanco extends further west than any point of land in the
contiguous United States
The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...
(lower 48 states) except
Cape Alava, in
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
.
Though the landforms of the region are relatively consistent, the South Coast shows a change in ecology. It is in this region that the
western redcedar
''Thuja plicata'' is an evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to western North America. Its common name is western redcedar (western red cedar in the UK), and it is also called Pacific redcedar, giant arborvitae, w ...
and
Sitka spruce forests give way to the more southerly
coast redwood
''Sequoia sempervirens'' ()''Sunset Western Garden Book,'' 1995:606–607 is the sole living species of the genus '' Sequoia'' in the cypress family Cupressaceae (formerly treated in Taxodiaceae). Common names include coast redwood, coastal ...
,
Port Orford cedar
''Chamaecyparis lawsoniana'', known as Port Orford cedar or Lawson cypress, is a species of conifer in the genus '' Chamaecyparis'', family Cupressaceae. It is native to Oregon and northwestern California, and grows from sea level up to in th ...
, and
Douglas-fir
The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. There are three va ...
forests, which also include the northern extent of
Oregon Myrtle trees (aka California Bay Laurel).
The weather on the south coast is similar to that of the north and central coasts except the frequency of sunny or partly cloudy days is higher in the summer, approaching 90%.
Communities
Cities
![A woman and her dog at the edge of the Pacific Ocean](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/A_woman_and_her_dog_at_the_edge_of_the_Pacific_Ocean.jpg)
*
Astoria
*
Bandon
*
Bay City
*
Brookings
*
Cannon Beach
Cannon Beach is a city in Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Its population was 1,690 at the 2010 census. It is a popular coastal Oregon tourist destination, famous for Haystack Rock, a sea stack that juts out along the coast. In 2013, '' Na ...
*
Coos Bay
Coos Bay is an estuary where the Coos River enters the Pacific Ocean, the estuary is approximately 12 miles long and up to two miles wide. It is the largest estuary completely within Oregon state lines. The Coos Bay watershed covers an area of abou ...
* Coquille
*
Depoe Bay
*
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
*
Garibaldi
Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi ( , ;In his native Ligurian language, he is known as ''Gioxeppe Gaibado''. In his particular Niçard dialect of Ligurian, he was known as ''Jousé'' or ''Josep''. 4 July 1807 – 2 June 1882) was an Italian general, pat ...
*
Gearhart
*
Gold Beach
Gold, commonly known as Gold Beach, was the code name for one of the five areas of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during the Second World War. Gold, the central of the five areas, was lo ...
*
Lincoln City
*
Manzanita
Manzanita is a common name for many species of the genus ''Arctostaphylos''. They are evergreen shrubs or small trees present in the chaparral biome of western North America, where they occur from Southern British Columbia and Washington to Or ...
*
Nehalem
*
Newport
*
North Bend
*
Port Orford
*
Reedsport
Reedsport is a city in Douglas County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,310.
History
Reedsport was established on the estuary of the Umpqua River on January 7, 1852. It was named for a local settler, Alfred ...
*
Rockaway Beach
*
Seaside
*
Tillamook Tillamook may refer to:
Places:
* Tillamook County, Oregon, United States
* Tillamook, Oregon, a city, the seat of Tillamook County
* Tillamook River, United States
* Tillamook Bay, a bay in the northwestern part of Oregon
* Tillamook Head, a natu ...
*
Waldport
*
Warrenton
*
Wheeler
Wheeler may refer to:
Places United States
* Wheeler, Alabama, an unincorporated community
* Wheeler, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Wheeler, California, an unincorporated community
* Wheeler, Illinois, a village
* Wheeler, Indiana, a ...
*
Yachats
Census-designated places and unincorporated communities
*
Agate Beach
*
Arch Cape
*
Barview (Coos County)
*
Barview (Tillamook County)
*
Bayside Gardens
*
Beverly Beach
*
Brighton
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
*
Brownsmead
*
Cape Meares
Cape Meares is a small headland on the Pacific coast in Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. The cape forms a high steep bluff on the south end of Tillamook Bay, approximately five miles (8 km) northwest of the city of Tillamo ...
*
Carpenterville
*
Charleston
*
Cooston
*
Gardiner
*
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
*
Gleneden Beach
*
Harbor
A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...
*
Heceta Beach
*
Hobsonville
Hobsonville is a suburb in West Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand. The area was administered by Waitakere City Council until the council was amalgamated into Auckland Council in 2010.
Hobsonville Point, formerly the location of the ...
*
Hunter Creek
*
Idaville
*
Jeffers Garden
*
Kernville
*
Knappa
*
Langlois
*
Lincoln Beach
*
Manhattan Beach
*
Miles Crossing
*
Mohler
*
Navy Heights
*
Neahkahnie Beach
*
Nedonna Beach
*
Nesika Beach
*
Neskowin
*
Netarts
*
Ocean Park
*
Oceanside
*
Ophir
Ophir (; ) is a port or region mentioned in the Bible, famous for its wealth. King Solomon received a shipment from Ophir every three years (1 Kings 10:22) which consisted of gold, silver, sandalwood, pearls, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
...
*
Oretown
*
Otter Rock
*
Pacific City
*
Pistol River
The Pistol River is a coastal stream that meanders for through the Southern Oregon Coast Range to the Pacific Ocean near the unincorporated community of Pistol River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Flowing generally southwest from its origin near ...
*
Sandlake
*
Seal Rock
A petroleum reservoir or oil and gas reservoir is a subsurface accumulation of hydrocarbons contained in porous or fractured rock formations.
Such reservoirs form when kerogen (ancient plant matter) is created in surrounding rock by the presence ...
*
Searose Beach
*
South Beach
*
Sunset Beach
*
Surf Pines
*
Svensen
*
Tierra Del Mar
*
Tolovana Park
*
Wedderburn
*
Winchester Bay
Winchester Bay is an unincorporated community in Douglas County, Oregon, United States. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Winchester Bay as a census-designated place (CDP). The census definition of the area may ...
*
Yaquina
Former communities
*
Bayocean
Bayocean was a community in Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. Sometimes known as "the town that fell into the sea", it was a planned resort community founded in 1906 on Tillamook Spit, a small stretch of land that forms one wall of Til ...
*
Cutler City
*
Delake
*
Eastside
*
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
*
Flavel
*
Fort Stevens
*
Frankport
*
Hammond
*
Lexington
*
Nelscott
*
Oceanlake
*
Roads End
*
Skipanon
*
Taft
*
Wecoma Beach
Ecology
![Chetco Point](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Chetco_Point.jpg)
Because of the Oregon Coast's physical complexity, many different species of plant and animal can be found in the region, both terrestrial and marine in nature. However, past human interaction has caused a decline in several species of animal along the coast, such as the
sea otter
The sea otter (''Enhydra lutris'') is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between , making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the small ...
