Siuslaw National Forest

The only national forest in the continental United States with jurisdiction over ocean beaches, Siuslaw National Forest spans 630,000 acres along 135 miles of the spectacular Oregon Coast from Tillamook to Coos Bay. The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, the largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in North America stretching over 40 miles, offers OHV riding, hiking through towering dune fields, and access to isolated beaches where the Pacific surf meets wind-sculpted sand rising up to 500 feet above sea level. Temperate Sitka spruce rainforest, draped in moss and fern and nourished by over 100 inches of annual rainfall, covers the forest's Coast Range interior, providing critical habitat for marbled murrelets, northern spotted owls, and coho salmon. Cape Perpetua Scenic Area features the famous Thor's Well -- a natural saltwater fountain in the rocky shoreline -- along with the Spouting Horn, tide pools teeming with marine life, and the Cape Perpetua Viewpoint offering a 150-mile panoramic vista along the coast. The forest's streams and rivers, including the Alsea, Siuslaw, and Nestucca, support important runs of Chinook and coho salmon and steelhead trout that are vital to both commercial and sport fishing economies. The Drift Creek Falls Trail, with its dramatic 240-foot suspension bridge overlooking a 75-foot waterfall, has become one of the most photographed hiking destinations on the Oregon Coast.