Just across the Coquille River from Bandon are a picturesque lighthouse, a hikable jetty, and an estuary beach great for birdwatching. To explore the area, drive Highway . . .

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The youngest of the Oregon Coast’s principal lights, this 47-foot tower was built on a Coquille River island in 1896. When ships continued to founder here (one nearly rammed the lighthouse in 1906), the Army built jetties by blasting apart Bandon’s Tupper Rock, a site held sacred by the Coquille Indian tribe. Since then sand has collected behind the jetty, connecting the lighthouse’s former island to Bullards Beach. In 1990 the site of Tupper Rock was returned to the Coquilles, who built a retirement home there.

When the lighthouse is open (9am-6pm Wednesday . . .

This chapter is an excerpt from 100 Hikes : Oregon Coast