10 Fun Things to Do in Brookings, Oregon
Depending on your direction, Brookings is the first impression of Oregon or the last stop before California. It’s large enough to have all the essentials, like grocery stores and gas stations, but driving through town does little to highlight the southern Oregon Coast’s incredible natural beauty. To see the best of Brookings, you’ll need to leave the main drag of Highway 101 and explore the parks and beaches. Here are the best things to do in and around Brookings, Oregon.
1. Harris Beach State Park
Harris Beach
If Harris Beach State Park were the only thing in Brookings, it would still be worth the 6-hour drive from Portland. The beach has dozens of wild and weird sea stacks made of Jurassic-age rock. They are best viewed at low tide to see the barnacles, anemones, and sea stars encrusting them. The most striking is Goat Island, the largest coastal island in Oregon and premier seabird habitat. Closer to shore and just south of the day-use parking lot is an impressive sea arch. Once you’ve explored the beach, make the short and steep hike up Harris Butte to see sweeping views of the beach and the rugged coastline to the north.
2. Chetco Point Park
Chetco Point
First, head to the wastewater treatment plant in the middle of Brookings. Yep, good start. Then, follow the paved trail along the plant’s chainlink fence to the back. Just as you’re cursing me for my bad suggestions, things will become clear. Behind the plant is Chetco Point Park, a breathtaking, pine-topped peninsula with views of the Pacific in three directions. You can take a short trail down to a tucked-away little beach or a slightly longer one to the top of Chetco Point. Look for wildflowers blooming here in summer. To the south is the mouth of the Chetco River. To the north, Mill Beach and Table Rock. A few benches along the trail are excellent places to watch the sunset.
3. Samuel Boardman Corridor
Arch Rock State Park
The hands-down coolest thing about Brookings is how close it is to the Samuel Boardman Corridor. A mere 15-minute drive will bring you to Lone Ranch Beach, the beginning of an undeveloped stretch of the Oregon Coast that extends to Gold Beach. With miles of hiking trails, hidden beaches, and viewpoints overlooking the coastline’s dramatic cliffs and sea stacks, it’s hard to find a boring stop on this scenic drive. Here are a few highlights near Brookings:
Lone Ranch Beach and Whaleshead Beach are the two easy places north of Brookings to get down to the water. Both have towering cliffs and plentiful sea stacks without any hiking required.
Indian Sands Beach has an unusual mix of sand dunes and craggy rock formations. A moderate, 1-mile loop trail will bring you from the trailhead to the beach.
Natural Bridges Viewpoint is a 0.3-mile walk to a stunning overlook, where you can see the distinctive chunky sea arches of the Samuel Boardman Corridor.
Arch Rock State Park has a short loop that connects a series of viewpoints overlooking pristine coves and impressive sea stacks.
4. Brookings Harbor
Wine tasting at Augustino
When you visit the Oregon Coast, it’s always a good idea to have a backup plan for less-than-ideal weather. Brookings Harbor is a place where you can escape the strip mall vibe of downtown Brookings. The harbor is on the mouth of the Chetco River. There’s a boardwalk near the marina where you can admire the boats. On a rainy afternoon, the shops and restaurants are cozy places to stay dry. Zola’s on the Water is a funky spot with wood-fired pizzas. Slugs N’ Stones N’ Ice Cream Cones is an ice cream shop with over 30 flavors, none of them slug. Then, there is my favorite, the Augustino tasting room. The covered patio with fire pits is the perfect place to watch the rain while trying a wine flight. Expect dry, light-bodied, fruit-forward wine typical of southern Oregon.
5. See the redwoods
Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
Brookings is an easy drive to several incredible redwood forests, which make for perfect day trips. In under 30 minutes, you can reach the little-known Oregon Redwoods or Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, just over the border in California. An hour south are the Prairie Creek Redwoods and Redwoods National Park. Expect to feel like an insignificant ant in the best way as you walk under a towering redwood canopy hundreds of feet high. Even some of the ferns are taller than me in these forests. The trees range in age from saplings to ancient. Some are over 2,000 years old.
