Coos Bay is one of a trifecta of cities — with Charleston and North Bend — that make up Oregon’s Adventure Coast. Just an eight hour drive north of San Francisco (or a quick flight to the Eugene Airport followed by a two-hour drive west), the Oregon town sits on the rugged southern coastline. In autumn, its landscape is moody, marked by a light mist and subtle fog sliding across the big leaf maple trees and Douglas firs, but the climate remains mild, making year-round exploration easy to achieve.
It’s undeniable that Coos Bay has its own charm, with a kicked-back vibe, even in comparison to the rest of the languid coast. Here, you’ll collect a bit of dust on your boots in a region that’s unpolished in all the best ways.
Outdoor thrills or chill fun
If you came for adventure, don’t shy away from a high-speed sand dune excursion. Coos Bay is adjacent to a long stretch of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area primed for off-roading in utility vehicles and on ATVs. There are 40 miles of dunes in all, but the closest rental spots to Coos Bay will be in North Bend. Pick up your equipment from Spinreel Dune Buggy & ATV Rental and consider a “follow me” tour. Regardless of how you hit the hills, you can fly high on a collection of steep dunes and even take your vehicle out to the beach for a more leisurely venture along the water.
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October ushers in vibrant, changing fall colors with bursts of orange, red and yellow punctuating the dense forest. Glimpse the autumn glow in the South Slough Estuarine Research Reserve by kayak with South Coast Tours. High and low tide make navigating the river a more complicated pasttime, but if you time your trip right, you’ll be able to travel a few miles to the mouth of the ocean before it’s time to turn back. On quick guided trips down the Coos River, experts share details on the area’s flora and fauna, and you’ll likely spot some regional wildlife along the way. Intro tours typically cover 4.6 miles in 2.5 hours, but more difficult excursions are also available to book.
Tide pooling is another year-round activity, and while multiple spots will offer up the ocean’s contents during low tide, the best way to see it all — and learn a thing or two — is to book a guided visit with a marine biologist. Robbie McNulty of Salty Mac Tours has an infectious energy and an impressive amount of knowledge about marine life. He’ll have you feeding sea stars and waxing poetic about color-changing fish before you head home for the day. If you decide to take the adventure on your own, consider a popular tide-pooling area like Cape Arago State Park but beware: The steep trek down can be a bit slippery if it starts to rain. (Expert tip: Be sure to research tide times, looking for minus tides on the charts.)
While you’re in the area, you can combine a hike with your tide pooling trip. Cape Arago has an entire system of trails that weave in and out of the dense forest and slip around the beaches. In the distance, pelicans hunt for breakfast in the water and seagulls scrounge for snacks in the sand. Be aware of weather while you visit. While Coos Bay enjoys mild temperatures all year, some trails can wash out after heavy rainfall.
Tide pooling is another year-round activity, allowing you to few local marine life up close during low tide. (Courtesy of Oregon’s Adventure Coast)
In autumn, visitors get the chance to embrace the seasonal offerings, as well, including mushroom-foraging tours. McNulty can take you on a guided journey to find edible toadstools, but locals warn against going it on your own, as native plant exploration can be dangerous if you’re uninformed.
Rock(fish) and (crab) roll: Eat like a local
One more upside to the fact that Coos Bay’s overall temperature only fluctuates around 20 degrees Fahrenheit, is that its seafood offerings are always abundant. There is no reason to wait until a ’ber month to order up a tray of fresh oysters or gorge on crab legs. And while you’re not here for fine dining, you can get all the best foods fresh from the ocean without the white tablecloth.
Monkey Business Marina Market & Restaurant is just a few miles down the road in Charleston. The casual space has two eating areas and a menu heavy in seafood favorites. The fact that it is built right onto the marina where fishing boats glide in and out daily speaks volumes to the freshness you’ll be able to enjoy — and adds ambiance. While not every plate originates in the ocean, some of the restaurant’s staples include fish and chips, clam chowder in a bread bowl and fish tacos.
A fish taco paired with a beer is a popular lunch option at 7 Devils Brewery and Public House in Coos Bay, Ore. (Courtesy of 7 Devils Brewing Co.)
In Coos Bay, 7 Devils Brewery gives you the opportunity to dine on those PNW Oysters, fried and served with a house-made aioli. Or you can share a plate of fresh rockfish ceviche made with cucumber, red onion, jalapeño and cilantro. For lunch, rockfish and oyster po boys get a lot of attention as do the rockfish tacos. Seafood aside, never leave without eating the panna cotta when it’s on the dessert menu, and oddly enough, 7 Devils has the best french fries in town — perhaps on the entire Oregon Coast.
You’re going to find quite a few casual restaurants here, and all of them have their own take on the local cuisine. SharkBite’s Seafood Café, Fisherman’s Seafood Market and The Boat Fish & Chips are all worthy options. For a bit of variety, consider Blue Heron Bistro or Wildflour in North Bend.
In our opinion, no trip to Coos Bay is complete without a breakfast at Pancake Mill Restaurant & Pie Shoppe. The classic diner serves huge portions of affordable fare that tastes like your grandmother made it, including stacks of pancakes slathered in butter and maple syrup and omelets crammed with fresh ingredients. You don’t come here to fight bad cholesterol; you come here to satisfy your morning cravings.
Want to see where your food comes from? Get up close and personal with mariculture practices in Coos Bay. The region is home to several oyster farms open to guests, including Clausen and Qualman. You can also book a tour with an expert fisherman to learn how they bring in the best finds or go crabbing with a guide. You can always pick up fresh foods at a Downtown Coos Bay Farmer’s Market, as well.
Land at Bay Point
While there are several accommodation options (including RV spots and campgrounds), we chose Bay Point Landing for its unique charms and cozy amenities. The tiny home park (that also offers Airstreams for rent) provides quaint and private accommodations for guests with a communal camp atmosphere. When you aren’t stargazing on the front porch of your oceanfront cabin perched around your own fire pit, head to the game room to play giant wall Scrabble or swim in the heated indoor saltwater pool. Reception doubles as a camp store that sells s’mores kits, wine and other necessities.
Autumn is the ideal time to visit Coos Bay. The fog still burns off midday, and the weather is mild enough to spend days outside. Hiking trails rarely close, and many activities you can enjoy in October simply don’t exist in summer. Plus, those warm California autumns mean chilly nighttime temperatures are a welcome reprieve instead of an uncomfortable inconvenience.
Coos Bay: If you go
Bay Point Landing: Cabin rentals, 92443 Cape Arago Highway, Coos Bay, Ore., (541) 351-9160, baypointlanding.com
7 Devils Brewery & Public House: Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Wednesdays-Mondays, 247 S. Second St., Coos Bay, Ore., (541) 808-3738, 7devilsbrewery.com
Monkey Business Marina Market & Restaurant: Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursdays, Sundays and Mondays and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 63516 Kingfisher Road, Charleston, Ore., (541) 778-3650
Pancake Mill Restaurant & Pie Shoppe: Open 6 a.m.-3 p.m. daily, 2390 Tremont Ave., North Bend, Ore., (541) 756-2751, thepancakemill.com
Salty Mac Tours: 91141 Cape Arago Highway, Coos Bay, Ore., (530) 321-6901, www.saltymactours.com
South Coast Tours: 300 Dock Road, Port Orford, Ore., (541) 373-0487, southcoasttours.net
Spinreel Dune Buggy & ATV Rental: 67045 Spinreel Road, North Bend, Ore.,(541) 759-3313, ridetheoregondunes.com