.
Strict regulations as well as modern human aid has seen a return of some species in recent years.
The Oregon Coast is the location of the
Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex The Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex consists of six National Wildlife Refuges along the Oregon Coast. It provides wilderness protection to thousands of small islands, rocks, reefs, headlands, marshes, and bays totaling 371 acres ( ...
, which consists of six wildlife refuges, covering , spread over a distance of .
Land
![Pinus contorta 28263](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Pinus_contorta_28263.JPG)
Due to several factors, including climate, weather, and terrain, there is a great variety of plants within the coast region. In some areas, large trees are uncommon. This is because severe winter storms and poor soil limit the growing height of many species.
Shore pine
''Pinus contorta'', with the common names lodgepole pine and shore pine, and also known as twisted pine, and contorta pine, is a common tree in western North America. It is common near the ocean shore and in dry montane forests to the subalpine ...
''(Pinus contorta subsp.contorta)'' are common in these areas. However several species of
fir,
pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accep ...
, and
cedar
Cedar may refer to:
Trees and plants
*''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae
*Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar
Places United States
* Cedar, Arizona
* ...
can be found, including a few endemic species, such as the
Port Orford cedar
''Chamaecyparis lawsoniana'', known as Port Orford cedar or Lawson cypress, is a species of conifer in the genus '' Chamaecyparis'', family Cupressaceae. It is native to Oregon and northwestern California, and grows from sea level up to in th ...
''(Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)''. Because of this,
logging
Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars.
Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...
has been a historically viable trade for the region. In the North Coast region near Astoria, and in Lincoln County, large tracts of land are second and third generation woodland, having been logged and replanted in the past.
Because of the salt carried inland by constant onshore winds, only the hardiest varieties of small plant can thrive close to shore.
Coastal strawberry and
Pacific silverweed are common along the coast due to their reproductive advantages and salt tolerance.
Like many forested regions of the western United States and Canada, many large species of animal can be found in the woods of the region. Most common are the
Roosevelt elk
The Roosevelt elk (''Cervus canadensis roosevelti)'', also known commonly as the Olympic elk and Roosevelt's wapiti, is the largest of the four surviving subspecies of elk (''Cervus canadensis'') in North America by body mass (although by antl ...
and
black-tailed deer
Two forms of black-tailed deer or blacktail deer that occupy coastal woodlands in the Pacific Northwest of North America are subspecies of the mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus''). They have sometimes been treated as a species, but virtually all r ...
, as well as
bobcats
The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUC ...
and
North American cougar
The North American cougar (''Puma concolor couguar'') is a cougar subspecies in North America. It was once common in eastern North America, and is still prevalent in the western half of the continent. This subspecies includes populations in weste ...
. All four species, though common now, were uncommon in the past, having moved more heavily into the region with the beginning of timber harvest. Likewise, smaller species, including
nutria
The nutria (''Myocastor coypus''), also known as the coypu, is a large, herbivorous, semiaquatic rodent.
Classified for a long time as the only member of the family Myocastoridae, ''Myocastor'' is now included within Echimyidae, the family of ...
s and
Virginia opossum
The Virginia opossum (''Didelphis virginiana''), also known as the North American opossum, is the only opossum living north of Mexico, its range extending south into Central America. It is the northernmost marsupial in the world. In the United S ...
can also be found, as well as the
Townsend's mole
The Townsend's mole (''Scapanus townsendii'') is a fossorial mammal in the family Talpidae, and is the largest North American mole. It was named after the American naturalist John Kirk Townsend. The name was selected at the request of Thomas N ...
, which inhabits many lowland and floodplain areas.
Marine
![Lincoln City seal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Lincoln_City_seal.jpg)
The marine ecology of the Oregon Coast is some of the most diverse in the world. More than 29 species of marine mammals make their home on the Oregon Coast, including several species of
seal
Seal may refer to any of the following:
Common uses
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, or "true seal"
** Fur seal
* Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...
, including the
Steller's sea lion and
harbor seal
The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared se ...
, as well as the less common
northern elephant seal
The northern elephant seal (''Mirounga angustirostris'') is one of two species of elephant seal (the other is the southern elephant seal). It is a member of the family Phocidae (true seals). Elephant seals derive their name from their great siz ...
and
California sea lion
The California sea lion (''Zalophus californianus'') is a coastal eared seal native to western North America. It is one of six species of sea lions. Its natural habitat ranges from southeast Alaska to central Mexico, including the Gulf of C ...
.
The
Sea Lion Caves
Sea Lion Caves is a connected system of sea caves and caverns open to the Pacific Ocean in the U.S. state of Oregon. They are located north of Florence on U.S. Highway 101, about midpoint on the Oregon Coast. In this area Highway 101 follows ...
near Florence, and the bay front in Newport are the best places to see Steller's sea lions and harbor seals, though they can be observed in many other places. Seal pups can sometimes be seen on sandy beaches resting. Signs are often posted on beaches warning of this, as the law prohibits disturbing them. Formerly, populations of
sea otter
The sea otter (''Enhydra lutris'') is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between , making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the small ...
could be found on the coast. However, fur hunters have wiped out the Oregon populations. Prior to the sighting in February 2009 in Depoe Bay, no sea otters had been sighted in over 103 years.
Occasionally, large
Humboldt Squid
The Humboldt squid (''Dosidicus gigas''), also known as jumbo squid or jumbo flying squid (EN), and Pota in Peru or Jibia in Chile (ES) is a large, predatory squid living in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is the only known species of the genus ''D ...
wash up onto the beaches after following warm currents which dissipate leaving the squid to die of hypothermia.
Several species of whale can be observed in the waters near shore, especially during migration in late December and late March, such as
gray whale,
orca
The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black-and-white ...
, and
humpback whale
The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh up to . The hu ...
.
Harbor porpoises are also relatively common. Because of this, whale watching is a common tourist attraction along the coast. Tour boats often take passengers on whale watching tours, though it is possible to do so from shore. It is sometimes the case that whale carcasses are beached on Oregon shores. One such beaching, which occurred near Florence in November, 1970, was handled by blowing it up using dynamite. This has become the well-known
exploding whale
There have been several cases of exploding whale carcasses due to a buildup of gas in the decomposition process. This would occur if a whale decides to strand itself ashore. Actual explosives have also been used to assist in disposing of whale ...
incident.
Tidepools
A tide pool or rock pool is a shallow pool of seawater that forms on the rocky intertidal shore. Many of these pools exist as separate bodies of water only at low tide.
