The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is located on the

Oregon Coast The Oregon Coast is a coastal region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to its west and the Oregon Coast Range to the east, and stretches approximately from the California state border in the south to the Columbia ...

, stretching approximately north of the

Coos River The Coos River flows for about into Coos Bay along the Pacific coast of southwest Oregon in the United States. Formed by the confluence of its major tributaries, the South Fork Coos River and the Millicoma River, it drains an important timber-pro ...

in North Bend to the

Siuslaw River The Siuslaw River ( ) is a river, about long, that flows to the Pacific Ocean coast of Oregon in the United States. It drains an area of about in the Central Oregon Coast Range southwest of the Willamette Valley and north of the watershed of th ...

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 ...

, and adjoining Honeyman State Park on the west. It is part of

Siuslaw National Forest The Siuslaw National Forest ( ) is a national forest in western Oregon in the United States. Established in 1908, the Siuslaw is made up of a wide variety of ecosystems, ranging from coastal forests to sand dunes. Geography The Siuslaw Nati ...

and is administered by the

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...

. The Oregon Dunes are a unique area of windswept sand. They are the largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

and one of the largest expanses of temperate coastal sand dunes in the world, with some dunes reaching above sea level. They are the product of millions of years of erosion by wind and rain on the Oregon Coast. There are about of sand dunes, about a fifth of the total area of the

national recreation area A national recreation area (NRA) is a protected area in the United States established by an Act of Congress to preserve enhanced recreational opportunities in places with significant natural and scenic resources. There are 40 NRAs, which emphasiz ...

. The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area provides numerous recreational activities, including off-highway vehicle (OHV) use,

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 ...

, fishing,

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...

horseback 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 ...

, and

camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...

. The Carter Dunes Trail and Oregon Dunes Day Use provide forest access for the disabled.

Frank Herbert Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel '' Dune'' and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked a ...

's science-fiction novel ''Dune'' was inspired (in part) by the author's research on and fascination with the area.

History

The Oregon Dunes are over 100,000 years old and stretch approximately . The youngest dunes, which are the closest to the ocean, began forming about 7,000 years ago. Studies of individual sand grains show that these sands were carried down from the mountains by the Umpqua, Siuslaw, and other smaller rivers. Senator Richard L. Neuberger introduced a bill to establish a

national seashore The United States has ten protected areas known as national seashores and three known as national lakeshores, which are public lands operated by the National Park Service (NPS), an agency of the Department of the Interior. National seashores a ...

at the Oregon Dunes in 1959, but it was opposed by governor Mark Hatfield and several local organizations. It would have also included 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 ...

. A bill reintroduced by Congressman Robert B. Duncan in 1963 unanimously passed the

Senate Interior Committee The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is a committee of the United States Senate charged with oversight in matters related to the American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native peoples. A Committee on Indian Affairs existed from 1820 to 19 ...

, but Senator

Wayne Morse Wayne Lyman Morse (October 20, 1900 – July 22, 1974) was an American attorney and United States Senator from Oregon. Morse is well known for opposing his party's leadership and for his opposition to the Vietnam War on constitutional grounds. ...

opposed provisions of the bill that increased environmental protections by restricting property uses, and the Forest Service did not wish to see it transferred to the National Park Service. , sponsored by Congressman

John R. Dellenback John Richard Dellenback (November 6, 1918 – December 7, 2002) was a Republican U.S. congressman from Oregon. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Dellenback's maternal grandparents were Norwegian and his paternal grandparents were each from Alsace- ...

, was enacted in 1972, protecting as the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Dellenback included a local advisory council, restricted mineral extraction, and removed some residential property to gain support and cosponsorship of Senators Hatfield and

Bob Packwood Robert William Packwood (born September 11, 1932) is an American retired lawyer and politician from Oregon and a member of the Republican Party. He resigned from the United States Senate, under threat of expulsion, in 1995 after allegations of ...

. The national recreation area was dedicated on July 15, 1972 at Eel Creek Campground with the presence of Forest Service chief John McQuire, 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 ...

, Hatfield, and Dellenback. The trail beginning there is now named after Dellenback. About an eighth of the area is private inholdings, leaving owned by the Forest Service.

Geology

The sand dunes were formed by wind and water over time. The dune formation is mainly dependent on the wind. In the summer the wind blows from the north and northwest at . Mountain barriers near the coast deflect the wind currents, forming the sand into many different shapes. In the winter the winds are much slower (except during storms when the winds can reach up to ), coming from the south and southwest. These winds move large amounts of sand, reshaping the dunes' structure. Water also plays a role in dune formation. Waves and tides dredge sand from the ocean floor and deposit it onto the beaches, where the wind takes over. The sands are about 45% quartz and 45% feldspar. The water currents also create marshy areas where standing water is several feet deep. Upward pressure causes the sand grains to become saturated and float. This process results in

quicksand Quicksand is a colloid consisting of fine granular material (such as sand, silt or clay) and water. It forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. When water in the sand cannot escape, it creates a liquefied soil that los ...

. Quicksand is found in the low, unvegetated areas between the dunes. The barrage lakes are the largest lakes in Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. They were formed when streams flowing west from the Coast Range foothills were dammed up by the rapidly developing dunes.

Plants and animals

Plants

Stable native plant species are vital to the success of the dunes ecosystem. Several native plants and plant groups have been identified as crucial and are part of active management and conservation efforts. These plants include

red fescue ''Festuca rubra'' is a species of grass known by the common name red fescue or creeping red fescue. It is widespread across much of the Northern Hemisphere and can tolerate many habitats and climates. It is best adapted to well-drained soils in ...

