The Oregon Coast is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

. It runs generally north-south along the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

, forming the western border of the state; the region is bounded to the east by the Oregon Coast Range

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...

. The Oregon Coast stretches approximately 363 miles (584.2 km) from the Columbia River

Columbia River

The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...

 in the north to the Oregon–California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 state border in the south. The Oregon Coast is not a specific geological, environmental, or political entity, but instead includes the entire coast

Coast

A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...

line of Oregon, including the Columbia River Estuary

Columbia River Estuary

The Columbia River Estuary is an estuary and a bay on the Oregon-Washington border and the Pacific Coast of the United States.If the Columbia River Estuary is defined by the region that experiences ocean tides, then the estuary actually extends up the Columbia River to the Bonneville Dam, and up...

.

1967's Oregon Beach Bill

Oregon Beach Bill

The Oregon Beach Bill was a piece of landmark legislation in the U.S. state of Oregon, passed by the 1967 session of the Oregon Legislature...

 allows free beach access to everyone. This Bill allows private beach landowners to retain certain beach land rights, but it removes the property tax obligation of the beach landowner. In exchange, the beach landowner grants an easement passage to pedestrians. The Beach Bill grants a public access easement on the beach that cannot be taken away by the landowner nor can the landowner build on the beach.

Traditionally, the Oregon Coast is regarded as three distinct sub-regions, each with its own local features and regional history. While there are no legal or objective boundaries, most Oregonians consider the three regions to be:

• The North Coast, which stretches from the Columbia River to Neskowin
  Neskowin, Oregon
  Neskowin is an unincorporated community in Tillamook County, Oregon, United States, near where Slab Creek empties into the Pacific Ocean. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Neskowin as a census-designated place . The census definition of the area may not...
  
  .
• The Central Coast, which stretches from Lincoln City
  Lincoln City, Oregon
  Lincoln City is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. It is named after the county. The population was 7,930 at the 2010 census.- History :...
  
   to Florence
  Florence, Oregon
  Florence is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 8,466.-History:The Florence area was originally inhabited by the Siuslaw tribe of Native Americans. Some state that the city was named for state senator A. B...
  
  .
• The South Coast, which stretches from Reedsport
  Reedsport, Oregon
  Reedsport is a city in Douglas County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 4,154.- History :Reedsport was established on the estuary of the Umpqua River on January 7, 1852. It was named for a local settler, Alfred W. Reed, who founded the city in 1912...
  
   to the Oregon–California border.

The largest city along the Oregon Coast is Coos Bay

Coos Bay, Oregon

Coos Bay is a city located in Coos County, Oregon, United States, where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The city borders the city of North Bend, and together they are often referred to as one entity called either Coos Bay-North Bend or the Bay Area...

—population 16,000—in Coos County

Coos County, Oregon

-National protected areas:*Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siskiyou National Forest *Siuslaw National Forest - Incorporated cities:- Unincorporated communities and CDPs:-See also:...

 on the South Coast. U.S. Route 101

U.S. Route 101 in Oregon

In the U.S. state of Oregon, U.S. Route 101, a major north–south U.S. Highway, runs through the state along the coastline near the Pacific Ocean. In Oregon, it runs from the Oregon–California border, south of Brookings, to the Oregon–Washington border on the Columbia River, between Astoria,...

 is the primary highway from Astoria

Astoria, Oregon

Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...

 to Brookings

Brookings, Oregon

Brookings is a city in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It was named after John E. Brookings, president of the Brookings Lumber and Box Company, which founded the city in 1908. As of the 2010 census the population was 6,336. The total population of the Brookings area is over 13,000, which...

, and is known for its scenic overlooks of the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

. There are over 80 state parks and recreation areas along the Oregon Coast. However, there are only a few highways that cross the coast mountains from the interior to the coast. This has led to highways US-20, US-30, US-26, SR-18 and SR-22, all serving the Willamette Valley / Portland area to the North and Central Coasts as being considered some of the worst in terms of traffic, a conclusion disputed by the Oregon Department of Transportation. Highways SR-18 and US-20 are considered two of the most dangerous roads in the state.

The Oregon Coast includes Clatsop County

Clatsop County, Oregon

Clatsop County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for the Clatsop tribe of Native Americans, who lived along the coast of the Pacific Ocean prior to European settlement. As of 2010, the population was 37,039. The county seat is Astoria.-Economy:The principal...

, Tillamook County

Tillamook County, Oregon

Tillamook County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for the Tillamook, a Native American tribe who were living in the area in the early 19th century at the time of European American settlement. In 2010, the county's population was 25,250...

, Lincoln County

Lincoln County, Oregon

-National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge*Siuslaw National Forest -Demographics:...

, western Lane County

Lane County, Oregon

-National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siuslaw National Forest *Umpqua National Forest *Willamette National Forest -Government:...

, western Douglas County

Douglas County, Oregon

-National protected areas:* Crater Lake National Park * Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest * Siuslaw National Forest * Umpqua National Forest * Willamette National Forest -Adjacent counties:* Lane County, Oregon -...

, Coos County

Coos County, Oregon

-National protected areas:*Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siskiyou National Forest *Siuslaw National Forest - Incorporated cities:- Unincorporated communities and CDPs:-See also:...