Many tide pool habitats are home to especially adaptable animals that ...
, which occur frequently along Oregon's rocky shores, are unique, contained ecosystems housing up to many hundreds of species of animal.
Red
Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...
,
green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...
, and
brown algae
Brown algae (singular: alga), comprising the class Phaeophyceae, are a large group of multicellular algae, including many seaweeds located in colder waters within the Northern Hemisphere. Brown algae are the major seaweeds of the temperate and po ...
are common sights. Many species of
invertebrates
Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...
can also be found in these coastal tidepools, and include
sponges
Sponges, the members of the phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), are a basal animal clade as a sister of the diploblasts. They are multicellular organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate through ...
,
sea anemones
Sea anemones are a group of predatory marine invertebrates of the order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the ''Anemone'', a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemones are classified in the phylum Cnidaria, ...
,
mussels
Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which ...
,
sea stars
Starfish or sea stars are star-shaped echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea (). Common usage frequently finds these names being also applied to ophiuroids, which are correctly referred to as brittle stars or basket stars. Starfish ar ...
,
limpets
Limpets are a group of aquatic snails that exhibit a conical shell shape (patelliform) and a strong, muscular foot. Limpets are members of the class Gastropoda, but are polyphyletic, meaning the various groups called "limpets" descended indep ...
,
crabs
Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all the ...
,
shrimp
Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...
,
barnacles
A barnacle is a type of arthropod constituting the subclass Cirripedia in the subphylum Crustacea, and is hence related to crabs and lobsters. Barnacles are exclusively marine, and tend to live in shallow and tidal waters, typically in eros ...
,
sea urchins
Sea urchins () are spiny, globular echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species of sea urchin live on the seabed of every ocean and inhabit every depth zone from the intertidal seashore down to . The spherical, hard shells (tests) of ...
, and
sea cucumbers
Sea cucumbers are echinoderms from the class Holothuroidea (). They are marine animals with a leathery skin and an elongated body containing a single, branched gonad. Sea cucumbers are found on the sea floor worldwide. The number of holothurian ...
.
Sunset Bay State Park
Sunset Bay State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Oregon. Administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, it is about south of Cape Arago Lighthouse and outside the town of Charleston on Coos Bay. The park offers a cresc ...
, near Coos Bay, and Strawberry Hill, near Yachats, are among the largest collections of tidepools and are popular places for exploring them.
Also common along the coast are
kelp forests
Kelp forests are underwater areas with a high density of kelp, which covers a large part of the world's coastlines. Smaller areas of anchored kelp are called kelp beds. They are recognized as one of the most productive and dynamic ecosystems on Ea ...
and rock reefs. Both areas harbor much of Oregon's marine life, including many species of fish, such as the numerous species of
rockfish
Rockfish is a common term for several species of fish, referring to their tendency to hide among rocks.
The name rockfish is used for many kinds of fish used for food. This common name belongs to several groups that are not closely related, and ca ...
,
flatfish, and
greenling
Hexagrammidae, the greenlings, is a family of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the suborder Cottoidei in the order Scorpaeniformes. These fishes are found in the North Pacific Ocean.
Taxonomy
Hexagrammidae was first proposed as a family i ...
s. Because these areas provide a shelter from oceanic currents, these zones share many invertebrate species with the onshore tidal zone. Because of the rich diversity of life, most animal species along the Oregon coast depend on these keystone zones for survival.
Coastal birds
![Snowy Plover srgb](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Snowy_Plover_srgb.jpg)
Many varieties of birds make their home on the Oregon Coast. Because of the variety of birds found in the area, bird watching is a common pastime. Birds along the Oregon Coast can be divided into four categories:
*
Seabirds
Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adaptation, adapted to life within the marine (ocean), marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent ev ...
spend most of their lives at sea and are adapted to ocean life. Some even sleep in the water, though they must all return to land to lay their eggs. Their diets consist mostly of small fish,
squid
True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting t ...
,
shellfish
Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater envir ...
, and
crustaceans
Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean group ...
. Species of seabirds on the Oregon Coast include the
common murre
The common murre or common guillemot (''Uria aalge'') is a large auk. It has a circumpolar distribution, occurring in low-Arctic and boreal waters in the North Atlantic and North Pacific. It spends most of its time at sea, only coming to land to ...
,
tufted puffin
The tufted puffin (''Fratercula cirrhata''), also known as crested puffin, is a relatively abundant medium-sized pelagic seabird in the auk family (Alcidae) found throughout the North Pacific Ocean.
It is one of three species of puffin that make ...
,
marbled murrelet, the
black oystercatcher,
auklet
An auk or alcid is a bird of the family Alcidae in the order Charadriiformes. The alcid family includes the Uria, murres, guillemots, Aethia, auklets, puffins, and Brachyramphus, murrelets. The word "auk" is derived from Icelandic language, Ic ...
s, many varieties of
cormorant
Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds commonly known as cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed, but in 2021 the IOC adopted a consensus taxonomy of seven ge ...
s, the
western gull
The western gull (''Larus occidentalis'') is a large white-headed gull that lives on the west coast of North America. It was previously considered conspecific with the yellow-footed gull (''Larus livens'') of the Gulf of California. The western ...
, and
glaucous-winged gull
The glaucous-winged gull (''Larus glaucescens'') is a large, white-headed gull. The genus name is from Latin ''Larus'' which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird. The specific ''glaucescens'' is New Latin for " glaucous" fro ...
. Many seabird species are endemic and found nowhere else.
*
Shorebirds
245px, A flock of Dunlins and Red knots">Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots
Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflat ...
, unlike seabirds, do not have webbed feet and spend their lives on the shore foraging for food, eating
worm
Worms are many different distantly related bilateral animals that typically have a long cylindrical tube-like body, no limbs, and no eyes (though not always).
Worms vary in size from microscopic to over in length for marine polychaete wor ...
s, insect
larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
The ...
e,
amphipods
Amphipoda is an order of malacostracan crustaceans with no carapace and generally with laterally compressed bodies. Amphipods range in size from and are mostly detritivores or scavengers. There are more than 9,900 amphipod species so far describ ...
,
copepods,
crustaceans
Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean group ...
, and
mollusks
Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...
. Among the types of shorebirds on the Coast are the
western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
and
least sandpiper
The least sandpiper (''Calidris minutilla'') is the smallest shorebird. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''kalidris'' or ''skalidris'', a term used by Aristotle for some grey-colored waterside birds. The specific ''minutilla'' is Medieval Lat ...
,
dunlin
The dunlin (''Calidris alpina'') is a small wader, formerly sometimes separated with the other "stints" in the genus ''Erolia''. The English name is a dialect form of "dunling", first recorded in 1531–1532. It derives from ''dun'', "dull brown ...
