For years, we’ve wanted to visit the Oregon Coastline, especially the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor. The Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor is a stunning condensed version of the whole Oregon Coast. Within a 12-mile stretch, this scenic corridor offers everything from beautiful sea stacks and rugged coastline to stunning beaches, amazing viewpoints, and arches, as well as dunes and incredible hikes. Since the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor is tucked in the southwest corner of Oregon, it is quite remote and takes some effort to get here. Even so, we highly recommend spending some time here. It’s worth it.
The Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor is 12 miles of coastline along the Oregon Coast. It spreads out from Brookings to Gold Beach off Highway 101. There are tons of viewpoints, pullouts, beaches, and trailheads along the way so visitors can enjoy the rugged beauty of the area. Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor also includes 18 miles of the Oregon Coast Trail, an incredible 362-mile backpacking trail that crosses through secluded sandy beaches, coastal towns, sea stacks, and forest-shaded corridors.
If you prefer good weather, the best time to visit the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor is from late summer to early fall. During this time, the area has the least rain and more daylight. This means you have more time to enjoy the stunning scenery. However, it is also peak season, so you should expect a larger crowd.
The end of August through October is also another good window to visit the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor. It is less crowded; however, you should bring a rain jacket just in case.
You can visit the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor in one day; however, we recommend spending at least 2 or 3 days here. We spent 1 full day here. Even though we could see most of everything in 1 day, we felt rushed. We wished we had budgeted an extra day so we could take our time to explore the area.
The Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor itself is free of charge. However, some places along the Oregon Coast require either an Oregon Pacific Coast Passport or a National Park Pass. There will be signs at each place indicating so.
There is little to no service along the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor on Highway 101. So, make sure to come prepared. We usually use the save function on Google Maps to save and mark the spots that we want to visit. Then, we download offline maps from Google Maps. This way, we can still navigate to all of our locations even without reception.
Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor is located near the border of California and Oregon, along the Oregon Coast Highway 101. The corridor stretches for 12 miles with no official visitor center. There are signs along the highway that indicate that you’re entering the corridor. The corridor is only about 25 miles North of our favorite Redwood National Park, 314 miles from Portland, and 209 miles from Eugene.
Here is a list of the viewpoints and stops along the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor. Most of these viewpoints are right off the road and easily accessible. If you don’t have time, you can drive to these spots. If you want to hike, there are many trails connecting one viewpoint to another. Please note that some of these trails are only available during low tides. Please make sure to check the tide table before attempting your hikes. Our list starts from the stop closest to Brooking, CA.
Lone Ranch Beach and Picnic Area is our first stop at Samuel H. Boardman. From the parking lot, there are a couple of short trails leading down the beach. This long, crescent-shaped beach is quite large and has tons of interesting rock formations scattered throughout. There are also tidepools tucked away at the further end of the beach. And if you’re visiting in the Spring, there are tons of wildflowers.
Cape Ferrelo is our next stop along the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor. Right at the parking lot, there are stunning views of the coastline below. When we visited, there were Purple Foxglove blooming along the cliff, accentuating the already gorgeous scenery. Besides the Purple Foxglove, we also saw Salal, Common Cowparsnip, and Iris here. If you’re up for some hiking, you can hike the Coast Trail to either Lone Ranch Beach or to House Rock Viewpoint, which is our next stop.
Above the stairs of the House Rock Viewpoint, you’ll get more views of the rugged coastline. When we went, it was overcast, so we couldn’t see much. However, if you go on a clear day, you could see pretty far out. Here, you’ll also find the commemorative statue of Superintendent Samuel H. Boardman, that park’s namesake. As we mentioned above, you can take the trail from the left and hike from here to Cape Ferrelo Viewpoint, or go right and continue along the Oregon Coast Trail.
Whaleshead Beach in Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor gets its name from a rock formation that resembles a whale’s spout rising out of the water. To get here, you’ll have to drive a gravelly, bumpy road to a small parking lot. From the parking lot, there is a small trail leading down to the beach. There are picnic tables and a vault toilet near the parking lot. Although some of these tables are merged with the surrounding landscape, as the vegetation overgrows them. Whaleshead Beach is beautiful, especially on a foggy day. It is more than a mile long. There are tons of rooms if you want to be away from the crowd. While we were there, we had the whole place to ourselves.