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 ...

, evergreen huckleberry, seashore bluegrass,

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, ...

, hairy manzanita,

bearberry Bearberries ( indigenous kinnickinnick) are three species of dwarf shrubs in the genus ''Arctostaphylos''. Unlike the other species of ''Arctostaphylos'' (see manzanita), they are adapted to Arctic and Subarctic climates, and have a circumpolar ...

, bog blueberry, tufted hairgrass, slough sedge, Sitka spruce, and skunk cabbage. Original native plant species were drastically reduced over the years due to the planting of European beachgrass,

Scotch broom ''Cytisus scoparius'' ( syn. ''Sarothamnus scoparius''), the common broom or Scotch broom, is a deciduous leguminous shrub native to western and central Europe. In Britain and Ireland, the standard name is broom; this name is also used for other ...

and

for sand stabilization that occurred from 1910 through 1979.

Birds

Many species of birds live in the varied habitats of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. The South Jetty area includes beach, marsh, and coastal wetlands where the tundra swan, marsh wren, Canada goose, yellow-rumped warbler, red-tailed hawk, sanderling, long-billed curlew, dunlin, and least sandpiper make their home. The great blue heron, American bittern, green heron, Virginia rail, cinnamon teal, common yellowthroat, common merganser, belted kingfisher, snowy plover, bald eagle, and osprey live along the Siticoos area by the Waxmyrtle Trail. The Eel Creek area includes many shore pines and provides shelter to the pine siskin, chestnut-backed chickadee, Swainson's thrush, wrentit, northern flicker, red crossbill, olive-sided flycatcher, and Anna's hummingbird. The white-tailed kite, northern harrier, violet-green swallow, downy woodpecker, orange-crowned warbler, yellow warbler, black-throated gray warbler, Townsend’s warbler, hermit warbler, great horned owl, and great egret have been sighted in the Horsefalls area.

Western snowy plover

The

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 ...

uses the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area as a nesting site. In 1993, it was identified as a threatened species by the

US Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

, with only 68 birds remaining in Oregon. Multiple agencies used a multi-pronged approach to protect the plovers and increase their numbers. Techniques included restoring the plover habitat along the sand dunes by removing invasive beach grasses and maintaining the appropriate structures optimal for nest building. Protection of nesting sites is achieved by education, signage, and beach restrictions during the nesting season from March 15 through September 15. When necessary, these restrictions are enforced by police officers. Other techniques include removal of predators and accurate population monitoring. As of 2012, the number of plovers had increased to 403 birds.

Oregon Dunes Restoration Collaborative

The Oregon Dunes Restoration Collaborative is an organization that works with numerous government entities to preserve and restore the dunes. The group, formed in 2014, is engaged in efforts to combat the spread of invasive plant species that consume a large portion of the dunes. The invasive species seen today are a result of a twentieth-century effort by land managers to stabilize the dunes by planting grasses. While these grasses were successful in stabilizing the dunes, they have flourished to the point where they interfere with the natural shaping of dunes. Today the group, along with the United States Forest Service, is creating prioritization plans, locating funding sources, and raising public awareness of the project. The group encourages individuals to volunteer in engagement and stewardship initiatives around the dunes, employ sustainable recreation practices while visiting the dunes, and engage others about the current issues involving the dunes.

Off-highway vehicle use

The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is among the top United States Forest Service sites in the country for off-highway vehicle (OHV) use. Until the first management plan was adopted in 1979, 91% of the site was available for the use of OHVs. A revised 1994 Recreation Use Plan restricted the use of OHVs to only 31% of the total site, split between two large units or management areas. As of 2018, visitors can use the North, Middle, and South OHV riding areas.United States Forest Service. Off Highway Vehicle (OHV). Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, Oct. 2010
www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5281879.pdf
File:Oregon Dunes Near Coos Bay.jpg, Dunes near Coos Bay File:Honeyman Memorial State Park Cleawox Lake.JPG,

Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park, also known simply as Honeyman State Park, is in Lane County of the U.S. state of Oregon. It lies south of Florence along Highway 101, the coastal highway. The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area adjo ...

and part of

Cleawox Lake Cleawox Lake (klē' ə woks), is a body of water dammed by sand dunes along the Pacific Ocean coast of the U.S. state of Oregon. The lake is about south of Florence, Oregon, Florence along U.S. Route 101 in Oregon, U.S. Route 101. Sharing the lak ...

, south of

File:Banshee Hill Dune.jpg, Banshee Hill is the highest dune in Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area at 500 feet elevation. File:Dunes_Look_Out_Sign.jpg, Sign showing trails at Oregon Dunes lookout. File:Shaping Dunes.jpg, Sign showing how the dunes were formed.

References

External links

Official Forest Service Site

Exploring the Oregon Dunes
Video produced by

Oregon Field Guide ''Oregon Field Guide'' is a weekly television program produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting focusing on recreation, the outdoors, and environmental issues in the state of Oregon. The show has become part of the Oregon zeitgeist. Steve Amen is th ...

Oregon Dunes History

Geology of the Dunes

Oregon Dunes Restoration Collaborative
{{Protected areas of Oregon National Recreation Areas of the United States Protected areas of Lane County, Oregon Protected areas of Douglas County, Oregon Protected areas of Coos County, Oregon Oregon Coast Dunes of the United States Protected areas of Oregon Sandboarding locations Siuslaw National Forest 1972 establishments in Oregon Landforms of Lane County, Oregon Landforms of Douglas County, Oregon Landforms of Coos County, Oregon Protected areas established in 1972