,
whimbrel, the
semipalmated and
western snowy plover
The western snowy plover (''Charadrius nivosus nivosus'') is a small wader in the plover bird family. It breeds in the southern and western United States and the Caribbean.
On March 5, 1993, the western snowy plover was listed as a threatened s ...
, and
killdeer
The killdeer (''Charadrius vociferus'') is a large plover found in the Americas. It was described and given its current scientific name in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his ''Systema Naturae''. Three subspecies are described. Th ...
.
* Many
birds of prey
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predat ...
live on the coast, eating small birds, rodents, and small mammals. These include the
bald eagle
The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...
,
barn owl, and
osprey
The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...
.
*
Waterfowl
Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which in ...
also make their homes in the freshwater areas around the Coast. These are the many varieties of
ducks
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...
and
geese
A goose (plural, : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family (biology), family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera ''Anser (bird), Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (the black geese). Some o ...
in the area.
Sharks
![Spiny_dogfish](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Spiny_dogfish.jpg)
The Oregon coastal waters are known to have 16 species of shark present:
*
Basking shark
The basking shark (''Cetorhinus maximus'') is the second-largest living shark and fish, after the whale shark, and one of three plankton-eating shark species, along with the whale shark and megamouth shark. Adults typically reach in leng ...
(Cetorhinus maximus)
*
Blue shark (
Prionace glauca)
*
Broadnose sevengill shark
The broadnose sevengill shark (''Notorynchus cepedianus'') is the only extant member of the genus ''Notorynchus'', in the family Hexanchidae. It is recognizable because of its seven gill slits, while most shark species have five gill slits, with ...
*
Brown catshark (Apristurus brunneus)
*
Brown smooth-hound shark (Mustelus henlei) south coast only
*
Common thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus)
*
Filetail catshark
The filetail catshark (''Parmaturus xaniurus'') is an Eastern Pacific endemic deepwater catshark ranging from Oregon to the Gulf of California. Adults are epibenthic and found near areas of rocky vertical relief over soft mud bottoms on the oute ...
(Parmaturus xaniurus) central and south coast only
*
Leopard shark
The leopard shark (''Triakis semifasciata'') is a species of houndshark, in the family Triakidae. It is found along the Pacific coast of North America, from the U.S. state of Oregon to Mazatlán in Mexico. Typically measuring 1.2–1.5 m (3.9 ...
(Triakis semifasciata)
*
Longnose catshark
The longnose catshark (''Apristurus kampae'') is a catshark of the family Scyliorhinidae found in the eastern central Pacific from central and southern California and the Gulf of California, between latitude
In geography, latitude is a coord ...
(Apristurus kampae) south coast only
*
Pacific angelshark
The Pacific angelshark (''Squatina californica'') is a species of angelshark, family Squatinidae, found in the eastern Pacific Ocean from Alaska to the Gulf of California, and from Ecuador to Chile, although those in the Gulf of California and so ...
(Squatina californica)
*
Salmon shark (Lamna ditropis)
*
Shortfin mako shark
The shortfin mako shark (; ; ''Isurus oxyrinchus''), also known as the blue pointer or bonito shark, is a large mackerel shark. It is commonly referred to as the mako shark, as is the longfin mako shark (''Isurus paucus''). The shortfin mako can ...
(Isurus oxyrinchus)
*
Soupfin shark (
Galeorhinus galeus
The school shark (''Galeorhinus galeus'') is a houndshark of the family Triakidae, and the only member of the genus ''Galeorhinus''. Common names also include tope, tope shark, snapper shark, and soupfin shark. It is found worldwide in temperate ...
)
*
Spiny dogfish
The spiny dogfish (''Squalus acanthias''), spurdog, mud shark, or piked dogfish is one of the best known species of the Squalidae (dogfish) family of sharks, which is part of the Squaliformes order.
While these common names may apply to several ...
(Squalus acanthias)
*
Tiger shark
The tiger shark (''Galeocerdo cuvier'') is a species of requiem shark and the last extant member of the family Galeocerdonidae. It is a large macropredator, capable of attaining a length over . Populations are found in many tropical and tempera ...
(Galeocerdo cuvier)
*
White shark
The great white shark (''Carcharodon carcharias''), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major oceans. It is nota ...
(Carcharodon carcharias)
There are one or two shark bites reported along the Oregon coast each year, mostly boats and surfing boards being tasted. Every few years—a total of 25 since 1900—a human is bitten. Every Oregon victim has survived. The last was Joseph Tanner, October 10, 2016.
History
![Hoxie](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Hoxie.gif)
It is generally accepted that the first
indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
arrived in the region around 11,000–13,000 years ago, likely drawn by the rich natural resources of the area. However, very little is known about these early peoples, as very few archeological sites exist from before 3,500 years ago. Several tribes and language families would eventually form along the coast. Major groups included the
Clatsop
The Clatsop is a small tribe of Chinookan-speaking Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. In the early 19th century they inhabited an area of the northwestern coast of present-day Oregon from the mouth of the Columbia R ...
,
Tillamook Tillamook may refer to:
Places:
* Tillamook County, Oregon, United States
* Tillamook, Oregon, a city, the seat of Tillamook County
* Tillamook River, United States
* Tillamook Bay, a bay in the northwestern part of Oregon
* Tillamook Head, a natu ...
,
Alsea
The Alsea are a Native American tribe of Western Oregon. They are (since 1856), confederated with other Tribes on the Siletz Reservation, Oregon, and are members of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz.
Their origin story says that the Yaquina, Al ...
,
Siuslaw,
Coos, and
Coquille. The lifestyles of these tribes were very similar and sometimes interlinked, with the defining differences being the languages they spoke.
Because of the abundance of food in the region, most settlements were permanent. Many of the tribes subsisted primarily on seafoods such as clams,
salmon
Salmon () is the common name for several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family (biology), family Salmonidae, which are native to tributary, tributaries of the ...
, and
seals
Seals may refer to:
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, or "true seal"
** Fur seal
* Seal (emblem), a device to impress an emblem, used as a means of a ...
, as well as berries.
European exploration (1775–1811)
European exploration of the Oregon Coast began in the 18th century as Spanish mariners sailed northward from Mexico to explore and later stake claim to the region, led by explorer
Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Vasco Núñez de Balboa (; c. 1475around January 12–21, 1519) was a Spanish explorer, governor, and conquistador. He is best known for having crossed the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean in 1513, becoming the first European to lead an ...