Indian Sands is an interesting spot along the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor. There are dunes at the bottom of the cliffs. The sand here comes from sandstone, not the ocean. This is one of the stops that requires a bit more effort. You’ll need to hike the 1-mile loop trail to get the views. This trail is a bit confusing. It is also at times steep and sandy. It is also very poorly marked. There are two trailheads at the parking lot. Since it is a loop, you can go either direction. We went clockwise first since we didn’t realize it was a loop.
The trail down is very steep. We weren’t expecting it to be steep, so we didn’t wear the appropriate footwear. If you go, we highly recommend wearing hiking shoes. After the steep descent, we went down the dunes. Here, we were greeted with the beautiful coastline with a really cool sea arch. We didn’t finish the loop, but you can continue if you like.
From the small parking lot, it is a short walk to a viewpoint for the Thomas Creek Bridge. Thomas Creek Bridge is the highest bridge in Oregon, at 345 ft. From the parking lot, there is a short coastal access trail leading to the beach. We didn’t have time on the day we went, so we skipped it.
If you’re on social media, we’re sure you’ve seen many photos of this iconic spot. Natural Bridges is the most famous spot in the entire Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor. After pulling into a small parking lot on the side of the road, it is a short and easy walk to the viewpoint for Natural Bridges. You can see the stunning double sea arches known as Natural Bridges safely from a wooden platform. If you’re up for some hiking, you can either go left or right to follow along the Oregon Coast Trail
Secret Beach is our favorite beach in the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor. It is a little tricky to find because the trail is unmarked. To get here, look for a small, unmarked lot about 0.5 miles north of the parking lot for Natural Bridges. The parking lot is small and rocky, tucked behind the guardrail. There are a couple of trailheads. You can go either way. However, the easiest route is to go right. We went left first, and it was not only steep but also confusing to find our way. The trail on the right leads straight down to the beach. Either way you go, make sure to wear hiking shoes with good traction
We recommend visiting during low tides. This way, you’ll have more access to the beach. Once we got down to the beach, we were blown away by how beautiful Secret Beach was. This beach reminds us of the Hidden Beach in Klamath, California. There are stunning sea stacks scattered throughout the beach. These sea stacks turn an ordinary beach into a dramatic scenery out of the Avatar movie.
This is our last stop on the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor. From the parking lot, you can take the short 0.2-mile loop to a few overlooks with wonderful views of the coastline and the Arch Rock below. Although similar, we prefer the Arch Rock from Joshua Tree National Park more. But the view here is still spectacular. This trail weaves underneath the trees and is quite scenic. There were tons of irises lining the trail when we went there.
If you like the coastline and coastal hikes, check out the Bluff Trail near San Luis Obispo and the Ho Chi Minh Trail in San Diego. If you’re spending more time in Oregon, we recommend checking the Trails of Ten Falls and the Waterfalls Corridor near Portland. We haven’t seen that many waterfalls in one area!
Happy Adventuring. Don’t forget to check out the related posts below for more inspiration on your upcoming adventures. While at it, follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel! We’ll love you forever!
These are the gear that we personally use and find helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
Our favorite biodegradable, eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen!
This is Vy's favorite hiking bag! It has tons of room for snacks and water!
It's always good to bring a GPS tracker with you. We use the Garmin inReach.
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
If you tend to have foot blisters on hikes, get this! We use this all the time.
These hiking poles are sturdy, and great to help keep your balance on short or longer hikes
Compact GoPro pole that extends to 25", perfect to bring on your adventure.
This is our go-to camera for all of our adventures. It comes with us everywhere!
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Hi! We are Dustin & Vy, the proud creators of Live That Adventure. We created this website because we wanted to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest. On here, you’ll find everything from hiking, canyoneering, kayaking, and snorkeling to adventure and travel tips, gear reviews, and bucket list items such as bungee jumping or wing walking. We’ll show you the ropes so you can do them too!
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