Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor

My wife and grandkids have been hiking the beaches and trails of this park for 23 years. Every turn in the well kept pathways brings another beautiful vista. Gorgeous big beaches, huge forests, small streams, and amazing ocean views.

Magnificent views and several spots to enjoy nature. Not to crowd, some of the hikes are really easy while others may require some extra effort.

Drove along the Samuel H. Boardman scenic corridor with a rental car. So many stops and trails along the way! My favorite was the not so “Secret Beach” was a steep way down to get to it and an even steeper incline going back up. Make sure to wear proper shoes, but so worth the amazing views! There is a waterfall that lets outs into the ocean. One of the most beautiful places I have seen! Came back for a nice sunset.

Very cool hike! Took about 30ish minutes from car and back with two labs. I highly recommend checking out. The hike was moderate. Lots of beautiful vista's seen from the cliffs. Be very careful though because a slip or a stumble could send you over.

Amazing views from the cliffs above the beaches. Hike the loop is the best in the area. Bring lots of camera film.

An absolutely gorgeous stretch of the Oregon coast! You can easily spend a couple of days exploring all the spots and discovering some new ones! My favorites were Natural Bridges and Secret Beach, but we also checked out Arch Rock, Lone Ranch Beach, and Cape Ferrelo for an amazing sunset!

Magnificent views! A wide range of hiking trails with many great viewpoints. It is great going down to the different beaches and walking along them or sitting in the sun. Be mindful of the tide levels. Saw one family with small children almost get washed out by a way. There is something new around every corner on the beach and on the cliff trails. There are so many hidden beaches. We love visiting here because we always find something new to see or do.

Beautiful trails overlooking the ocean in a panoramic view. Huge mountain top over looking Lone Ranch Beach, with trails throughout the hillsides.

We visit the central and northern coast regularly. It took me a few years to get down to the corridor. My expectations were fairly high truthfully. My first thought was that it is more remote than I had for some reason assumed. I really appreciated the relatively large spans of almost no civilization and all nature. Second thought, the entire Oregon coast is stunning...the most beautiful coast line in the country in my humble opinion. Rugged, treed, full of wildlife, serene. Third note, the corridor did have the most rock formations as compared to other parts of our coast, very fun to admire, especially from the higher vantage points of the many, many viewpoints along the route. Overall, a stunning area...but let's be real...it's just another jaw-droppingly beautiful piece of a state overflowing with spectacular sights.

This scenic corridor is such a sight to see! The natural rock formations, the vibrant ocean colors, the active wildlife! So many beautiful scenery to check out. This may be my favorite stretch of the Oregon coast. Such a dreamy place to explore.

Gorgeous, rugged, and dangerous coastline. I describe this as where the forest meets the sea. Usually when traveling the 101 it is to get to a destination and stopping multiple times in this area is just not feasible. You definitely cannot stop if you are towing anything as parking is very limited and in some places outrageously dangerous if you are towing anything. Our visit to focus on this area was prompted by those TikTok videos showing this stunningly beautiful coastline.. Now I know that's all enhanced on those videos because pictures /videos can no way capture the natural beauty and the feeling that you get by being in this place. The truth is that this is just one of hundreds of places all up and down the coastline with this type of beauty. TikTok is definitely a good way to drive tourism and the town of Brookings really does need it. Brookings is a bit rough around the edges and there's a little to do for tourists, but hopefully as people are driven to come visit there is a lot of potential in the town of Brookings. We spent 4 nights RV camping at Harris State Beach, which was lovely. We also explored a few places within the corridor, choosing to spend quality time at a few places rather than trying to cram them in. After stopping at about four points, in addition to staying at Harris State Beach we felt that we had a very good sampling. Whaleshead Beach - A don't miss spot for sure. Stunning walkable beach with seashells and rocks all over the shore. Well, worth spending half a day here. It is recommended that you have four-wheel-drive to get down the very rugged and steep dirt road. There is a moderate sized parking lot just above the walking path. Arch rock - a very short path and a quick stop to see the beach and large arched rock far below. Natural bridges - This could be a good place to spend 15 minutes or an hour roaming about viewing the beauty below. A lot of shady places to stop and rest and take in the beauty. There are picnic benches and if you have a picnic lunch this might be a nice place to stop. They have bathrooms here. Secret beach / Thunder Cove Viewpoint - there's a reason why this is called secret Beach. It truly is a secret on how to get to the beach from this point. I highly do not recommend trying to get to the beach unless you have a plan and a map and you are extremely physically fit. We stopped at two different parking spots along this area. One of the spots had a very steep path that literally had tree roots as stairs. If you go down that path, you eventually would meet a cliff and see a stream. Some people ventured beyond that point, I don't know how. We turned around and went back to the car after literally clawing our way up the side of the vertical path using tree roots as handholds. The very next stop for secret beach offered a very long hiking trail that kind of wound its way around the Cliffside. We found ourselves walking through the forest for quite a long time just following the path. It is a beautiful and very satisfyingly long hike, but be warned to stay on the path as your life depends on it. At some point, you will come to the Cliffs edge with nothing but greenery stopping you from going over. It is a very steep and rocky edge that cannot be determined where earth ends and greenery begins because of the foliage and trees. It made my heart drop to see how far down the beach was and not know how stable the earth a few feet beyond the path was. This is the point where I freaked out gathered my kids and hoofed my way back the way we came. Overall, I feel like I had seen enough of this area just stopping at five different points over a few days. If you have less time and you're just passing through, I recommended stopping at three maybe four points and taking a few hours to do so. Hiking around is definitely the way to take it all in. Much better than driving by and looking out the window as I've done so many times in the past.

