Fivemile Point
Moderate
3.2 miles round trip
200 feet elevation gain
Left: Fivemile Point from Whisky Run Beach.
A gold rush hit this secluded area in 1853 after prospectors found sparkling flakes in a layer of black beach sand. The wide-open boomtown of Randolph sprang up along Whisky Run’s creek. Ships off-loaded cargo at neighboring Merchants Beach. But two years later the gold was gone. Wagoneers moved Randolph lock, stock, and barrel to the Coquille River, 4 miles away.
Vehicles are still allowed onto the sand at the Whisky Run beach access, so it’s more fun for hikers to explore this area from the quieter Seven Devils picnic area, just to the north. From there an easy walk leads to the wave-swept islands and tidepools at Fivemile Point. These beaches are among the most reliably windy places in Oregon—an advantage for kite fliers who pilgrimage here, but a hazard for golfers at the posh Bandon Dunes course atop the bluffs.
Start by driving Highway ...
The hike starts out ...
This chapter taken from the book 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Oregon Coast & Coast Range.