Oregon’s coast is great, and some of the best places are in southern Oregon. And out of all the coast in southern Oregon, the Samuel Boardman Scenic Corridor stands out. You’ll find numerous places to stop and explore the coast along this 11-mile linear park, but if you want to include a short hike, here’s my suggestion: give Cape Ferrelo a try.
Location
The hiking trail to Cape Ferrelo is located 11 miles north of the California/Oregon state line, and about 5 miles north of Brookings, Oregon, along US Highway 101.
My Visit
When I stopped here, I didn’t know anything about this trail, or what I would find.
The view from the parking area isn’t very exciting. But the good news is, there are a couple of options. The trail splits, and if you head south…
… you reach this park bench in no time. Here you’ll find a nice view of the coastline to the south. If this is all you see, it’s still worth the stop. But I’d suggest you backtrack to the split, and take the other route…
… which is overgrown in a few spots. Push your way through the shrubbery…
… and soon you’ll be in the clear, hiking out to the end of a bluff with great views to the north.
Could you ask for a more perfect little Oregon beach?
You might be able to access this area from the next parking lot on US 101. I don’t think you can get down to it from here — or at least, I didn’t see any easy trails that would take you there.
I found a couple of USGS markers along the path, indicating that I was, indeed, on Cape Ferrelo.
Keep following the trail as it curves around the cape, and you’ll end up with more excellent views of the southern coastline — which from here appears remarkably rocky.
After enjoying that view, I decided to backtrack to the parking area. Looking at maps now, I’m pretty sure the trail makes a loop, so I probably could have kept going, and would have ended up in the same place. Feel free to let me know if you’ve hiked this trail, and if you liked it!
The Bottom Line
No matter where you stop in Samuel Boardman Scenic Corridor, you can’t go wrong. If you want a short hike with no beach access, but plenty of good views of the coast, I recommend stretching your legs at Cape Ferrelo, at the southern end of the corridor.
Drivelapse Video
Here’s a look at the time-lapse video of the drive from Harris Beach to Port Orford on US 101:
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