Brookings-Harbor is the most southern city on the Oregon Coast. Five miles (8 km) south of the city limits on Highway 101 is California.
Get in
Map of Brookings-Harbor
By car
There is one road into Brookings, Highway 101, which is the town's main street. In town it is also known as Chetco Avenue.
By bus
- SouthWest Point, (Bus stop) Rays Market @ 906 Chetco Ave, ☏ 1 541 883-2609, toll-free: 1-888-900-2609. Inter-city bus service serving southwestern Oregon and Del Norte County, California. The bus runs to Brookings from Smith River, Crescent City, Cave Junction, Grants Pass, Medford, Ashland, and Klamath Falls. Fares $13-50 based on distance.
Get around
The main strip in Brookings is Highway 101, aka Chetco Avenue. Other common roads in town are Railroad Street, Easy Street, and Ransom Street which will navigate you around the library, school, community pool, and community fields and parks. From there you can get pretty much anywhere in town.
See
Beaches
The main attractions in Brookings and Harbor are the beautiful clean beaches.
- 2 Crissey Beach. Crissey Field State Park is located at the mouth of the Winchuck River. It has a state-of-the-art visitors center and miles of beach.
- 3 Harris Beach. Possibly the most well known beach in Brookings, it is a very popular spot for camping and flying kites. It's also a place where you can witness one of the most gorgeous sunsets in Oregon.
- Sporthaven Beach. South Jetty Beach is popular for surfing, enjoying the scenery, trailer camping, and you can also see commercial fishing vessels come in and out of the jetty. Below is a great picture of a local boat trying to cross the bar in hazardous conditions.
- 4 Lone Ranch Beach. A very secluded beach, it is mainly used for nice long walks or a warm camp fire in the evening.
- Whaleshead Beach. Whaleshead beach has a beautiful resort right next to it. This provides a great place for vacationers to take a stroll on the beach or build a sand castle.
Lighthouses
Two lighthouses are visible from or in the Brookings Harbor area.
- 5 Pelican Bay Lighthouse. Pelican Bay Lighthouse is privately owned and tours are rarely offered, but it is clearly visible from Sporthaven Beach or the commercial boat basin.
- 6 St. George Reef Lighthouse. The St. George Reef Lighthouse is visible (during clear weather) on the ocean horizon from many high points in Brookings and Harbor. It is accessible only by boat or by helicopter.
Do
- Salmon Fishing Fishing is a fun activity while you are in Brookings. Whether it is on the Pacific Ocean or the Chetco River, you always have a good chance of catching a salmon when the season is open. If you don't know much about salmon fishing there are many guides around town that will be more than happy to take you out and catch a big one, for a price.
- Bruin Sports If you are new to the area or just looking for something to do, attend a Brookings-Harbor High School sports game and witness the strong support the community has for its local teams. Check for game listings in the local newspaper, the Curry Coastal Pilot.
- Chetco River The river is a beautiful place to camp, fish, have a camp fire, picnic, and swim during the summer. Just take the North Bank Road off of Highway 101 just north of the Chetcto River Bridge and you will run into many river bars and camp sites such as Loeb Park, Miller Bar, Little Redwood, and South Fork.
- Redwood Theater. If you want to see the latest movies, the Redwood Theater has between two and four movies playing seven days a week. The theater has undergone a major remodel, including a second screen with stadium seating.
- Chetco Community Public Library, 405 Alder St, ☏ 1 541 469-7738. The local library has a great selection of books, magazines, and newspapers to fulfill all of your literature needs.
- Hiking Trails. There are several easy hiking trails in the area, including the Bomb Site Trail, where in 1942 a Japanese bomber firebombed the area in hopes of starting a forest fire, and Chetco Point Park, where your choice of trails can lead to a tiny, sheltered beach or a spectacular bluff overlooking Pelican Bay and the Pacific Ocean.
- Azalea Park. Azalea Park is known as the "Jewel of Brookings." It features a large playground known as "KidTown," sand volleyball courts, soccer and baseball fields, horseshoe pits, the "Octopus Tree," the "Capella by the Sea," and several miles of walking trails.
- Camping. Brookings has several campgrounds, including Harris Beach State Park, Loeb State Park and Little Redwood Campground.
- Brookings-Harbor Museum. The museum is the oldest building in the area and features a collection of antique farm and logging memorabilia. It also features the largest California Cypress tree in Oregon.
- Whale-watching. Whale-watching is a popular activity in the Brookings area, especially during the autumn and spring gray whale migrations. Humpback whales, bowfin whales, and occasionally blue whales or orcas are often seen from Harris Beach State Park and Cape Ferello overlooks.
Buy
There are several classic gift shops in Brookings.
- Windjammer, Chetco Ave (in the center of downtown Brookings, across from the movie theater). Windjammer features kites, flags and whirlygigs.
- Beachfront Gifts. Beachfront Gifts is in Harbor, between the commercial boat basin and Sporthaven Beach. It features classic travel gifts, including sweatshirts and t-shirts. Pelican Bay Lighthouse is clearly visible from the store's parking lot.
Eat
- Bakery By The Sea.
|*Mattie's Pancake & Omelette. Excellent omelettes! Great, friendly service. Always can put a smile on you face, or your pancake.
- Oceanside Diner. Good biscuits and gravy, even better to hear the local fisherman tell stories in the morning.
Lunch
- Hungry Clam.
- La Flor De Mexico. Excellent and affordable Mexican buffet.
Dinner
- Chan's Restaurant.
- O'Holleran's.
- Rancho Viejo.
Pizza
- Fat Cat Pizza.
- Wild River Pizza Company. Native to Brookings, this pizza parlor has a unique tasting pizza that is loved by the locals.
- Zola's Pizzeria. Family owned and operated pizzeria on Chetco Avenue, all of their ingredients are fresh and baked in their fiery brick oven.
- O'Holleran's Steak House.
- Sporthaven Bar and Grill. Located in the Port of Brookings-Harbor, this is a good place to drink with the local fishermen.
Sleep
- Wild Rivers Motor Lodge, Chetco Ave.
- Best Western Beach Front Inn, 16008 Lower Harbor Rd.
- Best Western Inn, 1143 Chetco Ave.
- Bonn Motel of Brookings, 1216 Chetco Ave.
- Chetco River Inn-Lavender Bee, 21202 High Prairie Rd.
- Holmes Sea Cove Bed & Breakfast, 17350 Holmes Dr.
- Ocean Suites, 16045 Lower Harbor Rd.
- Pacific Sunset Inn, 1144 Chetco Ave.
- Portside Suites, 16220 Lower Harbor Rd.
- Spindrift Motor Inn, 1215 Chetco Ave.
- Whaleshead Beach Resort, 19921 Whaleshead Rd.
Go next
| Routes through Brookings-Harbor |
| Coos Bay ← Gold Beach ← | N  S | → Crescent City → Eureka |