Samuel H Boardman State Scenic Corridor is a 12 mile stretch of road along Highway 101 showcasing vista point overlooks of Oregon's vast southern coast. I had high expectations for the visit and a lot of suggestions about it from travel gurus on TikTok, but in essence, it's mostly comprised of stopping, exiting your car and peering out at Oregon's rugged shoreline. This experience can be exciting for a lot of people, my issue is that if you're heading from north to south on Highway 101, you'll have endless opportunities to appreciate what Oregon's coast is like prior to even arriving here at Samuel H. Boardman. Eventually when you do show up, you may be worn down after seeing the same setting over and over and over. And that's where things got a little redundant. Because...you can drive Highway 101 for hundreds and hundreds of miles. It actually connects California, Oregon and Washington. That's a LONG ways being active and enjoying nature. But anyhow, here at Samuel H. Boardman, there are a bunch of roadside stops to view Oregon's coast. Some stops are more renowned than others. I'll list the ones I pulled over for... - Arch Rock Point - walk a short path to a lookout of an embedded arch inside a rock. - Natural Bridges Viewpoint - this is the most popular highlight. From an observation point, you can look at a naturally formed bridge that's been shaped over time through rock erosion. On a sunny day, the waters surrounding it can be colorfully green. Problem is...the bridge was pretty distant. You really have to zoom in with your phone to capture the moment. It wasn't as magical as I anticipated. Now...although there's no official hiking trail at the viewpoint, what visitors were doing was attempting their own pathway down to the bridge and walking over it. Yes, WALKING OVER THE BRIDGE. And this is to snap that vintage photo everyone gushes about on the internet when they think of the scenic corridor. But...you do it at your own risk. You can't be afraid of heights. I would never attempt walking over it. One wrong slip and you're done. Goodbye! I did try hiking down towards the bridge because the scenery from the overlook was so far away, but ultimately, you need to maneuver on your own to find your way. It just wasn't worth it, or that important from my POV, so I turned around after the trail blended in with the forest. - Thomas Creek Bridge - Oregon's tallest bridge at 345 feet high. Stretches 956 feet across a deep ravine. You can pull over here and grab a quick photo. - Indian Sands Viewpoint - confusing...didn't know what I was looking at and returned back to my car. - Whalehead Viewpoint - trail that leads down to the beach. It's moderately strenuous. Along the way you get glances of the coastal surroundings. - House Rock Viewpoint - an expansive panorama of more of the coast. There's an enshrinement honoring Samuel H. Boardman, "The Father of Oregon State Parks". Takes 5 - 10 minutes. - Cape Ferrelo Viewpoint - more Oregon scenery. All you need is a few minutes here at the max. And yeah, the views were repetitive. - Rainbow Rock Viewpoint - finally, the last one. This is simply a pullover off Highway 101. It's your last chance to take a photo while in Oregon. From here, the town of Brookings, OR is 3.5 miles away. Some extras... - It's free to visit. - At any of the viewpoints, you can catch part or all of the Coastal Trail which connects the entire corridor and then some, for those hiking enthusiasts. - A bunch of the stops offered picnic tables. You can buy lunch in Brookings or if you're coming north from the town of Gold Beach, OR. Overall, Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor is fine for stopping a few times here and there to soak up images of Oregon's coastal landscape. Highway 101 is a driving phenomenon of its own and with unlimited chances to admire the great outdoors, I'd just suggest pacing yourself along the way and enjoy the ride.