, and Curry County

Curry County, Oregon

Curry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. In 2010, its population was 22,364. The county is named for George Law Curry, a governor of the Oregon Territory. The seat of the county is Gold Beach.-Economy:...

.

Geography

Because of the complex geological history of the Pacific Northwest, the geography of the Oregon Coast is diversely varied, and is often separated into different regions based on geological formations. Three primary landforms are common along the Oregon coast, and help distinguish the regions based on their frequency of occurrence and location in relation to the shoreline: sea cliffs, beaches, and stacks

Stack (geology)

A stack is a geological landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast, isolated by erosion. Stacks are formed through processes of coastal geomorphology, which are entirely natural. Time, wind and water are the only factors involved in the...

. However, because of this, it is difficult to divide the Oregon Coast into uniform and clear cut regions. Despite this, The Oregon Coast is traditionally divided into three distinct regions; The North Coast, Central Coast, and South Coast. Because of minor land variation between the North and Central Coast regions, the division between these two regions is a more of a civil division than that of a geological division. This is due mostly to the larger cities in the North Coast region than in the Central Coast region. However, several minor differences do exist between the two regions, both in terms of geology and socioeconomic differences.

North Coast

The North Coast, which stretches from the Columbia River

Columbia River

The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...

 to Neskowin

Neskowin, Oregon

Neskowin is an unincorporated community in Tillamook County, Oregon, United States, near where Slab Creek empties into the Pacific Ocean. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Neskowin as a census-designated place . The census definition of the area may not...

, 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-enclosed bays. Astoria

Astoria, Oregon

Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...

, located on the Columbia River, is the northern-most city in the state. Astoria serves as a staging ground for ships entering and leaving the Columbia River, because of the dangerous Columbia Bar

Columbia Bar

The Columbia Bar is a system of bars and shoals at the mouth of the Columbia River spanning the US states of Oregon and Washington. The bar is about wide and long....

. Ships wishing to make the passage require the aid of specially trained bar pilots

Maritime pilot

A pilot is a mariner who guides ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbours or river mouths. With the exception of the Panama Canal, the pilot is only an advisor, as the captain remains in legal, overriding command of the vessel....

. Along the coast are the cities of Seaside

Seaside, Oregon

Seaside is a city in Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. The name Seaside is derived from Seaside House, a historic summer resort built in the 1870s by railroad magnate Ben Holladay. The city's population was 6,457 at the 2010 census.-History:...

 and Tillamook

Tillamook, Oregon

The city of Tillamook is the county seat of Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on the southeast end of Tillamook Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The population was 4,352 at the 2000 census...

. Because of the low lands that exist on this region of coast, flooding 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

Floodplain

A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...

. Sandstone cliffs occur rather sporadically in this region. This is due to relatively slow uplift rates as well as fairly constant sediment

Sediment

Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....

 wash from the Columbia River. Future uplift from the subduction of the Juan de Fuca plate

Juan de Fuca Plate

The Juan de Fuca Plate, named after the explorer of the same name, is a tectonic plate, generated from the Juan de Fuca Ridge, and subducting under the northerly portion of the western side of the North American Plate at the Cascadia subduction zone...

 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

Graveyard of the Pacific

The Graveyard of the Pacific is a nickname for a stretch of the coastal region in the Pacific Northwest, from Tillamook Bay on the Oregon Coast northward to the tip of Vancouver Island...

.

The weather on the North Coast is moderate. The average low in the winter is just under 40 °F (4 °C), while the high temperature is just above 50 °F (10 °C). The average high reaches its peak in early September at 70 °F (21 °C). The most rain occurs in November and December averaging over 11 inches (28 cm) each month. July and August are the driest averaging under 2 inches (5 cm) 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

The Central Coast, which extends from Lincoln City

Lincoln City, Oregon

Lincoln City is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. It is named after the county. The population was 7,930 at the 2010 census.- History :...

 to Florence

Florence, Oregon

Florence is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 8,466.-History:The Florence area was originally inhabited by the Siuslaw tribe of Native Americans. Some state that the city was named for state senator A. B...

, 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 Depoe Bay

Depoe Bay, Oregon

Depoe Bay is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States, located on U.S. Route 101 next to the Pacific Ocean. The population was 1,174 at the 2000 census, with an unofficial estimated population of 1,355 in 2007...

, Newport

Newport, Oregon

Newport is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. It was incorporated in 1882, though the name dates back to the establishment of a post office in 1868...

, Waldport

Waldport, Oregon

Waldport is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,050 at the 2000 census. The city is located on the Alsea River and Alsea Bay, south of Newport and north of Yachats.-Geography:...

, and Yachats

Yachats, Oregon

Yachats is a small coastal city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, the name comes from the Siletz language, and means "dark water at the foot of the mountain". There is a range of differing etymologies, however. William Bright says the name comes from...

. 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 southern most 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

Neogene

The Neogene is a geologic period and system in the International Commission on Stratigraphy Geologic Timescale starting 23.03 ± 0.05 million years ago and ending 2.588 million years ago...