6. Azalea Park
Playground at Azalea Park
In the center of Brookings, Azalea Park is a larger and nicer than average city park. Don’t skip the beach to see it, but it’s a pleasant destination if you’re staying in town for at least a few days. The best time to visit is in spring when the azaleas bloom. The park holds the annual Azalea Festival over Memorial Day Weekend, which includes a parade through downtown Brookings. The rest of the year, look for pretty walking paths, a picnic area, athletic fields, a bandshell, a disc golf course, a playground, and a botanical garden. In December, the park hosts a holiday light show in the evenings.
7. See the wildlife
Heron on Harris Beach
The best place to see wildlife in Brookings is Harris Beach State Park. Chetco Point is a distant second. At low tide, the many sea stacks along Harris Beach are excellent places to look for sea stars, mussels, barnacles, anemones, and shore crabs. On top of the sea stacks, look for perching seabirds like pelicans, gulls, cormorants, and sometimes even tufted puffins. Good binoculars will help your search since many birds like to nest far offshore. On the rocky ledges below, you might see seals or sea lions.
Harris Beach State Park is also a great whale-watching spot, particularly during the grey whale winter and spring migrations. For the best vantage point, make the short hike to the top of Harris Butte.
If you head slightly outside Brookings, the wildlife-watching potential gets even better. The Samuel Boardman Corridor is a great place to look for birds, marine mammals, and tidepool life.
8. Try the restaurants
Compass Rose Cafe
Since Brookings is one of the larger towns on the southern Oregon Coast, it has a good variety of restaurant options. Here are some places to start.
For breakfast, Compass Rose Cafe is a cozy coffee shop with great pastries, French toast, and breakfast sandwiches.
Khun Thai serves excellent Thai food in an unassuming exterior.
Black Trumpet Bistro has hearty, Italian-inspired dinner fare with a good wine list.
Oxenfre Public House is a laidback spot with a focus on fresh, local ingredients.
9. Crissey Field State Recreation Site
Rock identification at the Brookings Welcome Center
If you’re coming from California, Crissey Field State Recreation Site is the first beach access you’ll reach in Oregon. It’s a free, easy, and convenient road trip stop. The Brookings Welcome Center has nice indoor restrooms, picnic tables, interpretive displays, and tourist information. Site hosts are ready with local tips and travel suggestions. A few pretty trails start from the Welcome Center and lead to the ocean. Walking south on the uncrowded beach, you can cross state lines without realizing it. At some unadvertised point, Crissey Field State Recreation Site, OR, becomes Pelican Beach, CA.
10. Find a secret beach
China Beach
One of the great things about the southern Oregon Coast is all of its hidden nooks and crannies. With a fraction of the visitors and minimal development, it’s easy to find quiet and solitude. Secret Beach seems like a natural destination, although in reality, it’s one of the more crowded beaches in the Samuel Boardman Corridor. Much more obscure is the unsigned and hard-to-find China Beach. The lightly trafficked hike from Cape Ferrelo to House Rock Viewpoint will take you past a steep spur trail to House Rock Beach, where I’d expect few other visitors, if any. Please stay on established trails, and don’t underestimate the terrain. Minimal development also means limited signage and rough trail conditions.
Packing list
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission by linking to Amazon. I am very grateful for these orders, which help fund the blog at no extra cost to you.
Chetco Point Park
Best things to do in Brookings, Oregon, the short version:
Harris Beach State Park
Chetco Point Park
Samuel Boardman Corridor
Brookings Harbor
See the redwoods
Azalea Park
See the wildlife
Try the restaurants
Crissey Field State Recreation Site
Find a secret beach
Enjoy your trip to Brookings!
With love,
Emma
Getting there
Brookings is on the southern Oregon Coast, just 10 minutes north of the California border. The drive from Portland takes 6 hours. From San Francisco, 7 hours. You need a car to get there.
Explore nearby
Find the best things to do in Bandon, Oregon.
Visit the gorgeous and deserted Otter Point State Recreation Site.
