Bandon Beach — Attraction in Coos Bay

Bandon is a small coastal town on the southern Oregon coast. Well-known for its scenic beauty, photographers and nature enthusiasts alike enjoy its dramatic coastline, which is reputed to have some of the most striking beaches in the entire Northwest. Filled with coastal rocks, islands, and rocky outcroppings or “sea stacks” sprinkled throughout the landscape; Oregon photography opportunities are not only endless, but impressive. A few of the notable formations in the area are Face Rock, Haystack Rock, Coquille Rocks, Elephant Rock, and Table Rock. Face Rock is one of the most photographed monolithic formations in the area. As the name implies, you can make out the profile of an uplifted face from the sea. Visitors can easily find Face Rock by driving along Beach Loop Drive and parking at the Face Rock Viewpoint with access down to the coastline.

The historic Coquille River Lighthouse at the mouth of the Coquille River is located in Bullards Beach State Park which is two miles north of Bandon. The lighthouse was originally built to serve not only as a coastal light but also as a harbor light because a bar at the mouth of the Coquille River made a treacherous obstacle for ships entering the river. The surrounding beach, as well as the lighthouse itself, is open to the public which can be reached by the beach access road in the park. With 4.5 miles of open beach to explore, recreational and sight-seeing opportunities are endless. Also, on the other side of the river is the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, sporting a variety of resident and migrating wildlife.

Bandon Beach is a top destination in Oregon for photography. With classic coastal imagery including numerous rock formations, bountiful tide pools, crashing waves, and silvery sand, it offers the essential subject matter for photographers to create remarkable shots. Adding to the photographic opportunity is the diversity that the surrounding area provides –from the Coquille River Lighthouse to Bullards Beach State Park –count on an abundance of photos and memorable...

What can I say? This beach was discovered on one of my impromptu unplanned solo road trips, and what a great discovery it was!

I went at a perfect time, when the labyrinth designs were being imagined, envisioned and created early in the morning on the sand, before the tide came in. And they were created with extreme detail.

These labyrinth creations are walkable, in fact, its creator welcomes it.

The beach itself, is enormous and vast, beautiful and calm. Although the morning I visited there was a slight wind, but it wasn't too chilly at that early hour. Thank goodness!

I love the beach (of course, I would, being that I lived near several beaches (like 7-10 min away) for 25 yrs and was at my healthiest during those years as well as wildly successful in life, goals, pursuances, relationships, etc), it's healing, calming and good for the soul and this beach, Bandon Beach was no different. In fact, I'd have to say that even though to walk the labyrinth only took a few short minutes, I not only took my time taking it all in, the details but enjoying the coolness and peacefulness of the ocean air and sand.

*For those visiting or wanting to visit, just know that parking is extremely minimal, maybe 10 or less parking spaces and they fill up fast, there is a shuttle but there is also an allowance for parking on the grass behind the parking lot. I'd such going early to see it from the top to watch it as it's being created (this is something I missed out on, but wish I had had a chance to see) - Yah, it would have been fascinating to see the design come together

But, if early a.m. hours don't really work, then arriving 30-45 minutes before actual walking time is good - to allow for parking and walking down, listening to the history of the designs and how each one every morning is uniquely different from the one the day before.

Additionally, I would wait before walking the labyrinth, wait for the crowd of people to be more dispersed in the design so not to be walking on someone else's heels or catching their shadow in video's...

What can I say that hasn't already been said? This beautiful beach is as good as it gets. We visited on a Sunday, lots of parking. Not many people on the beach. So much sea life to watch and enjoy. Great beach for walking or sitting and thinking. Nooks and crannies to explore. Free to park and use. Bathrooms available right before the beach in the little park you drive through. Bring a jacket and binoculars, great place to whale watch from the bluffs. After walking the beach save some energy to climb the...