's claim of the entire Pacific and shores in the name of the Spanish Crown. The earliest expedition recorded along the Pacific Northwest coast, however, was led by Spaniard
Juan José Pérez Hernández
Juan José Pérez Hernández (born Joan Perés c. 1725 – November 3, 1775), often simply Juan Pérez, was an 18th-century Spanish explorer. He was the first known European to sight, examine, name, and record the islands near present-day Br ...
aboard the sloop ''Santiago'' in 1774. Pérez's findings were kept a secret and much of the credit for his findings went to later explorers. Pérez's expedition was followed soon after by the 1775 expedition led by
Bruno de Heceta
Bruno de Heceta (Hezeta) y Dudagoitia (1743–1807) was a Spanish Basque explorer of the Pacific Northwest. Born in Bilbao of an old Basque family, he was sent by the Viceroy of New Spain, Antonio María Bucareli y Ursúa, to explore the area nort ...
and
Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra
Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra (22 May 1743 – 26 March 1794) was a Spanish Criollo naval officer operating in the Americas. Assigned to the Pacific coast Spanish Naval Department base at San Blas, in Viceroyalty of New Spain (present ...
, in which Pérez served as pilot. These further explorations led to many discoveries along the Oregon and Washington Coasts.
Heceta Head
Heceta Head ( ) is a headland that stands above the Pacific Ocean in Lane County, Oregon, United States. The Heceta Head Light is located on its south side. Heceta Head is named after a Basque explorer under Spanish commission, Bruno de Heceta ...
was later named after Bruno de Heceta.
At the same time as the Spanish expeditions, British mariners also began to explore the region, led by explorers
Sir Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake ( – 28 January 1596) was an English explorer, sea captain, privateer, slave trader, naval officer, and politician. Drake is best known for his circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 1580 ( ...
in the 16th century and later by
James Cook
James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...
and
George Vancouver in the 18th century. British expeditions made many discoveries in the region. Drake called the area
New Albion
New Albion, also known as ''Nova Albion'' (in reference to an archaic name for Britain), was the name of the continental area north of Mexico claimed by Sir Francis Drake for England when he landed on the North American west coast in 1579. Thi ...
, though the exact location of New Albion remains a mystery. Vancouver would make the most extensive explorations of the region during his expeditions.
Meanwhile, American Captain
Robert Gray, aboard the sloop ''Washington'', visited the Oregon Coast in his 1788 voyage to the west coast of the Americas. In August, 1788, Gray attempted to gain entrance to the mouth of the Columbia. However, Gray accidentally grounded the ''Washington'' on a sand bar, and the ship was attacked by natives, in which one crew member was killed and the mate wounded. Gray returned in 1792 aboard the
''Columbia'', where he met with British Captain Vancouver off the
Strait of Juan de Fuca
The Strait of Juan de Fuca (officially named Juan de Fuca Strait in Canada) is a body of water about long that is the Salish Sea's outlet to the Pacific Ocean. The international boundary between Canada and the United States runs down the centre ...
. Gray mentioned the river to Vancouver, which Gray had named the Columbia. Vancouver quietly dismissed this claim by Gray, thinking that the Columbia was a part of the Juan de Fuca Strait. Vancouver was loath to later admit Gray's correct discovery of the Columbia River.
Lewis and Clark Expedition
![Lewis and Clark](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Lewis_and_Clark.jpg)
In 1803, with the successful purchase of the
Louisiana Territory
The Territory of Louisiana or Louisiana Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1805, until June 4, 1812, when it was renamed the Missouri Territory. The territory was formed out of the ...
from France, President
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...
ordered an expedition to the west coast, which was led by Captain
Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, with ...
and
William Clark
William Clark (August 1, 1770 – September 1, 1838) was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. A native of Virginia, he grew up in pre-statehood Kentucky before later settling in what became the state of Misso ...
. The
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gro ...
reached the Oregon Coast in early winter of 1805, where they built
Fort Clatsop
Fort Clatsop was the encampment of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the Oregon Country near the mouth of the Columbia River during the winter of 1805–1806. Located along the Lewis and Clark River at the north end of the Clatsop Plains approxim ...
near present-day Astoria. During their stay at Fort Clatsop, the
Corps of Discovery
The Corps of Discovery was a specially established unit of the United States Army which formed the nucleus of the Lewis and Clark Expedition that took place between May 1804 and September 1806. The Corps was led jointly by Captain Meriwether Lew ...
made many observations about the landscape and local life, as well as establishing relations with the local Clatsop Indians. The expedition began their return trip to Washington D.C. in March 1806.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition would have long-lasting effects for the Pacific Northwest and began the settlement of the U.S. west coast, even though heavy settlement of the Oregon Coast would not come until half a century later.
Pioneer settlement (1811–1859)
A few years later, in 1811, employees of
John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor (born Johann Jakob Astor; July 17, 1763 – March 29, 1848) was a German-American businessman, merchant, real estate mogul, and investor who made his fortune mainly in a fur trade monopoly, by History of opium in China, smuggl ...
's
Pacific Fur Company
The Pacific Fur Company (PFC) was an American fur trade venture wholly owned and funded by John Jacob Astor that functioned from 1810 to 1813. It was based in the Pacific Northwest, an area contested over the decades between the United Kingdom o ...
set up a trading post at the mouth of the Columbia River and set up the first permanent U.S. settlement – Astoria. However, the settlement was not as profitable as Astor had hoped it would be. It was sold to the British
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what is present-day Western Canada and Northwestern Ontario. With great weal ...
in 1812 and became part of its
Columbia District
The Columbia District was a fur trading district in the Pacific Northwest region of British North America in the 19th century. Much of its territory overlapped with the disputed Oregon Country. It was explored by the North West Company betw ...
. In 1838,
Charles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) was an American naval officer, ship's captain, and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition (1838–1842).
During the American Civil War (1861–1865), he commanded ' during the ...
, on a voyage commissioned by U.S. Congress, landed on the Oregon Coast and raised the American flag. British claims were slowly lost with the increasing number of pioneers traveling to Oregon along the
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and Westward Expansion Trails, emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what ...
, and 8 years later, the
Oregon Treaty
The Oregon Treaty is a treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States that was signed on June 15, 1846, in Washington, D.C. The treaty brought an end to the Oregon boundary dispute by settling competing American and British claims to t ...
was signed with Britain, ending the half-century claims to Oregon and the Oregon Coast by the British.
1860–present
![Oswald West](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Oswald_West.jpg)
After Oregon attained statehood in 1859 and the completion of railroads throughout the Coast Range, development of land quickly began along many of the Coasts bays and rivers.
Logging
Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars.
Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...
and
commercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often ...
soon became the primary industries in the area, and several ports were built to facilitate both industries. In 1870, the first lighthouse at
Cape Blanco was built and was soon followed by both the
Yaquina Bay Light
The Yaquina Bay Light is a lighthouse that was built in 1871, soon after the founding of the city of Newport, Oregon, in the United States. It is located on the north side of Yaquina Bay. In 1871–1874, it was the busiest and most populated ...
and
Yaquina Head Light in 1871 and 1873, respectively. The last Coast Guard operated light,
Cape Arago Light, was built in 1934.
However, in 1874,
Oregon State Land Board The Department of State Lands (DSL), one of the oldest agencies of government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is principally responsible for the management of lands under state ownership, as its name implies. Unlike most other department-level state a ...
began to sell public
tidelands
Tidelands are the territory between the tide line of sea coasts, and lands lying under the sea beyond the low-water limit of the tide, considered within the territorial waters of a nation. The United States Constitution does not specify whether ...
to private landowners.
Soon, resorts were built alongside the beaches in towns such as Seaside, Newport, and
Rockaway Beach. The completion of railroads from the primary population centers in the
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley ( ) is a long valley in Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Willamette River flows the entire length of the valley and is surrounded by mountains on three sides: the Cascade Range to the east, ...
, the beginnings of tourism started along the coast.
In 1911, governor
Oswald West
Oswald West (May 20, 1873 – August 22, 1960) was an American politician, a Democrat, who served most notably as the 14th Governor of Oregon.
He was called "Os West" by Oregon writer Stewart Holbrook, who described him as "by all odds the mo ...
was elected on the promise to reclaim Oregon's beaches as public land. Though the legislature favored the privatization of these lands, West was able to make an argument for public ownership based on the need for transportation, and in 1913, the
Oregon legislature
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the ...
declared the entire length of the ocean shore from the Columbia to California as a state highway.
Legislators also created the
State Highway Commission, which began the construction of U.S. Route 101 along the coast. The
Parks and Recreation Department, a branch of the highway commission, bought land for
36 state parks along the coastal highway, an average of one every . With the completion of the highway-and-parks system, coastal tourism skyrocketed.
Recent years have seen a drop in both the logging and
fishing industries, due mainly to changes in the U.S. economy as well as changes in regulations governing the harvest of fish and timber.
1967 Oregon Beach Bill
Oregon's public lands claim was challenged in 1966, when a motel owner fenced off beach area for the private use of his guests.
Responding to citizen complaints, state legislators put forward the
Oregon Beach Bill
The Oregon Beach Bill (House Bill 1601, 1967) was a piece of landmark legislation in the U.S. state of Oregon, passed by the 1967 session of the Oregon Legislature. It established public ownership of land along the Oregon Coast from the water up to ...
, proposing to reestablish the beaches' status as public land. Concerns about private property rights threatened the bill's passage.
In response, Governor
Tom McCall
Thomas Lawson McCall (March 22, 1913 January 8, 1983) was an American statesman, politician and journalist in the state of Oregon. A Republican, he was the state's thirtieth governor from 1967 to 1975. A native of Massachusetts, McCall grew up t ...
staged a dramatic media event on May 13, 1967, flying two helicopters to the beach with a team of surveyors and scientists. The ensuing media coverage resulted in overwhelming public demand for the bill, which passed and was signed by McCall on July 6, 1967.
The Beach Bill declares that all "wet sand" within vertical feet of the low tide line belongs to the state of Oregon.
In addition, it recognizes public
easement
An easement is a nonpossessory right to use and/or enter onto the real property of another without possessing it. It is "best typified in the right of way which one landowner, A, may enjoy over the land of another, B". An easement is a propert ...
s of all beach areas up to the line of vegetation, regardless of underlying property rights. The public has "free and uninterrupted use of the beaches," and property owners are required to seek state permits for building and other uses of the ocean shore.
While some parts of the beach remain privately owned, state and federal courts have upheld Oregon's right to regulate development of those lands and preserve public access.
Tourism
![HecetaHeadLightOR](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/HecetaHeadLightOR.jpg)
Due to its scenery, wildlife, and history, the Oregon Coast is a popular travel destination.
Hiking
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
,
sport fishing
Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit (economics), profit; or subsistence fishing ...
,
cycling
Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from t ...
,
kite flying
A kite is a tethered heavier-than-air or lighter-than-air craft with wing surfaces that react against the air to create lift and drag forces. A kite consists of wings, tethers and anchors. Kites often have a bridle and tail to guide the face ...
,
scuba diving
Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chris ...
,
surfing
Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...
,
sandboarding
Sandboarding is a boardsport and extreme sport similar to snowboarding that involves riding across or down a sand dune while standing on a board, either with both feet strapped in or while standing loose, without bindings. Sandboarding can als ...
, and
boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether Motorboat, powerboats, Sailing, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sp ...
are common activities for visitors to the region. Historic areas, such as Fort Clatsop,
Battle Rock, and Oregon's
lighthouses
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
are all popular sites for visitors. The Oregon Coast is also known for its scenic areas, such as
Cape Perpetua
Cape Perpetua is a large forested headland projecting into the Pacific Ocean on the central Oregon Coast in Lincoln County, Oregon. The land is managed by the United States Forest Service as part of the Siuslaw National Forest.
Location
Ca ...
, Cape Blanco and
Cape Arago. Likewise, each region has its own distinct draws in addition to those found throughout the state, such as the
Astoria Column in Astoria, the
Oregon Coast Aquarium
__NOTOC__
The Oregon Coast Aquarium is an aquarium in Newport in the U.S. state of Oregon. Opened in 1992, the facility sits on along Yaquina Bay near the Pacific Ocean. The aquarium was home to Keiko, the orca who starred in the movie ''Fr ...
in Newport, and
Mount Emily
Mount Emily ( Tolowa: en-may ) is a mountain in the Klamath Mountains of southwestern Oregon in the United States. It is located in southern Curry County in the extreme southwest corner of the state, near Brookings, approximately from the Pacif ...
outside Brookings. The South Coast's commercial airport is the
Southwest Oregon Regional Airport
Southwest Oregon Regional Airport , formerly North Bend Municipal Airport, is a public airport in North Bend, Coos County, Oregon, United States. It is operated by the Coos County Airport District. OTH covers 619 acres (251 ha) of land.
The air ...
in North Bend and the Central Coast is served by the
Newport Municipal Airport.
Beaches
![Bandon Oregon beach 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Bandon_Oregon_beach_2.jpeg)
Oregon's beaches are popular destinations for visitors.
Horse riding
Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...
,
clam digging
Clam digging is a North American term for a common way to harvest clams (edible infaunal bivalve mollusks) from below the surface of the tidal sand flats or mud flats where they live. It is done both recreationally (for enjoyment or as a so ...