. 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

The South Coast region, which extends south from Reedsport to the Oregon-California Border, is distinct from the North and Central Coast regions because of its mountainous nature, due to tectonic uplift

Tectonic uplift

Tectonic uplift is a geological process most often caused by plate tectonics which increases elevation. The opposite of uplift is subsidence, which results in a decrease in elevation. Uplift may be orogenic or isostatic.-Orogenic uplift:...

 and terrane

Terrane

A terrane in geology is short-hand term for a tectonostratigraphic terrane, which is a fragment of crustal material formed on, or broken off from, one tectonic plate and accreted or "sutured" to crust lying on another plate...

 accretion

Accretion (geology)

Accretion is a process by which material is added to a tectonic plate or a landmass. This material may be sediment, volcanic arcs, seamounts or other igneous features.-Description:...

 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

Reedsport, Oregon

Reedsport is a city in Douglas County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 4,154.- History :Reedsport was established on the estuary of the Umpqua River on January 7, 1852. It was named for a local settler, Alfred W. Reed, who founded the city in 1912...

, North Bend

North Bend, Oregon

North Bend is a city in Coos County, Oregon, in the United States with a population of 9,695 as of the 2010 census. North Bend is surrounded on three sides by Coos Bay, an S-shaped water inlet and estuary where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean, and borders the city of Coos Bay,...

, Coos Bay

Coos Bay, Oregon

Coos Bay is a city located in Coos County, Oregon, United States, where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The city borders the city of North Bend, and together they are often referred to as one entity called either Coos Bay-North Bend or the Bay Area...

, Bandon

Bandon, Oregon

- Economy :Like many communities on the Oregon coast, Bandon had significant fishing and timber industries, which were greatly diminished by the 1980s, though some remnants still exist. Bandon's current economy revolves around wood products, fishing, tourism, and agriculture...

, Port Orford

Port Orford, Oregon

Port Orford is a city in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It is on the southern Oregon Coast, at the northern end of what coastal Oregonians call the Banana Belt, because the weather from Port Orford south is noticeably warmer than the weather north of nearby Cape Blanco...

, Gold Beach

Gold Beach, Oregon

Gold Beach is a city in and the county seat of Curry County, Oregon, United States, on the Oregon Coast. The population was 1,897 at the 2000 census.-History:...

, and Brookings

Brookings, Oregon

Brookings is a city in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It was named after John E. Brookings, president of the Brookings Lumber and Box Company, which founded the city in 1908. As of the 2010 census the population was 6,336. The total population of the Brookings area is over 13,000, which...

. Cape Blanco, which is approximately 6.4 miles (10.3 km) north of Port Orford, is the westernmost point in Oregon, and is also considered by some sources to be the westernmost point of the contiguous 48 states. Though the landforms of the region are relatively consistent, the South Coast shows a change in ecology. It is in this region that the northern pine

Pine

Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...

 and Douglas-fir

Douglas-fir

Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...

 forests give way to the more southerly redwood

Redwood

-Trees:Conifers* Family Cupressaceae *** Sequoia sempervirens - coast redwood**** Albino redwood*** Sequoiadendron giganteum - giant sequoia*** Metasequoia glyptostroboides - dawn redwood* Family Pinaceae...

 and cypress

Cupressus

The genus Cupressus is one of several genera within the family Cupressaceae that have the common name cypress; for the others, see cypress. It is considered a polyphyletic group...

 (locally referred to as cedar) 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%.

Ecology

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

Sea Otter

The sea otter is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between 14 and 45 kg , making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the smallest marine mammals...

. Strict regulations as well as modern human aid has seen a return of some species in recent years. The Oregon Coast is also the location of the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex

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 spanning 320 miles of Oregon's coastline...

, which consists of six wildlife refuges, covering 371 acres (1.5 km²), spread over a distance of 320 miles (515 km).

Terrestrial ecology

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 subsp.contorta) are common in these areas. However several species of fir

Fir

Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...

, pine

Pine

Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...

, and cedar

Cypress

Cypress is the name applied to many plants in the cypress family Cupressaceae, which is a conifer of northern temperate regions. Most cypress species are trees, while a few are shrubs...

 can be found, including a few endemic species, such as the Port Orford Cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana). Because of this, logging

Logging

Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...

 has been a historically viable trade for the region. In the North Coast region near Astoria, and in Lincoln County

Lincoln County, Oregon

-National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge*Siuslaw National Forest -Demographics:...

, 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

Pacific Silverweed

The Pacific Silverweed, Argentina pacifica, is a low-growing perennial with pinnately compound green leaves with silvery undersides. The yellow, saucer-shaped flowers appear late spring through summer. Pacific Silverweed spreads very quickly and makes a lovely groundcover in moist areas...

 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

Roosevelt elk

The Roosevelt elk , also known as Olympic elk, is the largest of the four surviving subspecies of elk in North America...

 and Black-tailed Deer

Black-tailed Deer

Two forms of black-tailed deer or blacktail deer occupying coastal temperate rainforest on North America's Pacific coast are subspecies of the mule deer. They have sometimes been treated as a species, but virtually all recent authorities maintain they are subspecies...

, as well as bobcats and North American Cougar. 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 nutrias and opossum can also be found, as well as the Townsend's Mole

Townsend's Mole

The Townsend's Mole, Scapanus townsendii, is the largest North American mole.It is found in open lowland areas and open wooded areas with moist soils along the Pacific coast from southwestern British Columbia to northwestern California...

, which inhabits many lowland and floodplain areas.

