Brookings-Harbor is the last Oregon coast town before California, and it feels more like a meeting point than an endpoint. The Chetco River reaches the Pacific here, fog catches on headlands and sea stacks, and the redwood country begins just over the state line.
The town is a practical base, but the coast around it is the reward. Harris Beach State Park gives you broad sand, tide pools, and offshore rocks; Chetco Point Park has quick headland views; and Azalea Park is at its best in bloom.
Brookings-Harbor is worth a stop if you are driving the coast slowly. It is quieter than the busier central Oregon beaches, with enough trails, overlooks, and river-mouth wandering to fill a spare day.