The largest coastal sand dunes in North America stretch for 65 kilometres along this stretch of Oregon coast, with some crests rising over 150 metres. The area begins just south of Florence and runs all the way to Coos Bay. Most visitors come for ATV and dune buggy riding on the open sand sheets — rentals are available along Highway 101 — but the dunes reward quieter exploration too. Hiking trails wind through wind-sculpted ridges, forested pockets, and deflation plains before opening onto wide Pacific beaches with no one in sight.
The Tahkenitch and Umpqua dunes trails offer half-day hikes across the most dramatic terrain. Swimming in the freshwater lakes trapped behind the dunes — Cleawox and Woahink — is popular in summer and far calmer than the ocean surf.