This 12-mile stretch of Highway 101 packs sea arches, blowholes and cliff-edge lookouts into one drive

 

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Most Oregon coast stops give you one big viewpoint and send you on your way. The Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor does something greedier, lining 12 ocean-hugging miles of Highway 101 between Brookings and Gold Beach with sea arches, blowholes and cliff-edge lookouts.

It’s open for day use year round, and most of the best stops are a short walk from a pullout. So how do you tackle it without spending the whole day in the car? Pick two or three stops and give each one real time.

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Natural Bridges is the stop to protect

If you only have time for one stop, make it Natural Bridges. The Natural Bridges Cove trail is 0.5 miles out and back with about 154 feet of climbing, and it ends at viewpoints over rock arches and blowholes.

Here’s my one confident opinion: this is the best short walk in the corridor, and it’s not close. Just know the trail is narrow with steep drop-offs and no barriers, it can be dusty and slippery, and poison oak grows nearby. The path down can also close seasonally, so check with Oregon State Parks before you commit.

Arch Rock and Spruce Island: the easy win

Arch Rock comes with paved parking and a brief walk to the overlook, which makes it the lowest-effort payoff on the whole drive. Spruce Island sits right alongside it, so the two pair up into one quick stop.

This is the spot for travelers who want the postcard shot without breaking a sweat. Picture rock and surf doing their slow work right below you.

Thunder Rock Cove and Secret Beach

The corridor also tucks in a couple of coves worth the detour. Thunder Rock Cove, sometimes called Seal Cove, is one of them, and Secret Beach (also known as Miners Beach) is the other.

Beach access along this stretch depends on the tide and on the current state of the trails and pullouts. Check a tide chart and the Oregon State Parks page for the corridor before you head down, and skip any route that looks sketchy.

Whaleshead, House Rock and Cape Ferrelo

Whaleshead Beach offers easy, flat access to the sand. Cape Ferrelo has a 1-mile hike with sunset views and a reputation for whale watching, and a 4-mile trail connects it to House Rock Viewpoint.

Cape Ferrelo is where I’d end the day, with the sun dropping toward the horizon. Rhetorical question: what’s a better way to close out a coast drive?

Make a weekend of it

Brookings is the natural home base, and our guides to things to do in Brookings and Harris Beach State Park will fill in the rest of your itinerary. Want trail-by-trail detail? Our full Samuel H. Boardman hiking guide goes deeper.

Trip tips: grab a rental car to get out here, lock in your hotel before the good rooms are gone, or skip both and book a camper van instead.

Rules and fees change — always confirm current requirements before you go.

Which stop would you pull over for first? Tell us in the comments.

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