My favorite part of the Oregon Coast. There are so many hiking stops if you want to hike all day long. I came here in December and had such great weather, I was lucky. We did alot of hikes and stopped along the way. My favorite is the arch rock viewpoint and natural bridges view point trail. All are accessible pretty easily to just see off the road. You can park and see the pretty views, if you're not as active or older. There always seems to be ample parking and some places even have picnic stops. The whole coast is a sight to see. It's all accessible from the 101. I love the coast because of the diversity of trails, ocean, and places to see. It's all so beautiful. Some trails are dog friendly, but they must be on leash. Also please leave no trace. This place was clean, let's keep it that way. There is trash bins and even dog poop bags in some areas for use. Most spots have dry camp type like restrooms.

So much Natural Beauty! [Brookings OR] We were in much need of immersing ourselves for some nature therapy and part of our weekend was a visit along this 12 ocean-hugging miles of beautiful scenery located along Highway 101 between Brookings and Gold Beach. We've visited many parts of Oregon from Seaside to Portland to Crater Lake and the Columbia River Gorge but there's nothing like driving along the Oregon Coast Highway and seeing secluded sandy beaches, rugged bluffs, offshore rock formations and steep coastlines. Make sure you stop by the Natural Bridges Viewpoint for a picturesque view of not one but TWO natural sea arches. We also stopped at the Lone Ranch Beach and the Whaleshead Lookout. There are many hiking trails to explore. My sister, who is an avid hiker, would really enjoy this park... hubby and I came for the scenery. A treasure trove of little gems, we enjoyed the beauty it had to offer. This park was named in honor of Samuel H. Boardman, the first Oregon Parks superintendent. Review #2527

Named after the first superintendent of the Oregon Parks, this twelve mile stretch of the southern Oregon Coast is breathtaking. Pull offs and viewpoints can easily be found along scenic highway 101. Check out Arch Rock and keep your eyes open, and mouth shut, for the Secret Beach. Oregon, we love ya!

One of the best spots along the Oregon coast. A must stop in my opinion. There are so many beautiful places to stop along the corridor. Natural Bridges is one of the best.

Beautiful drive along the south west coast of Oregon. Every stop off what is more amazing than the one before. Beautiful foliage, shorelines, rocks .... Very special & well worth taking your time to explore & hike through.

Beautiful and amazing, the view ya breath taking. Would recommend one time visit. Dinner time would be best.

Amazing beauty where ever you look located along highway 101 between brooking and Gold Beach. Something you have to do in a lifetime is drive the Oregon coast. We stopped at many pull offs and viewpoints This area was one of my favorites. Your going to take a 1,000 pictures I hope to be able to go back soon.

"Oregon welcomed me like a beloved child, enfolded me in her cool arms, shushed my turbulent thoughts, and promised peace through her whispering pines. " ― Colleen Houck The Oregon state Park website said it best: " "This corridor is a 12 mile, forested, linear park with a rugged, steep coastline interrupted by small sand beaches. This park was named in honor of Samuel H. Boardman, the first Oregon Parks superintendent. He and others of his generation felt this shining coastline should be saved for the public. What gems they gave us: admire the 300-year old sitka spruce trees, gaze at the amazing Arch Rock and Natural Bridges, and walk the 27 miles of Oregon Coast Trail that weave through the giant forests. Seaside prairies, spectacular vistas, secluded cove beaches, rugged cliffs and forested sea stacks come one after the other throughout this park. Stand and ponder the old shell middens and wonder what it was like to live in a Native American village by the Pacific Ocean." I loved my visit here in 2014 and my photos only capture one or two of the beaches that I stopped and hiked at. I love the Oregon Coast and this is a great introduction right as you enter from California. And as Jim s. writes, get out of your car and explore!!! You will be glad you did...

