A very nice park & lake tucked away in an urban neighborhood. Quite honestly, the Mrs & I stumbled…read moreupon it as we drove by. No fees & a nice parking area as you enter off of Hull street, close to Newmark. They don't allow motorized boats, but we spotted a couple of kayaks floating by, with the occupant casting a fishing line out. Beautiful scenery with well maintained, mostly shaded, asphalt trails. Very peaceful & the people we did see on the trail were polite & cordial.

If City Hall spent even a fraction of the millions they pump into downtown urban renewal projects…read moreand capital improvements on maintaining existing public infrastructure, maybe neighborhood parks wouldn't be left to rot for three decades. Leadership loves to hide behind the excuse that "there is no funding" while ignoring active liabilities like the abandoned, disintegrating bridge site at John Topits Park. Leaving pre-2003 rotting timber and structural hazards to disintegrate into a protected wetland isn't just a maintenance backlog it's severe institutional negligence. Telling residents to "take an alternate route" while millions flow into commercial blueprints and administrative vanity projects is a joke. Fix the public safety hazards you already have instead of sweeping decades-old liabilities under the rug.

The number of stellar sheltered harbors on the West Coast is about a handful and a half, border to…read moreborder. Coos Bay is one. The area has quite a few communities beyond the namesake Coos Bay, including North Bend, Cooston, North Bay, and others including Charleston. Charleston is a set of rolling highlands that separate Coos Bay from the ocean. So if you want ocean, go West! There you will find state beaches and the Bastendorff Park of Coos County. There is an overlook of the beach, down the cliff. To get to the beach, walk back down the road. There is a children's play structure, parking and a grassy area at the overlook. Continue up the hill for RV-type camp spots with water and power hookups and a bathroom structure. The individual camping areas are shaded, and carved from the brush, providing some privacy from adjacent campers. The group area is at the top of the hill and largely unshaded, grass covered and sunny when it's clear. Though there is not a view of the ocean from there or any of the camping spots, it can be heard. It's the gem of the park camping areas, with its own bathroom shower structure, clean and with a huge supply of hot water. There is also an electric cooktop, sink and kitchen counter under a roof with picnic tables for your group. Each camping spot has a fire grate, but bring your own cooking grate with a finer mesh to hold whatever you are grilling. Great and unobtrusive park staff. We had a great get-together here to honor a local fisherman friend lost at sea with 3 generations of families participating, from up and down the Western states, Coos style. We are all Oregonians. As a Portlander I honor all the people all over the state. I understand that they cut trees, graze cattle, grow crops, mine, fish, hopefully over the long term. We are all in it together. I like to support the small businesses when I get a chance to visit too. Like in Coos where fishing has had some tough times with the closure of the Sacramento River salmon seasons and some slim fish runs for the Klamath basin. Sounds like those fish are back strong this year. So thinking of all you in Coos, and encourage Yelpers to visit the Southern Oregon Coast and the small towns supporting its awesome oceanfront!

So majestically beautiful. Very cute little town that's worth the stop. Only spent a few hours but…read moreit was enough to check out the beautiful scenery.

This is a lovely tiny park that offers a wonderful view of the Umpqua River near the Umpqua Scenic…read moreByway. There is a well paved parking lot, big enough to fit about twenty vehicles. There is a park host that does an EXCELLENT job at keeping this place maintained. There are two very clean restrooms equipped with flushing toilets, a sink with soap AND a mirror! But the best park part about this park is the VIEW!!! My GOD, the VIEW!!! It's like having a front row seat of the beautiful Umpqua River! Now if you know the beauty of the Umpqua River, you know what I'm talking about! There are gentle roaring rapids washing over large slabs of basalt rocks, covered in moss in many places along this river. There are willows, myrtles, pines that dot the banks. It's just beautiful I tell ya!

If you have the opportunity to stop here for a picnic or a quick lunch or just to enjoy the Umpqua,…read moreI hope you enjoy this spot as much as we have, it's a great little park named after a great man.

