Brookings-Harbor is the southernmost city on the Oregon Coast. Five miles (8 km) south of the city limits on Highway 101 is California.

Get in edit

 
Map of Brookings-Harbor

By car edit

There is one road into Brookings, Highway 101, which is the town's main street. In town it is also known as Chetco Avenue.

By bus edit

Get around edit

The main strip in Brookings is Highway 101, aka Chetco Avenue. Other common roads in town are Railroad Street, Easy Street, and Ransom Street which will navigate you around the library, school, community pool, and community fields and parks. From there you can get pretty much anywhere in town.

See edit

Beaches edit

The main attractions in Brookings and Harbor are the beautiful clean beaches.

  • 2 Crissey Beach. Crissey Field State Park is located at the mouth of the Winchuck River. It has a state-of-the-art visitors center and miles of beach.    
  • 3 Harris Beach. Possibly the most well-known beach in Brookings, it is a very popular spot for camping and flying kites. It's also a place where you can witness one of the most gorgeous sunsets in Oregon.    
  • 4 Sporthaven Beach, 16008 Boat Basin Road. South Jetty Beach is popular for surfing, enjoying the scenery, trailer camping, and you can also see commercial fishing vessels come in and out of the jetty. Below is a great picture of a local boat trying to cross the bar in hazardous conditions.
  • 5 Lone Ranch Beach. A very secluded beach, it is mainly used for nice long walks or a warm camp fire in the evening.    
  • 6 Whaleshead Beach. Whaleshead beach has a beautiful resort right next to it. This provides a great place for vacationers to take a stroll on the beach or build a sand castle.

Lighthouses edit

Two lighthouses are visible from or in the Brookings Harbor area.

  • 7 Pelican Bay Lighthouse. Pelican Bay Lighthouse is privately owned and tours are rarely offered, but it is clearly visible from Sporthaven Beach or the commercial boat basin.    
  • 8 St. George Reef Lighthouse. The St. George Reef Lighthouse is visible (during clear weather) on the ocean horizon from many high points in Brookings and Harbor. It is accessible only by boat or by helicopter.    

Do edit

  • Salmon Fishing Fishing is a fun activity while you are in Brookings. Whether it is on the Pacific Ocean or the Chetco River, you always have a good chance of catching a salmon when the season is open. If you don't know much about salmon fishing there are many guides around town that will be more than happy to take you out and catch a big one, for a price.
  • Bruin Sports If you are new to the area or just looking for something to do, attend a Brookings-Harbor High School sports game and witness the strong support the community has for its local teams. Check for game listings in the local newspaper, the Curry Coastal Pilot.
  • Chetco River The river is a beautiful place to camp, fish, have a camp fire, picnic, and swim during the summer. Just take the North Bank Road off of Highway 101 just north of the Chetcto River Bridge and you will run into many river bars and camp sites such as Loeb Park, Miller Bar, Little Redwood, and South Fork.
  • 1 Redwood Theater, 621 Chetco Ave, +1 541-412-7575, . If you want to see the latest movies, the Redwood Theater has between two and four movies playing seven days a week. The theater has undergone a major remodel, including a second screen with stadium seating.
  • 2 Chetco Community Public Library, 405 Alder St, +1 541 469-7738. The local library has a great selection of books, magazines, and newspapers to fulfill all of your literature needs.
  • Hiking Trails. There are several easy hiking trails in the area, including the Bomb Site Trail, where in 1942 a Japanese bomber firebombed the area in hopes of starting a forest fire, and Chetco Point Park, where your choice of trails can lead to a tiny, sheltered beach or a spectacular bluff overlooking Pelican Bay and the Pacific Ocean.
  • 3 Azalea Park, 640 Old County Rd. Dawn-dusk. Azalea Park is known as the "Jewel of Brookings." It features a large playground known as "KidTown," sand volleyball courts, soccer and baseball fields, horseshoe pits, the "Octopus Tree," the "Capella by the Sea," and several miles of walking trails. Look for free concerts on Sundays in the summer, and a holiday light show.
  • Camping. Brookings has several campgrounds, including Harris Beach State Park and Loeb State Park.
  • 4 Chetco Valley Museum, 15461 Museum Rd, +1 541-469-6651. The museum is the oldest home in the area, once a stagecoach stop and trading post. It features a collection of antique farm and logging memorabilia, as well as the largest California Cypress tree in Oregon.
  • Whale-watching. Whale-watching is a popular activity in the Brookings area, especially during the autumn and spring gray whale migrations. Humpback whales, bowfin whales, and occasionally blue whales or orcas are often seen from Harris Beach State Park and Cape Ferello overlooks.

Buy edit

There are several classic gift shops in Brookings.

  • 1 Beachfront Gifts. Beachfront Gifts is in Harbor, between the commercial boat basin and Sporthaven Beach. It features classic travel gifts, including sweatshirts and t-shirts. Pelican Bay Lighthouse is clearly visible from the store's parking lot.

Eat edit

  • 1 Mattie's Pancake & Omelette, +1 541-469 7211. Daily 6AM–1:30PM. Excellent omelettes. Great, friendly service.
  • 2 Hungry Clam, 16350 Lower Harbor Rd # 205, +1 541-469 2526. Daily 11am–8pm. Low-key counter serve dishing fried-fish platters & sandwiches, plus burgers, chowder & hot dogs.
  • 3 La Flor De Mexico, 541 Chetco Ave # 1. Daily 11AM–9PM. Excellent and affordable Mexican buffet.

Drink edit

  • 1 Chetco Brewing Company, 830 Railroad St, +1 541-661-KEGS (5347). 16 taps of beer with hops, herbs, and fruit grown on the property. They also make their own root beer and kombucha tea. Dog friendly.

Sleep edit

Go next edit

  • Bandon- Here you can enjoy year-round fishing, cycling, golf, hiking and beach going.
  • Port Orford- The oldest town on the Oregon Coast and the most westerly in the 48 states
  • Coos Bay- Great place to live, work and play surrounded by a beautiful protected bay, lush emerald forests and the mighty Pacific Ocean.
  • Myrtle Point- Lies in the south-central portion of Coos County, Oregon in the foothills of the Coast Range
  • North Bend- It is surrounded on three sides by Coos Bay, an S-shaped water inlet and estuary where the Coos River enters Coos Bay and borders the city of Coos Bay to the south
Routes through Brookings-Harbor
Coos BayGold Beach  N   S  Crescent CityEureka


This city travel guide to Brookings-Harbor is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.