This ranks right up there with Italy's Amalfi Coast, France's Cote d'Azur and South Africa's Cape of Good Hope as one of the most beautiful drives in the world. I would even say in some ways it is better than even California's super-pretentious Big Sur. This is hidden Oregon, the side of Oregon not many people outside of Oregon know about and boy, have they been withholding a doozy here! It's not exactly in Gold Beach but the actual drive starts about 13 miles south of Gold Beach. From there it meanders through probably the most breathtaking seaside scenery anywhere, with soaring cliffs, giant rock arches, thunderous waves, pristine, deserted beaches and rocky coves. Practically every corner, there's some insane photo op. Personally I'm not a photographer, I'm more into taking in the atmosphere and energy of a place and sometimes being obsessed with taking photos detracts from being completely present and actually experiencing a place fully. And you will want to experience this part of the Southern Oregon Coast fully. With the sense of isolation some of the beaches give you, the ungodly clarity of the sunlight, the magical sunsets, the freshest air imaginable, there is something absolutely mystical about the Oregon coastline which I have never experienced anywhere else. Somehow you leave feeling cleaner, more alive and at peace with yourself and with life.

I absolutely love this place! Samuel H Boardman Park is conveniently located along Highway 101. This 12 mile coastal preserve was named in honor ot Samuel Boardman. There so many places to pull over and look out from your vehicle as well as take in the amazing views on hikes. There are so many short and long hikes that you can take, all with absolutely amazing views! This place far exceeded my expectations and the views of the rugged coastline were breathtaking and spectacular. I'm so glad that this area was preserved so that everyone can enjoy the natural beauty of this place. There are no entrance fees and plenty of parking. We ended up hiking two different days here and there was still so much we didn't explore. There is so much to explore so I would give yourself a good chunk of time to really see all that this place has to offer!

One of the most beautiful places I've ever been to on this planet. Seriously. Go. Here! There's so much to soak up in this State Park and it's hard to do it justice unless you're a resident or a backpacker. But if I were to make some highlights for visitors that only have a day or two I'd recommend: Cape Ferello - for gorgeous views and a beautiful hike. Either head north or south on this trail and be amazed. Secret beaches along the way dotted throughout the trail. Lone Ranch - one of my favorite beaches and surprisingly never as frequented as some of the others. It's insanely beautiful - everything you want for an Oregon coast beach - huge sea stacks, gorgeous views of cliffs and wind swept hills and lots of beautiful rocks to collect. Keep your eyes peeled for a painted rock. There are loads of them here. Harris Beach State Park - lots of little trails to discover and some impressive tide pools. Such a beautiful area and great viewpoints!

I ended my spring break Oregon trip with a drive-through this state park on our way onto Brookings and out of Oregon. I have had this place bookmarked for about a year, and I am so happy that I finally got to see it. Arch Rock is very cool, Natural Bridges however, is breathtaking. Bring a good camera! If you were driving anywhere along the coast of Oregon make sure you make your way down to see these viewpoints, you will not be sorry that you did!

This place has been on my bucket list for a good couple of years and I finally got to check it out. It was very tricky to find. There must have been 5 or 6 signs that said "Samuel H Boardman State Park" which really threw me off. We pulled over on the Indian Sands view point. The trail was extremely steep, I had to slide down on my bum part of the way but it was TOTALLY worth it. It's not far at all to the arch, just strenuous. The view was breathtaking, I would do it over again in a heartbeat. The dogs enjoyed it as well ;)

We hiked down to the natural bridges, they are so beautiful! We followed the trail head off to the left of the natural bridges sign, past the View point and headed down the trail. To access the bridges follow the trail until you see a post off to the right and the trail forks, take the trail by that Post if you want to go down to the natural bridges. I suggest wearing hiking boots. Parts of the trail are steep & narrow. I would rate this a moderate hike. It's not long, but pretty steep & parts were kind of challenging.