Marine ecology

Marine ecology of the Oregon Coast is some of the most diverse in the world. Several species of marine mammals make their home on the Oregon Coast, including several species of seal

Pinniped

Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...

, including the Steller's Sea Lion

Steller's Sea Lion

The Steller sea lion also known as the northern sea lion, is a threatened species of sea lion in the northern Pacific. It is the sole member of the genus Eumetopias and the largest of the eared seals . Among pinnipeds, it is inferior in size only to the walrus and the two elephant seals...

 and Harbor Seal

Harbor Seal

The harbor seal , also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere...

, as well as the less common Northern Elephant Seal

Northern Elephant Seal

The northern elephant seal is one of two species of elephant seal . It is a member of the family Phocidae . Elephant seals derive their name from their great size and from the male's large proboscis, which is used in making extraordinarily loud roaring noises, especially during the mating...

 and California Sea Lion

California Sea Lion

The California sea lion is a coastal sea lion of western North America. Their numbers are abundant , and the population continues to expand about 5% annually. They are quite intelligent and can adapt to man-made environments...

. The Sea Lion Caves

Sea Lion Caves

Sea Lion Caves are 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 steep and undeveloped seascape above sea level...

 near Florence, and the bay front in Newport

Newport, Oregon

Newport is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. It was incorporated in 1882, though the name dates back to the establishment of a post office in 1868...

 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

Sea Otter

The sea otter is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between 14 and 45 kg , making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the smallest marine mammals...

 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, the large Humboldt Squid

Humboldt Squid

The Humboldt squid , also known as jumbo squid, jumbo flying squid, pota or diablo rojo , is a large, predatory squid found in the waters of the Humboldt Current in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. They are most commonly found at depths of , from Tierra del Fuego to California...

 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

Gray Whale

The gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus, is a baleen whale that migrates between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. It reaches a length of about , a weight of , and lives 50–70 years. The common name of the whale comes from the gray patches and white mottling on its dark skin. Gray whales were...

, Orca

Orca

The killer whale , commonly referred to as the orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas...

, and Humpback Whale

Humpback Whale

The humpback whale is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from and weigh approximately . The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the...

. 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

Exploding whale

The term exploding whale most often refers to an event at Florence, Oregon, in 1970, when a dead sperm whale was blown up by the Oregon Highway Division in an attempt to dispose of its rotting carcass. The explosion threw whale flesh over away...

 incident.

Tidepools, which occur frequently along Oregon's rocky shores, are unique, contained ecosystems housing up to many hundreds of species of animal. Red

Red algae

The red algae are one of the oldest groups of eukaryotic algae, and also one of the largest, with about 5,000–6,000 species  of mostly multicellular, marine algae, including many notable seaweeds...

, green

Green algae

The green algae are the large group of algae from which the embryophytes emerged. As such, they form a paraphyletic group, although the group including both green algae and embryophytes is monophyletic...

, and brown algae

Brown algae

The Phaeophyceae or brown algae , is a large group of mostly marine multicellular algae, including many seaweeds of colder Northern Hemisphere waters. They play an important role in marine environments, both as food and for the habitats they form...

 are common sights. Many species of invertebrates can also be found in these coastal tidepools, and include sponges

Sea sponge

Sponges are animals of the phylum Porifera . Their bodies consist of jelly-like mesohyl sandwiched between two thin layers of cells. While all animals have unspecialized cells that can transform into specialized cells, sponges are unique in having some specialized cells, but can also have...

, sea anemones, mussels, sea stars, limpets, crabs, shrimp

Shrimp

Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...

, barnacles, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers. Sunset Bay State Park, near Coos Bay, and Strawberry Hill, near Yachats

Yachats, Oregon

Yachats is a small coastal city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, the name comes from the Siletz language, and means "dark water at the foot of the mountain". There is a range of differing etymologies, however. William Bright says the name comes from...

, are among the largest collections of tidepools and are popular places for exploring them.

Also common along the coast are kelp forests 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

Rockfish may refer to one of the following fishes:* One of several species in the Sebastes genus of the Sebastidae family, including the Shortraker rockfish, Rougheye rockfish, Blue rockfish, Yellow tail rockfish and many others....

, flatfish

Flatfish

The flatfish are an order of ray-finned fish, also called the Heterosomata, sometimes classified as a suborder of Perciformes. In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the head, one or the other migrating through and around the head during development...

, and greenlings. 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

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 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
  Squid
  Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
  
  , shellfish
  Shellfish
  Shellfish is a culinary 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 environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater...
  
  , and crustaceans. Species of seabirds on the Oregon Coast include the Common Murre, Tufted Puffin
  Tufted Puffin
  The Tufted Puffin also known as Crested Puffin, is a relatively abundant medium-sized pelagic seabird in the auk family found throughout the North Pacific Ocean....
  
  , Marbled Murrelet
  Marbled Murrelet
  The Marbled Murrelet is a small seabird from the North Pacific. It is a member of the auk family. It nests in old-growth forests or on the ground at higher latitudes where trees cannot grow...
  
  , the Black Oystercatcher
  American Black Oystercatcher
  The Black Oystercatcher, Haematopus bachmani, is a conspicuous black bird found on the shoreline of western North America. It ranges from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska to the coast of the Baja California peninsula....
  
