Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor

Samuel H. Boardman served as Oregon's first state parks superintendent from 1929 to 1950, and this coast was the great project of his working life. He looked at the wild, cliff-bound shoreline of Curry County and saw something that should belong to the public, not be carved into private lots, and he set out to make that happen. In the early 1940s he even carried a proposal to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior for a large national park along this coastline.

The national park never came, so Boardman pushed instead for a state park, fighting for more than two decades to acquire the land plot by plot from private owners and, later, from the federal Bureau of Land Management. Much of the corridor came together by purchase between about 1949 and 1957. When he retired the state gave the finished coastal park his name, so that every traveler who stops at these viewpoints is standing on ground one determined man refused to let slip away.

The corridor's most famous stop is Natural Bridges, where a short trail leads to a viewpoint above a pair of sea arches, spans of rock the surf has carved from the cliff so the water flows through into a shaded cove. It is the shot that shows up on countless Oregon coast posters, and it is only the beginning. Nearby, an unmarked trailhead drops steeply to Secret Beach, a hidden strip of sand tucked between headlands with a waterfall spilling onto it, the reward for hikers willing to pick their way down.

Farther along the ribbon of park you can climb the Indian Sands trail through wind-sculpted dunes on the cliff top, look out from Cape Ferrelo over sunsets and passing whales, or wander down to the wide sands and offshore rock at Whaleshead Beach. And at the corridor's north end soars the Thomas Creek Bridge, which lifts Highway 101 some 345 feet over a deep ravine, making it the tallest bridge in Oregon and one of the highest in the country.

The corridor is really a driving park, a series of turnouts and short trails strung along a dozen miles of Highway 101, so the best way to experience it is to give yourself a slow half-day and stop often. From Brookings, head north and watch for the small brown signs and pullouts; some of the finest spots, including the way down to Secret Beach, are barely marked, so it helps to know roughly where you are aiming before you drive.

Bring good shoes, because the trails to the beaches are steep, rooty, and often muddy, and bring layers, because this far-south Oregon coast can flip from sun to wind to sea fog in an hour. Keep well back from the crumbling cliff edges, especially with children. Do it right and you can walk to an arch, scramble down to a hidden beach, eat lunch at a clifftop viewpoint, and watch the sun drop into the Pacific from Cape Ferrelo, all in one unforgettable afternoon.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

It is a roughly twelve-mile stretch of the southern Oregon coast, often called the crown jewel of the coastline, where forested cliffs, sea stacks, natural rock arches, and hidden pocket beaches follow one after another. A string of pullouts along the highway leads to short trails and viewpoints, and the long-distance Oregon Coast Trail threads the whole corridor through groves of old Sitka spruce. It is one of the most spectacular scenic drives and walks in the state.

A few stand out. Arch Rock offers an easy, iconic arch viewpoint with picnic tables and restrooms; Natural Bridges shows a cluster of dramatic sea arches from a short trail; and Secret Beach, reached by a steeper woodland path, is a jaw-dropping hidden cove. Thunder Rock Cove, Whaleshead, and Cape Ferrelo add more overlooks and beaches. With so many stops close together, you can sample several in a few hours or spend a full day.

Aim for low tide, when the beaches are largest and tide pools appear, so check a tide table before you go. Summer and early fall bring the driest, clearest weather, while winter storms make dramatic viewing from the overlooks. Gray whales pass offshore during their migrations. Whenever you go, bring rain and wind protection, since this exposed coast is often cool and damp even in summer.

The overlooks and short trails are rewarding, but this is steep, rugged coast, so take care. Many viewpoints sit at the edge of tall, unfenced cliffs, and the trails down to beaches like Secret Beach are steep, rooty, and sometimes hard to follow. Stay back from the edges, keep children close, wear sturdy shoes, and on the beaches watch for sneaker waves and rising tides that can cut off the sand.

You can drive the length and hit the main viewpoints in a couple of hours, but it rewards a slower pace. A full day lets you walk down to a few beaches and take in the best overlooks without rushing, and staying overnight nearby in Brookings or Gold Beach makes it easy to catch the corridor in the best light of morning or evening. It is the kind of place worth lingering over.