BOARDMAN STATE SCENIC CORRIDOR takes the form of series of parks located along 12 miles of highway, not far north of the border between Oregon and California. Boardman Corridor includes about 27 miles of hiking trails. The main reason to travel to Boardman Corridor is to insert oneself in the unique picture-postcard scenery that is found all along the Oregon coastline. Seastacks worthy of photography are not much found along the California coastline, except, for example, at Jenner, CA at the mouth of the Russian River. What is unique to the Oregon coastline is the many seastacks and occasional sea arches. Of course, dramatic seastacks and arches can be found all the way up to the Columbia River, but those at Boardman Corridor are of astonishing beauty. SECRET BEACH. In particular, I am referring to the collection of seastacks that are visible at a place called, "Secret Beach." Secret Beach is identified by a small sign, and the turnoff is merely a dirt area by the highway. Please see my attached photographs from Secret Beach. From the highway, one takes a narrow dirt trail that leads through thick bushes located to the right and to the left. The hike only takes about ten minutes. The best photographs can be taken on an overcast day. Also, the nature of the tides will markedly influence your ability to mingle among the seastacks. OTHER BEACHES AND PLACES NEAR BOARDMAN CORRIDOR. During my trip, I explored several turnoffs from HARRIS BEACH to the south and GOLD BEACH to the north. We stayed at one of the motels at GOLD BEACH, and dined at two of the restaurants. From the motel balcony, we saw two whales. One of the restaurants, located next to the motel, was superb and had gourmet seafood. The other restaurant, where we had breakfast, was funky and friendly and served typical family-style breakfast. To conclude, once the tourist has seen the best of the best of what Oregon can offer, namely, CRATER LAKE and MULTNOMAH FALLS, my opinion is that BOARDMAN CORRIDOR is a good candidate for being the "third-best" spot for landscape photography.

This state park was amazing! I had read an article about the park about a month before my trip and after seeing that it was a relatively unknown park with very little traffic I decided to add it my itinerary. That turned out to be an excellent decision. The park was indeed empty as we were the only car parked at the Indian Sands trail head. We grabbed our gear and set out to find the perfect view. We definitely found it. We hiked maybe about 1/2 a mile and came to this cliff edge where we got the most gorgeous view. We sat and admired it for some time. I wish we had set aside more time so we could have seen a few more of the views in scenic corridor. I'll be back here again someday and I can't wait for it. Please check this place out if you are in SW Oregon. In fact if you are in Oregon at all make sure you add this park to your list. I give the Samuel H Boardman Sate Park 5 Doubledays.

Samuel H Boardman State Park is actually made up of several stops along the 101. At each stop, it looks like you've just ended up at a pullout on the side of the road. You have to walk in a little further to find trails that will lead you down. Since I arrived close to sunset, there wasn't much time to explore/hike which was unfortunate. Some trails to reach the beach may be long and steep, so if you're aiming for sunset shots, keep that in mind. Keep your eyes open for signs as you're driving, because Google maps/GPS won't be very useful for this park. To get the full experience of the parks, I would definitely set aside a few hours to fully explore the park - you can get a few good pictures with a short walk from the parking area but this seems like the kind of place that has a lot of hidden treasures.

It is basically a long stretch of road where you get the chance to drive along the coast and stop at all of these beautiful sights. We got to do a little bit of hiking too! It was very beautiful although after like 5 stops I felt like I got the point and didn't need to keep stopping at every single one. Highlight - Thunder Rock Viewpoint

This spot is apparently not very well-known but it is a hidden gem. We went during peak hours on Saturday and essentially hiked here on our own, who beaches to ourselves. I did not like the Whalehead beach bc it was incredibly windy and the sand was just painful on open skin. We and the dogs struggled. The trails are well-maintained, restrooms too. And the views are unbeatable.

This is a state park. It should be a national park. It is that beautiful. Be warned, a lot of the trails have maintenance issues. Some of the spots are also had to find and we even had one of those "official" hiking books. That said, this is some of the most stunning coastline you will see. It is a unique mix of rocks, rock bridges, and little beaches (some hidden). Arch Rock Overlook is a must, it is on the far north end. Natural Bridges Overlook is also a must, it is in the middle. Cape Ferrelo Overlook is the final must in the south. If you are a hiker, then that opens up several other spots that would allow you to easily kill 2-3 days looking around everything. Most all of Oregon's State Parks are free of charge, this is no different.

The drive is great, but for goodness sakes, STOP YOUR CAR AND TAKE A HIKE! You can see a lot from the road but even more by hiking just a few minutes. There are too many possibilities to list here - check out the park's website for a nice map. You can do lots of short jaunts or string them together for a long dayhike. Either way, one of my favorite spots on earth.

This whole corridor.. I'm at a loss for words. Every single hiking trail is a pure treat, unlike no other. Beautiful seascapes, amazing beach treats and picturesque points! This corridor should be a must for anyone traveling oregon! Especially the thunder rock cove/natural bridge area! Highly recommend!

Absolutely beautiful! My two young boys and I especially enjoyed Secret Beach. There are no signs to it but once you find the trail it's piece of cake down to the beach. We lucked out with amazing weather and the water was even tolerable. Enjoy the spectacular vistas and beaches!