  , Auklets, many varieties of cormorant
  Cormorant
  The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
  
  s, the Western Gull
  Western Gull
  The Western Gull, Larus occidentalis, is a large white-headed gull that lives on the western coast of North America. It was previously considered conspecific, the same species, with the Yellow-footed Gull of the Gulf of California...
  
  , and Glaucous-winged Gull
  Glaucous-winged Gull
  The Glaucous-winged Gull, Larus glaucescens, is a large, white-headed gull residing from the western coast of Alaska to the coast of Washington. It also breeds on the northwest coast of Alaska. During non-breeding seasons they can be found along the coast of California...
  
  . Many seabird species are endemic and found nowhere else.
• Shorebirds, unlike seabirds, do not have webbed feet and spend their lives on the shore foraging for food, eating worm
  Worm
  The term worm refers to an obsolete taxon used by Carolus Linnaeus and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck for all non-arthropod invertebrate animals, and stems from the Old English word wyrm. Currently it is used to describe many different distantly-related animals that typically have a long cylindrical...
  
  s, insect larva
  Larva
  A larva 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...
  
  e, amphipods, copepods, crustaceans, and mollusks. Among the types of shorebirds on the Coast are the Western
  Western Sandpiper
  The Western Sandpiper, Calidris or Erolia mauri, is a small shorebird.Adults have dark legs and a short thin dark bill, thinner at the tip. The body is brown on top and white underneath. They are reddish-brown on the crown. This bird can be difficult to distinguish from other similar tiny...
  
   and Least Sandpiper
  Least Sandpiper
  The Least Sandpiper is the smallest shorebird.This species has greenish legs and a short thin dark bill. Breeding adults are brown with dark brown streaks on top and white underneath. They have a light line above the eye and a dark crown. In winter, Least Sandpipers are grey above...
  
  , Dunlin
  Dunlin
  The Dunlin, Calidris alpina, is a small wader, sometimes separated with the other "stints" in Erolia. It is a circumpolar breeder in Arctic or subarctic regions. Birds that breed in northern Europe and Asia are long-distance migrants, wintering south to Africa, southeast Asia and the Middle East...
  
  , Whimbrel
  Whimbrel
  The Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the mostwidespread of the curlews, breeding across much of subarctic North America, Europe and Asia as far south as Scotland....
  
  , the Semipalmated
  Semipalmated Plover
  The Semipalmated Plover is a small plover.This species weighs and measures in length and across the wings. Adults have a grey-brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with one black neckband...
  
   and Western Snowy Plover, and Killdeer
  Killdeer
  The Killdeer is a medium-sized plover.Adults have a brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with two black bands. The rump is tawny orange. The face and cap are brown with a white forehead. They have an orange-red eyering...
  
  .
• Many birds of prey live on the coast, eating small birds, rodents, and small mammals. These include the Bald Eagle
  Bald Eagle
  The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
  
  , Barn Owl
  Barn Owl
  The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
  
  , and Osprey
  Osprey
  The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
  
  .
• Waterfowl
  Waterfowl
  Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
  
   also make their homes in the freshwater areas around the Coast. These are the many varieties of ducks and geese in the area.

History

It is generally accepted that the first indigenous peoples

Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

 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 3500 years ago. Several tribes and language families would eventually form along the coast. Major groups included the Clatsop

Clatsop

The Clatsop are 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 River south to Tillamook.-Language:Clatsop in the...

, Tillamook

Tillamook (tribe)

The Nehalem or Tillamook are a Native American tribe from Oregon of the Salish linguistic group. The name "Tillamook" is a Chinook term meaning "people of Nekelim " and is also spelled Calamox, Gillamooks and Killamook....

, Alsea, Siuslaw

Siuslaw (tribe)

Siuslaw is one of the three Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians located on the southwest Oregon Pacific coast in the United States. The Siuslaw language is extinct.-External links:***...

, Coos

Coos (tribe)

The Coos are a Native American tribe from the U.S. state of Oregon and one of the three Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians. They live on the southwest Oregon Pacific coast...

, and Coquille

Coquille (tribe)

The Coquille are a Native American tribe centered in southwest Oregon in the United States, where the Coos River flows into Coos Bay.-Name:The name of the Coquille is derived from the French, literally translated as "shell"...

. 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

Oncorhynchus

Oncorhynchus is a genus of fish in the family Salmonidae; it contains the Pacific salmons and Pacific trouts. The name of the genus is derived from the Greek onkos and rynchos , in reference to the hooked jaws of males in the mating season .-Range:Salmon and trout with ranges generally in waters...

, and seals

Pinniped

Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...

, 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

Vasco Núñez de Balboa 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 expedition to have seen or reached the Pacific from the New World.He traveled to the New World in...

'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

Juan José Pérez Hernández , often simply Juan Pérez, was an 18th century Spanish explorer. He was the first European to sight, examine, name, and record the islands near present-day British Columbia, Canada...

 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

Bruno de Heceta y Dudagoitia 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 north of Alta California in response to information that there were colonial...

 and Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra

Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra

Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra was a Spanish naval officer born in Lima, Peru. Assigned to the Pacific coast Spanish Naval Department base at San Blas, in the Viceroyalty of New Spain , this navigator explored the Northwest Coast of North America as far north as present day Alaska.Juan...

