Bicycling the Pacific Coast by Vicky Spring & Tom Kirkendall

Author:Vicky Spring & Tom Kirkendall
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Mountaineers Books
Published: 2012-05-29T00:00:00+00:00

Sunset Bay State Park to Humbug Mountain State Park (57 Miles)

Leaving Sunset Bay State Park, the route heads away from the coast and climbs to the ridge tops to catch sweeping views of Oregon’s coastal forest and South Slough Estuary. The tranquility of the ridge crest is followed by a screaming descent back to sea level, where the route returns to US 101 after 18.9 peaceful miles—but not for long. The bike route sticks with US 101 for just 2.7 miles before heading off again, this time for a tour along a spectacular section of sea stack–dotted coast at Bandon. Overlooks, state parks, and numerous access points to this unusual beach tempt riders to abandon their journey and explore.

Beyond Bandon, the bike route returns to US 101 and follows it over rolling, grassy hills miles inland from the coast. This is prime rangeland for cows, horses, sheep, goats, and even llamas. It’s also excellent riding country, and miles fly by without the distraction of waysides and scenic overlooks.

Humbug Mountain State Park, the day’s destination, has a treat for saddle-sore cyclists: a 2.5-mile hiking trail up Humbug Mountain. This trail is an excellent afternoon walk and the destination is a high vantage point with views south along the coast. Or you may walk north from the park on an abandoned portion of the Old Coast Highway. The road climbs up a small hill to a viewpoint of the coast and US 101, a great place to watch the sunset.

If you have any spare time during the day, consider a stop at Bullards Beach State Park, or a tour of the old town of Bandon. The state park features a lighthouse and museum located on a long, sandy spit at the mouth of the Coquille River, and excellent views of Bandon and the fishing marina. The old section of Bandon has a delightful selection of shops designed to please a starving cyclist, such as a bakery, fudge factory, and restaurants.

If you have a lot of extra energy, take a side trip (5 miles each way) out to Cape Blanco State Park, a lighthouse, and 100-year-old Hughes House (open Thursday through Monday, May through September). The cape is such a beautiful, secluded area that, once there, you may be tempted to stay.

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