, and
surfing
Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...
are popular activities. Certain beaches are host to events such as Seaside's Beach Volleyball Tournament and finish for the Hood to Coast race or Lincoln City's
glass float
Glass floats, glass fishing floats, or Japanese glass fishing floats are popular collectors' items. They were once used by fishermen in many parts of the world to keep their fishing nets, as well as longlines or droplines, afloat.
Large groups ...
hunt. Because of many headlands along the Oregon Coast, beaches vary in length from dozens of miles to less than a quarter of a mile. Though less common,
surf fishing also occurs along sections of the beach. However, not all Oregon beaches are sand beaches. Large surf-smoothed stones are common and several stone beaches exist. Some beaches are also shrinking, due partially to human interactions and partly to invasive species of plant such as
European Beachgrass.
Lighthouses
![LightshipColumbia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/LightshipColumbia.jpg)
Another popular destination for visitors is Oregon's historic lighthouses, most of which date to before 1900. Because the Oregon and Washington coasts have been traditionally thought of as some of the
most dangerous seas in the world, several lighthouses and a
lightship were commissioned to aid sailors in navigating. Of the original 12 lights, nine are still in use. However, in recent years, two private lights, Pelican Bay Light and Cleft of the Rock Light have been built, with permission from the
Coast Guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...
. Both lights, along with Cape Arago Light, are private property.
Outdoor activities
![USA Oregon Dunes](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/USA_Oregon_Dunes.jpg)
The Oregon Coast is also host to many recreational activities. Hiking, camping, sport fishing, and cycling are the most common activities and are ubiquitous to the Oregon Coast. Sport fishing has traditionally been the primary outdoor recreational activity along the Oregon Coast, and is a major industry in several of Oregon's port cities, especially Astoria, Newport, and Coos Bay. Because of this, Oregon has strict regulations concerning the harvest of fish for sport. Charter boats usually take groups out for half day and full day fishing trips for
Chinook salmon
The Chinook salmon (''Oncorhynchus tshawytscha'') is the largest and most valuable species of Pacific salmon in North America, as well as the largest in the genus '' Oncorhynchus''. Its common name is derived from the Chinookan peoples. Other ...
,
Coho salmon
The coho salmon (''Oncorhynchus kisutch;'' Karuk: achvuun) is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family (biology), family and one of the five Pacific salmon species. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers". The scientif ...
, and
Pacific halibut
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
.
However, several other activities, many of which are more local than others, take place throughout the coast region of the state, several of which occur in the
Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area
The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is located on the Oregon Coast, stretching approximately north of the Coos River in North Bend to the Siuslaw River in Florence, and adjoining Honeyman State Park on the west. It is part of Siuslaw Na ...
. Most common are
All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike, or simply a quad, as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI); is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, with a seat that is stra ...
s and sandboarding. Many equipment rental and specialty shops exist to cater to these activities. Horse riding is also a common pastime along many beaches and dunes along the coast, and several horse trails exist in the nearby forests.
Surfing and
bodyboarding
Bodyboarding is a water sport in which the surfer rides a bodyboard on the crest, face, and curl of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore. Bodyboarding is also referred to as ''Boogieboarding'' due to the invention of the "Boogie ...
are also common sports along the beaches of the Oregon Coast. Both occur nearly year-round, regardless of weather or water temperature.
The coast is home to several excellent golf courses. Among them is the
Bandon Dunes
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is a complex of five links and a par-3 golf course on the West Coast of the United States, located alongside the Pacific Ocean in southwest Oregon, just north of the city of Bandon.
Courses
The first course at the ...
ranked by
Golf Digest
''Golf Digest'' is a monthly golf magazine published by Warner Bros. Discovery through its sports unit under its Warner Bros. Discovery Golf division. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competiti ...
as the 6th best public golf course in the U.S in 2015/2016, up from 7th in 2009
Historic sites
![Tillamook Air Museum from distance](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Tillamook_Air_Museum_from_distance.jpg)
Many historical sites dot the Oregon Coast. The most prominent is that of
Fort Clatsop
Fort Clatsop was the encampment of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the Oregon Country near the mouth of the Columbia River during the winter of 1805–1806. Located along the Lewis and Clark River at the north end of the Clatsop Plains approxim ...
outside of Astoria, which was the site of the
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gro ...
s winter stay on the Oregon Coast in 1805–1806, as well as the nearby
Peter Iredale
''Peter Iredale'' was a four-masted steel barque sailing vessel that ran ashore October 25, 1906, on the Oregon coast en route to the Columbia River. She was abandoned on Clatsop Spit near Fort Stevens in Warrenton about four miles (6 km) s ...
which was grounded on the
Clatsop Spit 100 years later in September 1906. However, over years of deterioration have destroyed much of the original ship. Now only a small portion remains above the sand. Both are part of the
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
The Lewis and Clark National Historical Park (including the former Fort Clatsop National Memorial), located in the vicinity of the mouth of the Columbia River, commemorates the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Administration of the park, which include ...
along with
Fort Stevens.
Further south outside Tillamook sits the
Tillamook Air Museum
Tillamook Air Museum is an aviation museum south of Tillamook, Oregon in the United States. The museum is located at a former U.S. Navy Air Station and housed in a former blimp hangar, known as "Hangar B", which is the largest clear-span wooden ...
, which is housed in one of the two former
military blimp hangar
A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...
s of the former
Naval Air Station Tillamook. The structure was originally known as "Hangar B" and was part of a pair of hangars built by the
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
in 1942. "Hangar A" was destroyed by a fire in 1992. However, the concrete pilings that held the massive hangar doors erect still stand.
Along the coast just south of Cape Arago are several parks that were formerly the location of early homesteaders, as well as the former Seven Devil's Trail. The homesteaders eventually abandoned their claims in favor of living closer to the nearby rural villages and towns. Today, nothing remains of these small farms and ranches, though several state parks mark their locations. However, south at Cape Blanco sits the
Patrick Hughes House
The Patrick Hughes House, also known as Hughes Ranch and the Historic Hughes House, is a historic Queen Anne-style house built in 1898 on Cape Blanco in the U.S. state of Oregon. The Hughes family owned over and operated a dairy farm on Cape ...
. The Hughes House is now a part of
Cape Blanco State Park
Cape Blanco is a prominent headland on the Pacific Ocean coast of southwestern Oregon in the United States, forming the westernmost point in the state. Cape Blanco extends further west than any point of land in the contiguous United States (lowe ...
.