, in which Pérez served as pilot. These further explorations led to many discoveries along the Oregon and Washington Coasts. Heceta Head 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 in the 16th century and later by James Cook

James Cook

Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...

 and George Vancouver

George Vancouver

Captain George Vancouver RN was an English officer of the British Royal Navy, best known for his 1791-95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon...

 in the 18th century. British expeditions made many discoveries in the region. Drake called the area New Albion

New Albion

New Albion, also known as Nova Albion, was the name of the region of the Pacific coast of North America explored by Sir Francis Drake and claimed by him for England in 1579...

, 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 of 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

Columbia Rediviva

Columbia Rediviva was a privately owned ship under the command of John Kendrick, along with Captain Robert Gray, best known for going to the Pacific Northwest for the maritime fur trade. The "Rediviva" was added to her name upon a rebuilding in 1787...

, where he met with British Captain Vancouver off the Strait of Juan de Fuca

Strait of Juan de Fuca

The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about long that is the Salish Sea outlet to the Pacific Ocean...

. 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

In 1803, with the successful purchase of the Louisiana Territory

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 to Missouri Territory...

 from France, President Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...

 ordered an expedition to the west coast, which was led by Captain Meriwether Lewis

Meriwether Lewis

Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer, soldier, 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 William Clark...

 and William Clark. The Lewis and Clark Expedition

Lewis and Clark Expedition

The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...

 reached the Oregon Coast in early winter of 1805, where they built Fort Clatsop

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...

 near present day Astoria. During their stay at Fort Clatsop, the Corps of Discovery 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, John Jacob Astor

John Jacob Astor

John Jacob Astor , born Johann Jakob Astor, was a German-American business magnate and investor who was the first prominent member of the Astor family and the first multi-millionaire in the United States...

 returned and set up the first permanent United States settlement at Astoria, then a trading post. However, the settlement was not as profitable as Astor had hoped it would be, and was sold to the British North West Company

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 was to become Western Canada...

 in 1812. In 1838, Charles Wilkes

Charles Wilkes

Charles Wilkes was an American naval officer and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 and commanded the ship in the Trent Affair during the American Civil War...

, on a voyage commissioned by US 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

Oregon Trail

The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...

, and 8 years later, the Oregon Treaty

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 the Oregon Country, which had been jointly occupied by...

 was signed with Britain, ending the half-century claims to Oregon and the Oregon Coast by the British.

1860-present

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

Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...

 and commercial fishing

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 pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...

 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

Cape Blanco Light

Cape Blanco Light is a lighthouse located on Cape Blanco, Oregon, United States.-Construction of the light:In a deed recorded in 1867, John D. and Mary West sold the United States a tract of land...

 was built and was soon followed by both the Yaquina Bay Light

Yaquina Bay Light

The Yaquina Bay Light is a lighthouse built in 1871—soon after the founding of the city of Newport, Oregon, United States. It is located on the north side of Yaquina Bay, the most populated port between Puget Sound and San Francisco at the time.-History:...

 and Yaquina Head Light

Yaquina Head Light

The Yaquina Head Light, also known early in its existence as the Cape Foulweather Lighthouse, is a lighthouse on the Oregon Coast of the United States. It is located in Lincoln County, near the mouth of the Yaquina River near Newport at Yaquina Head. The tower stands tall, and is the tallest...

 in 1871 and 1873, respectively. The last Coast Guard operated light, Cape Arago Light

Cape Arago Light

The Cape Arago Light is a lighthouse located in Charleston, Oregon. It is located north of Cape Arago.-History:...

, was built in 1934.

However, in 1874, Oregon State Land Board began to sell public tidelands

Tidelands

Tidelands are the territory between the high and low water 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 ownership of these lands rests with...

 to private landowners. Soon, resorts were built alongside the beaches in towns such as Seaside

Seaside, Oregon

Seaside is a city in Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. The name Seaside is derived from Seaside House, a historic summer resort built in the 1870s by railroad magnate Ben Holladay. The city's population was 6,457 at the 2010 census.-History:...

, Newport

Newport, Oregon

Newport is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. It was incorporated in 1882, though the name dates back to the establishment of a post office in 1868...

, and Rockaway Beach

Rockaway Beach, Oregon

Rockaway Beach is a city in Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,267 at the 2000 census.-History:The community of Rockaway was established as a seaside resort in 1909 by the Rockaway Beach Company. It was named after Rockaway Beach on Long Island in New York. Rockaway post...

. The completion of railroads from the primary population centers in the Willamette Valley

Willamette Valley

The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...

, the beginnings of tourism started along the coast.

In 1911, governor Oswald West

Oswald West

Oswald West was an American politician, a Democrat, who served most notably as the 14th Governor of Oregon. Called "Os West" by Oregon writer Stewart Holbrook, who described him as "by all odds the most brilliant governor Oregon ever had."- Early life and career :West was born in Ontario, Canada...

 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

Oregon Legislative Assembly

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 House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...

 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 10 miles (16.1 km). 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

Fishing industry

The fishing industry includes any industry or activity concerned with taking, culturing, processing, preserving, storing, transporting, marketing or selling fish or fish products....

, 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

Oregon Beach Bill

The Oregon Beach Bill was a piece of landmark legislation in the U.S. state of Oregon, passed by the 1967 session of the Oregon Legislature...

