Southern Oregon Coast: Brookings and Harbor
The nearby towns of Brookings and Harbor, about 15 miles south of the cabin, provide any essentials you may need. We frequented the Fred Meyer for finger foods and snacks for day trips and much of our meal prep in the mornings and evenings.
Brookings and Harbor have a unique climate on the Oregon coast, experiencing a phenomenon called the Brookings Effect not that dissimilar to the Santa Ana winds in California, where offshore flow brings inland warm temps down to the coast via mountain valleys. This effect can also act adversely in bringing wildfires dangerously close to the population center.
This part of the Oregon coast is quite remote, the only way in and out are north or south on Hwy 101, there is no safe navigable route through the wild and complex mountain ranges that converge between the coast and Interstate 5. The area has seen tragedies such as the Kim Family who tried to find a shortcut to Gold Beach, a town about 30 miles north of Brookings, from inland but got turned around and stranded on an impassible unimproved winter road. The Rogue River still sends US Mail via boat from Gold Beach to communities and residents with no other route near Agnes.
This photo of the Port of Brookings Harbor shows how away from the beaches and coastal bluffs with influence from the ocean breeze, the smoke coming down from the Chetco Bar Fire hugged the ground in town. The Port is supposed to be the busiest recreation port on the Oregon coast and one of the safest bars to cross due to topographical protection.
Harris Beach State Park
Just up Hwy 101 from Brookings and Harbor is Harris Beach State Park with many of its own sea stacks and magnificent rocks. We ate lunch here after getting take-out in Brookings, then did a whole lot of people and wave watching, and enjoyed the respite from the smoke in town after running errands.
Another view looking north at Harris Beach State Park.
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