24 miles S of Coos Bay, 85 miles W of Roseburg, 54 miles north of Gold Beach
Once known primarily as the cranberry capital of Oregon (you can see the cranberry bogs south of town along U.S. 101), Bandon is now better known for its world-class Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. It’s also set on one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the state, where the Coquille River empties into the Pacific. Just south of town, the beach is littered with boulders, monoliths, and haystack rocks that seem to have been strewn by some giant hand. Sunsets are stunning.
During the steamboat age, Bandon was a popular stopping-off point for passengers traveling between San Francisco and Seattle (there was no I-5 or U.S. 101 back then). The town became known as the “Playground of the Pacific.” A devastating fire in 1936 put an end to Bandon’s playground days. Today, a waterfront boardwalk connects Bandon with the Coquille River and the historic Coquille Lighthouse, one of only a handful of buildings to survive the fire. But even with its post-fire buildings, Bandon exerts a charm all its own and has the quaint feel of a historic seaside village that attracts artists, craftspeople, backpackers, retirees, and lots and lots of golfers