, proposing to reestablish the beaches' status as public land. Concerns about private property rights threatened the bill's passage. In response, Governor Tom McCall

Tom McCall

Thomas Lawson McCall was an American politician and journalist in the state of Oregon. A Republican, he was the 30th Governor of Oregon from 1967 to 1975. A native of Massachusetts, he grew up there and in Central Oregon before attending the University of Oregon...

 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 16 feet (4.9 m) vertical feet of the low tide line belongs to the state of Oregon. In addition, it recognizes public easement

Easement

An easement is a certain right to use the real property of another without possessing it.Easements are helpful for providing pathways across two or more pieces of property or allowing an individual to fish in a privately owned pond...

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.

Traveling the Oregon Coast

Due to its scenery, wildlife, and history, the Oregon Coast is a popular travel destination. Hiking

Hiking

Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...

, sport fishing, cycling

Cycling

Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...

, kite flying, scuba diving

Scuba diving

Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....

, surfing

Surfing

Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...

, sandboarding

Sandboarding

Sandboarding is a board sport similar to snowboarding.It is a recreational activity that takes place on sand dunes rather than snow-covered mountains....

, and boating

Boating

Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...

 are common activities for visitors to the region. Historic areas, such as Fort Clatsop

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...

, Battle Rock

Port Orford, Oregon

Port Orford is a city in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It is on the southern Oregon Coast, at the northern end of what coastal Oregonians call the Banana Belt, because the weather from Port Orford south is noticeably warmer than the weather north of nearby Cape Blanco...

, and Oregon's lighthouses are all popular sites for visitors. The Oregon Coast is also known for its scenic areas, such as Cape Perpetua

Cape Perpetua

Cape Perpetua is a large forested headland on the central Oregon Coast which projects into the Pacific Ocean. The land is managed by the United States Forest Service as part of the Siuslaw National Forest.- Geography :...

, Cape Blanco

Cape Blanco (Oregon)

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. It contests with Cape Alava in Washington for the title of westernmost point in the contiguous United States...

 and Cape Arago

Cape Arago State Park

Cape Arago State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Oregon, administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department....

. Likewise, each region has its own distinct draws in addition to those found throughout the state, such as the Astoria Column

Astoria Column

The Astoria Column is a tower overlooking the mouth of the Columbia River on Coxcomb Hill in the city of Astoria in the U.S. state of Oregon. Built in 1926, the concrete and steel structure is part of a city park...

 in Astoria, the Oregon Coast Aquarium

Oregon Coast Aquarium

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. From January 1996 until September 9, 1998 when he was shipped to Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland this aquarium was home to Keiko, the orca who...

 in Newport, and Mount Emily

Mount Emily

Mount Emily 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 Pacific Ocean and from the California state line.-Bombing during World War...

 outside Brookings. The South Coast's commercial airport is the Southwest Oregon Regional Airport

Southwest Oregon Regional Airport

Southwest Oregon International Airport , formerly known as North Bend International Airport, is a public airport located in the city of North Bend, in Coos County, Oregon, USA. It is operated by the Coos County Airport District and serves the entire county.The airport changed its name in April 2006...

 in North Bend and the Central Coast is served by the Newport Municipal Airport

Newport Municipal Airport (Oregon)

Newport Municipal Airport , is a public airport located three miles south of the city of Newport in Lincoln County, Oregon, USA....

.

Beaches

Oregon's beaches are popular destinations for visitors. Horse riding

Equestrianism

Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...

, clam digging

Clam digging

Clam digging is a common means of harvesting clams from below the surface of the tidal mud flats where they live. It is done both recreationally and commercially...

, and surfing

Surfing

Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...

 are popular activities. Certain beaches are host to events such as Seaside's Beach Run and Prom Walk or Lincoln City's glass float

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....

 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

Surf fishing

Surf fishing is the sport of catching fish standing on the shoreline or wading in the surf. A general term, surf fishing may or may not include casting a lure or bait, and refers to all types of shore fishing - from sandy and rocky beaches, rock jetties, or even fishing piers...

 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

Ammophila arenaria

Ammophila arenaria is a species of grass known by the common names European Marram Grass and European Beachgrass. It is one of two species of the genus Ammophila . It is native to the coastlines of Europe and North Africa where it grows in the sands of beach dunes. It is a perennial grass forming...

.

Lighthouses

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

Graveyard of the Pacific

The Graveyard of the Pacific is a nickname for a stretch of the coastal region in the Pacific Northwest, from Tillamook Bay on the Oregon Coast northward to the tip of Vancouver Island...

, several lighthouses and a lightship

Lightvessel

A lightvessel, or lightship, is a ship which acts as a lighthouse. They are used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction...

 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

United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...

. Both lights, along with Cape Arago Light, are private property.

Outdoor activities

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

Chinook salmon

The Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, is the largest species in the pacific salmon family. Other commonly used names for the species include King salmon, Quinnat salmon, Spring salmon and Tyee salmon...

, Coho salmon

Coho salmon

The Coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers". It is the state animal of Chiba, Japan.-Description:...

, and Pacific halibut

Pacific halibut

The Pacific halibut is found on the continental shelf of the North Pacific Ocean and Bering sea. They are demersal, living on or near the bottom. The halibut is among the largest teleost fish in the world. Halibut are strong swimmers and are able to migrate long distances...

.