Located in Port Orford just south of Cape Blanco is the famous Battle Rock, which was the site of a major battle between local natives and members of an 1851 expedition led by Captain
William Tichenor in order to begin railroad construction. Today, visitors can climb Battle Rock, though this is discouraged as frequent climbing has begun to erode the sandstone seastack. Also in Port Orford is the
Port Orford Heads State Park
Port Orford Heads State Park is a coastal state park in northwest Curry County, Oregon, United States, in the city of Port Orford. Established in 1976, it is administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.
Location
Located on a bl ...
, which is the location of the original Coast Guard lifeboat station. The station is now a museum for the historic station and maritime history, including the 1942
Lookout Air Raid
The Lookout Air Raids were minor but historic Japanese air raids that occurred in the mountains of Oregon, several miles outside Brookings during World War II.
On September 9, 1942, a Japanese Yokosuka E14Y ''Glen'' floatplane, launched ...
.
Finally, Oregon has the distinction of being the only U.S. state (Hawaii and Alaska did not attain statehood until 1959) to receive hostile action during World War II, being both shelled and bombed.
The first attack, which took place the night of June 21, 1942, occurred at Fort Stevens when a
Japanese submarine ''I-25'' surfaced offshore, and fired 17 rounds at the fort. However, Fort Stevens took no damage in the attack. The second attack took place two and a half months later when the I-25 surfaced off Cape Blanco, the night of September 9, 1942. Launching a small
"Glen" seaplane
A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tec ...
, and using the Cape Blanco Light as a guide, pilot
Nobuo Fujita
(1911 – 30 September 1997) was a Japanese naval aviator and warrant flying officer of the Imperial Japanese Navy who flew a floatplane from the long-range submarine aircraft carrier and conducted the Lookout Air Raids in southern Oreg ...
and copilot
Okuda Shoji dropped a series of
incendiary bombs
Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices, incendiary munitions, or incendiary bombs are weapons designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using fire (and sometimes used as anti-personnel weaponry), that use materials such as napalm, th ...
in the forests at
Mount Emily
Mount Emily ( Tolowa: en-may ) is a mountain in the Klamath Mountains of southwestern Oregon in the United States. It is located in southern Curry County in the extreme southwest corner of the state, near Brookings, approximately from the Pacif ...
with the intention of starting several forest fires in the area. Though the fires did not become the major infernos that the Japanese intended, the bomb site is now on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
as the ''
Wheeler Ridge Japanese Bombing Site''.
Fujita returned in 1962 and gave his family's 400-year-old
sword
A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...
to the city of Brookings. He was made an honorary citizen of Brookings days before his death in September 1997. His sword is now on display at the Brookings Public Library.
Economy
The coast is Oregon's top tourist destination. In the mid-1980s, the coast's economy was dependent on
natural resource
Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest and cultural value. O ...
s. Limits placed on logging and fishing caused further decline. As of the late 2000s, tourism and retirement have provided economic growth. As of 2006, roughly 210,000 people live on the Oregon Coast. The economy is still dependent on natural resources, but the largest contributions to personal income are retirement based and "unidentified". The top three industries are timber, fishing, and tourism. The coast is poorer than the state average, with average income per capita $24,112 vs. $32,812.
Gallery
File:Beach at Road's End State Park (Lincoln City, Oregon - June 2007).jpg, Roads End State Recreation Site, Lincoln City
File:Coquille lighthouse color.jpg, Coquille River Light
File:Aquarium tunnel.jpg, Viewing tunnel at Oregon Coast Aquarium
__NOTOC__
The Oregon Coast Aquarium is an aquarium in Newport in the U.S. state of Oregon. Opened in 1992, the facility sits on along Yaquina Bay near the Pacific Ocean. The aquarium was home to Keiko, the orca who starred in the movie ''Fr ...
File:Peter iredale sunset edited1.jpg, Remains of the Peter Iredale
''Peter Iredale'' was a four-masted steel barque sailing vessel that ran ashore October 25, 1906, on the Oregon coast en route to the Columbia River. She was abandoned on Clatsop Spit near Fort Stevens in Warrenton about four miles (6 km) s ...
File:USCG Tillamook Rock Lighthouse.jpg, Tillamook Rock Light
Tillamook Rock Light (known locally as Terrible Tilly or just Tilly) is a deactivated lighthouse on the northern Oregon Coast of the United States. It is located approximately offshore from Tillamook Head, and south of the mouth of the Columb ...
A.K.A. Terrible Tilly
File:YaquinaBridge.jpg, Yaquina Bay Bridge
The Yaquina Bay Bridge is an arch bridge that spans Yaquina Bay south of Newport, Oregon. It is one of the most recognizable of the U.S. Route 101 bridges designed by Conde McCullough and one of eleven major bridges on the Oregon Coast Highway d ...
File:BattleRockCityPark.jpg, Battle Rock, Port Orford
File:Yachats beach.jpg, Beach and estuary at Yachats
File:Devil's churn panorama.jpg, Devil's Churn
Devils Churn is a narrow inlet of the Pacific Ocean in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States, south of Yachats. It is located in the Siuslaw National Forest and is accessible via the Restless Waters trail from the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area visitor ...
, near Cape Perpetua
Cape Perpetua is a large forested headland projecting into the Pacific Ocean on the central Oregon Coast in Lincoln County, Oregon. The land is managed by the United States Forest Service as part of the Siuslaw National Forest.
Location
Ca ...
, south of Yachats
File:Ambient Cannon Beach.jpg, Dusk at Cannon Beach
Cannon Beach is a city in Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Its population was 1,690 at the 2010 census. It is a popular coastal Oregon tourist destination, famous for Haystack Rock, a sea stack that juts out along the coast. In 2013, '' Na ...
See also
*
List of bridges on the Oregon Coast
This is a list of bridges and tunnels longer than 100 feet (30 m) on U.S. Route 101 in Oregon, also known as the Oregon Coast Highway, from south to north. Many of them were designed by Conde McCullough.
See also
*Lists of Oregon-related topics
...
*
List of Oregon shipwrecks
*
Oregon Coast Trail
The Oregon Coast Trail (OCT) is a long-distance hiking route along the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of Oregon in the United States. It follows the coast of Oregon from the mouth of the Columbia River to the California border south of Brookin ...
*
Steamboats of the Oregon Coast
References
External links
Oregon Coast guide from Travel Oregon (the Oregon State Tourism Commission)The North Coast Explorerfrom Oregon State University
Guided lighthouse tour from Travel OregonOregon Coast Visitors AssociationA 1940 Oregon Coast Tour from the Oregon State ArchivesGallery of Historic PhotosOregon & Washington Coast Guide A collection of articles and links related to the Pacific NW Coast.
{{coord, 44, -124.1, type:landmark_region:US-OR_dim:500000, display=title
Regions of Oregon