Lots of different needs available between day use and overnight camping there is fishing and things…read moreavailable as the seasons Trend during the year. I've heard some from some friends that have camped there overnight it can get rowdy at times

I was in town for a family gathering and we came here. A relative had saved us, what I was told,…read morewas the best day picnic area. Nestled in the forest next to a river, it was magical. Although it was a record high temperature day, the shade was lovely. The most surprising thing was the kitchen with running water and a sink. Great place for a large gathering. We were just steps away from the river and the swim hole that had a rope swing. Overall, great location for picnics. The camping area, which you drive by to get the the picnic area, looked super full. Highly recommend the picnic area.

I came here after driving to Reedsport and talking to the ladies at the Oregon Sand Dunes visitor's…read morecenter. They told me all the big sand dunes are south of reedsport and the john dellenback trail was recommended. No ATVs are allowed here so you don't have to worry about being run over while trekking the dunes. They accept multiple passes here, just make sure whatever you are using is displayed on your dashboard. There are bathrooms that are pit toilets but the women's was locked when I was there so everyone had to use the men's side

The John Dellenback Trailhead is an interpretive trail and dunes area open to the public. One of…read morethe huge benefits of the trail is that there is no recreational vehicle use allowed there, so you don't have to worry about being run over by a dune buggy or atv while taking in the beauty of the dunes. To get to the trail, take the turn for the eel creek campground and follow signs for the trailhead. There are bathroom facilities available. Make sure to purchase a pass- you can purchase a single day pass on location or purchase a yearly pass for all the Oregon state parks in Coos Bay at the visitor center for about $30. If you are the active type, you can rent a sandboard and sandboard down the dunes, which is a lot of fun! The trail begins in a wooded area and takes you down a path of dirt that gradually turns into sand as you arrive near the dunes. You see a lot of local plants and wildlife, and there are some exhibits to check out and rest spots with benches along the way. The trail will begin to take an upturn and then you will suddenly come out of the trees onto what looks like a huge desert.... it is breathtaking! You can take the same way back on your way out or for some new sights take the trail located closer to the large mountain-esque dune. Really good hike for kids- they love rolling down the dunes and feeling the sand between their toes. Just be sure you are okay with finding sand everywhere for the next month. Happy hiking!

This botanical garden has become a traditional stop while traveling along highway 101. It's a…read moreperfect place to get out and stretch your legs or use the facilities. The walk to the Cobra Lilies, aka Pitcher Plants isn't long at all, maybe a quarter mile round trip. It's a beautiful walk through trees to a boardwalk through the Darlingtonia garden. We've never been when they're in bloom, but they are definitely something interesting to see any time of year. I would highly recommend!

If you are headed to Honeyman or Heceta, this reserve is just one minute off the side of Highway…read more101 between those two parks. Darlingtonia is the only Oregon State Park dedicated to protecting one single species: the Darlingtonia. The only plant in this species is the Cobra Lily, which is the only pitcher plant native to Oregon. (In other words, this state park exists to protect the cobra lilies that grow here.) The reserve is small, but definitely worth checking out. A short accessible boardwalk crosses a bog filled with several hundred, if not a few thousand, cobra lilies. The 'pitcher' part of the plant, which is the part that resembles a cobra, is visible year round. In spring, it puts up yellow and purple flowers. Many of these flowers dry in place, and are still somewhat visible in winter. Even without the flowers in bloom, the pitchers themselves are neat and pretty to look at. There is no fee to visit Darlingtonia. The small parking area only has room for about ten cars or so, but it takes less than fifteen minutes to walk through.

Beautiful small park but nothing about the 'splodin' whale. Not even a plaque or nuthin'. Give the…read morepeople what they are here for -- a true homage to the event. Pretty views to the sand dunes and bridge

This park is named after the November 1970 incident of an exploding whale (although not the site of…read morethe original event). This is a calm park with a sandy beach and a small trail. Dogs are allowed.

Fabulous stop off just outside of Reedsport. Wonderful, lush fields and streafor the herds to…read moregraze, as well as birds and water fowl (and one black cow, who appeared to have been accepted as one of the herd). There's plenty of parking, benches, trash cans, toilets, and lots of information about the area and the elk. It's so heartwarming to watch them safely playing and resting.

5 stars. I've been here numerous times since I work-camped near here. There always seems to be a…read morelarge number of elk in Dean Creek all the time. Great information in the viewing area. I definitely recommend stopping here to read the information as well as the stops off the road. I stop here every time I go by.