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

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is located on the Oregon Coast, stretching approximately 40 miles north from the Coos River in North Bend, to the Siuslaw River, in Florence. The NRA is part of Siuslaw National Forest and is administered by the United States Forest Service...

. Most common are All-terrain vehicle

All-terrain vehicle

An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...

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

Bodyboarding is a surface water sport . The average board consists of a small, rectangular piece of hydrodynamic foam, sometimes containing a ridged spine called a 'stringer'...

 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 ranked by Golf Digest as the 7th best public golf course in the United States.

Historic sites

Many historical sites dot the Oregon Coast. The most prominent is that of Fort Clatsop

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...

 outside Astoria, which was site of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Lewis and Clark Expedition

The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...

s winter stay on the Oregon Coast in 1805–1806, as well as the nearby Peter Iredale which was grounded on the Clatsop Spit

Clatsop Spit

Clatsop Spit is a giant sand spit on the Pacific coast along U.S. 101 between Astoria and the north end of Tillamook Head in Clatsop County, northwest Oregon at the mouth of the Columbia River. The Clatsop Spit was formed by Columbia River sediment brought to the coast by the river flow after the...

 100 years later in September 1906. However, a hundred 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 and State Historical Parks

Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks

The Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks, in the vicinity of the mouth of the Columbia River, commemorate the Lewis and Clark Expedition...

 along with Fort Stevens

Fort Stevens (Oregon)

Fort Stevens was an American military installation that guarded the mouth of the Columbia River in the state of Oregon. Built near the end of the American Civil War, it was named for slain Civil War general and former Washington Territory governor, Isaac Stevens. The fort was an active military...

.
Further south outside Tillamook sits the Tillamook Air Museum

Tillamook Air Museum

Tillamook Air Museum is an aviation museum located south of Tillamook, Oregon at Tillamook Airport . The museum is housed in a former military blimp hangar, called "Hangar B", which is the largest clear-span wooden structure in the world...

, which is housed in one of the two former military blimp

K class blimp

The K-class non-rigid airship was a class of blimps built by the Goodyear Aircraft Company of Akron, Ohio for the United States Navy. These blimps were powered by two radial air-cooled engines mounted on outriggers on the side of the control car that hung under the envelope...

 hangar

Hangar

A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...

s of the former Naval Air Station Tillamook

Naval Air Station Tillamook

Naval Air Station Tillamook, located just south of Tillamook, Oregon, was a U.S. Naval Air Station during World War II. It was used primarily to house blimps. It was commissioned in 1942 and decommissioned in 1948. It includes US Naval Air Station Dirigible Hangar B, listed on the U.S...

. The structure was originally known as "Hangar B" and was part of a pair of hangars built by the U.S. Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 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 Hughes House is now a part of Cape Blanco State Park.
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

Port Orford Heads State Park, a coastal state park in northwest Curry County, Oregon, in the city of Port Orford. It was established in 1976, and is administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.-Location:...

, 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.

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

Fort Stevens (Oregon)

Fort Stevens was an American military installation that guarded the mouth of the Columbia River in the state of Oregon. Built near the end of the American Civil War, it was named for slain Civil War general and former Washington Territory governor, Isaac Stevens. The fort was an active military...

 when a Japanese submarine 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 Japanese submarine I-25

Japanese submarine I-25

was a B1-Type submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy that served in World War II, took part in the Attack on Pearl Harbor, and carried out the only aerial bombing on the continental United States during wartime; during the so-called Lookout Air Raid; and the Bombardment of Fort Stevens, both...

 surfaced off Cape Blanco, the night of September 9, 1942. Launching a small "Glen"

Yokosuka E14Y

|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, Ph.D., René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-30251-6....

 seaplane

Seaplane

A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...

, and using the Cape Blanco Light as a guide, pilot Nobuo Fujita and copilot Okuda Shoji

Okuda Shoji

Petty Officer Shoji Okuda, served as an aerial observer in the Imperial Japanese Navy on a floatplane Yokosuka E14Y that was launched from a long-range submarine aircraft carrier, the I-25....

 dropped a series of incendiary bombs in the forests at Mount Emily

Mount Emily

Mount Emily 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 Pacific Ocean and from the California state line.-Bombing during World War...

 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

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 as the Wheeler Ridge Japanese Bombing Site. Fujita returned in 1962 and gave his family's 400 year old sword

Katana

A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...

 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 resource

Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....

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.

See also

• List of bridges on the Oregon Coast
• List of Oregon shipwrecks
• Oregon Coast Trail
  Oregon Coast Trail
  The Oregon Coast Trail is a long-distance hiking route along the Pacific coast 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 Brookings....
  
  
• Steamboats of the Oregon Coast
  Steamboats of the Oregon Coast
  The history of steamboats on the Oregon Coast begins in the late 19th century. Before the development of modern road and rail networks, transportation on the coast of Oregon was largely water-borne...
  
  

External links

• Oregon Coast guide from Travel Oregon (the Oregon State Tourism Commission)
• The North Coast Explorer from Oregon State University
• Guided lighthouse tour from Travel Oregon
• Oregon Coast Visitors Association
• A 1940 Oregon Coast Tour from the Oregon State Archives
• Gallery of Historic Photos
• Oregon & Washington Coast Guide- A collection of articles and links related to the Pacific NW Coast.