Thursday, June 7, 2012

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

May 31st – While up in the Reedsport area, we decided to stop by one of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area Overlooks.

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The Oregon Dunes stretch about 47 miles along the coast from Coos Bay to Florence, with Reedsport in the center. It seems like the most popular way to enjoy the sand dunes is roaring through them on a ‘dune buggy’ or 4 wheeler. This really did not appeal to us, nor did a long hike/slog up and down and around the dunes (hiking in sand is never easy).  This section of the Recreation Area had a nice boardwalk overlook and a 1 mile trail that led across the dunes, through a brushy and wooded area, to the ocean.

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This area was closed to ATV’s and the trail to the ocean looked pretty do-able, and we felt that this would give us just the right amount of ‘dune experience’, so…… down the dunes we went.

The ‘trail’ across the dunes was a bit confusing, only marked by large posts sticking out of the sand, but I guess they figured that you couldn’t get too lost.

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All along the edge of the dunes and wooded area were these thick, yellow flowering bushes. I don’t know what they are, but they were just beautiful. We walked through a section of these bushes that must have been 20 yard deep. We were just encompassed in yellow…….

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When we emerged from the brush and trees……..we stepped out onto this beach.

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Long…….as far as you could see. And wide……

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And peaceful………we were the only ones there. No other footprints marred the sand……..

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