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
By car
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
Get around
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
Beaches
The main attractions in Brookings and Harbor are the beautiful clean beaches.
- Crissey Beach, 42.0018°, -124.211°. 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.
- Harris Beach, 42.0671°, -124.307°. 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.
- Sporthaven Beach, 16008 Boat Basin Road, 42.0428°, -124.2658°. 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.
- Lone Ranch Beach, 42.09845°, -124.34288°. A very secluded beach, it is mainly used for nice long walks or a warm camp fire in the evening.
- Whaleshead Beach, 42.144447°, -124.389981°. 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
Two lighthouses are visible from or in the Brookings Harbor area.
- Pelican Bay Lighthouse, 42.0418°, -124.263°. Pelican Bay Lighthouse is privately owned and tours are rarely offered, but it is clearly visible from Sporthaven Beach or the commercial boat basin.
- St. George Reef Lighthouse, 41.8363°, -124.376°. 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
- 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.
- Redwood Theater, 621 Chetco Ave, 42.052274°, -124.290833°, +1 541-412-7575, info@redwoodtheater.com. 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. 2021-12-24
- Chetco Community Public Library, 405 Alder St, 42.052178°, -124.285012°, +1 541 469-7738. The local library has a great selection of books, magazines, and newspapers to fulfill all of your literature needs. 2022-04-22
- 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.
- Azalea Park, 640 Old County Rd, 42.0584512°, -124.283941°. 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. 2021-12-24
- Camping. Brookings has several campgrounds, including Harris Beach State Park and Loeb State Park.
- Chetco Valley Museum, 15461 Museum Rd, 42.029016°, -124.24209°, +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
There are several classic gift shops in Brookings.
- Beachfront Gifts, 42.0428°, -124.2646°. 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
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Mattie's Pancake & Omelette, 42.0424°, -124.2494°, +1 541-469 7211. Daily 6AM–1:30PM. Excellent omelettes. Great, friendly service.
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Hungry Clam, 16350 Lower Harbor Rd # 205, 42.0513°, -124.2677°, +1 541-469 2526. Daily 11am–8pm. Low-key counter serve dishing fried-fish platters & sandwiches, plus burgers, chowder & hot dogs.
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La Flor De Mexico, 541 Chetco Ave # 1, 42.0530°, -124.2800°. Daily 11AM–9PM. Excellent and affordable Mexican buffet.
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Chan's Restaurant, 16389 Lower Harbor Road, 42.0532°, -124.2674°, +1 541-469 7013. Daily 11:30AM–8:30PM.
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Rancho Viejo, 1025 Chetco Ave, 42.0553°, -124.2919°, +1 541-412 0184. Daily 11AM–9PM. A great Mexican restaurant
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Fat Cat Pizza, 16261 US-101, 42.0494°, -124.2568°, +1 541 469 8400. W-Su 10:30AM–9PM (Monday and Tuesday closed).
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Zola's on the Water, 16374 Lower Harbor Rd, 42.0524°, -124.2687°, +1 541-412-7100. Daily 10AM–11PM. Family-owned and operated pizzeria; all of their ingredients are fresh and baked in their brick oven.
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Wild River Pizza, 16279 US-101, 42.050601°, -124.261260°, +1 541-469-7454. Su-Th 11AM-10PM; F Sa 11AM-11PM. 2023-01-02
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Rice Bowl, 16215 W Hoffeldt Ln, 42.048545°, -124.398984°, +1 541-469-7058. Tu-Su 11AM-8PM. 2023-01-13
Drink
Sleep
- Wild Rivers Motor Lodge, 437 Chetco Ave, 42.0534°, -124.2777°, +1 541-469 5361. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. Modest hotel with simple rooms and Wi-Fi.
- Beachfront Inn, 16008 Lower Harbor Rd, 42.0425°, -124.2640°, +1 541 469 7779. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 11AM. Relaxed hotel with beach access and a pool.
- Blue Coast Inn & Suites, 1216 Chetco Ave, 42.0569°, -124.2960°, +1 541-469 2161. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Low-key motor inn with ocean view.
- Chetco River Inn-Lavender Bee, 21202 High Prairie Rd, 42.1896°, -124.1418°, +1 707-496 9509. A 3-star hotel with a view of the Chetco River
- Serenity By The Sea Ocean, 96414 Dawson Road, 42.0758°, -124.3188°. A holiday apartment
- Ocean Suites, 16045 Lower Harbor Rd, 42.0442°, -124.2629°, +1 541-469#4004. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. All-suite lodging with Wi-Fi
- Pacific Sunset Inn, 1144 Chetco Ave, 42.0567°, -124.2948°, +1 541-469-2141. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Modest motor inn with fishing perks.
- Portside Suites, 16220 Lower Harbor Rd, 42.0486°, -124.2653°, +1 541-469-7100. Casual all-suite hotel with harbor views
- AmeriCoast Inn, 1215 Chetco Ave, 42.0565°, -124.2969°, +1 541-469-5345. Casual motel with free parking and Wi-Fi.
- Whaleshead Beach Resort & Restaurant, 19921 Whaleshead Rd, 42.1472°, -124.3534°, +1 541-813-2760. Restaurant and resort. Great at customer service and delicious food.
Go next
- 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