Places to Go, Things to Dune

Forty miles of sand dunes extending from Florence to North Bend attract hikers to Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. This portion of Oregon’s shoreline is a land of oblique dunes, marshlands and odd forested islands on the sand--weird landscape said to have prompted Frank Herbert to write the science fiction classic, “Dune.”

Most of Oregon’s shore is too precipitous and too rocky to gather much sand, but here the combination of flat coastal plain lodged between two rocky points, as well as constant winds, collects lots of it. Some dunes measure more than 400 feet high and a mile wide.

While you’d guess that the dunes would be a compelling vista for motorists traveling Oregon’s coastal U.S. 101, such is not the case; very little of the national recreation area is visible from the road. Ecologists know that the dunes have engulfed, and are engulfing, giant conifer forests; from the motorist’s view, however, it looks like the trees along the highway are swallowing the dunes.

A not-at-all-stupid question asked by travelers is: How do we get to the dunes? The Forest Service established the Oregon Dunes Overlook about halfway between Reedsport and Florence, a well-signed turnoff from U.S. 101 that leads to an overlook. There are four levels of platforms connected by wooden walkways. In the summer, Forest Service interpreters give talks about the dunes.

Bird watchers flock to the dunes to count the 250 or so species found near the lakes, creeks, wetlands and shore. At the mouth of meandering creeks, bald eagles and egrets dive for fish. Migrating Canada geese rest and feed in the estuaries. Majestic tundra swans winter in the marshes along the Siuslaw River at the northern end of the recreation area.

Hikers, however, are more likely to hear the honking of motorists than the honking of geese. More than a third of the dune system in open to off-road vehicles.

The best way to appreciate the dunes is on foot. Short footpaths lead along creeks and through the forest to the great sand mounds, but no trails traverse the dunes themselves. A pair of binoculars and a compass can help you stay oriented in the frequently fogbound sand-scape.

Overlook Beach Trail is one mile to the beach. You can see almost the entire trail from the upper deck of the Oregon Dunes Overlook, located on the west side of U.S. 101, 10 miles south of Florence or 10 miles north of Reedsport. Some of the route across the dunes is marked with poles topped with blue bands.

Tahkenitch Dunes Trail is two miles to the beach. Find the signed trail head parking area in the Tahkenitch Campground on the west side of U.S. 101, 12 1/2 miles south of Florence, eight miles north of Reedsport.

The path leads a mile through conifer forest then follows route markers across quiet dunes (closed to vehicles) to a dogleg bend in Tahkenitch Creek near where the creek enters the ocean.

Threemile Lake Trail winds three miles through spruce forest to tranquil Threemile Lake, where river otters frolic and anglers drop a line for cutthroat and yellow perch. This path shares a trail head with Tahkenitch Dunes Trail. After a quarter-mile the trails part company; they can be combined to form a 6.5-mile loop--my favorite hike in Oregon Dunes.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Tahkenitch Dunes, Threemile Lake Trails

WHERE: Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

TERRAIN: Tall sand dunes, marshes, beaches.

HIGHLIGHTS: 400-foot dunes, great bird watching.

DISTANCE: 2 to 6.5 miles round trip.

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY: Moderate.

PRECAUTIONS: Some dunes open to off-highway vehicles.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, 855 Highway Ave., Reedsport, OR 97467; tel. (503) 271-3611.