7 Best Things to Do in Port Orford, OR

By VI Staff on January 13, 2020 - Updated

James Eddy/stock.adobe.com

Port Orford is a city in Curry County on the southern coast of Oregon. Port Orford is the westernmost community in Oregon, and the westernmost settlement in the 48 contiguous states. It is also the oldest town on the Oregon Coast. Port Orford is a charming fishing port and very active and renowned art community. Visitors come for the spectacular natural beauty and the lack of crowds. Port Orford is home to the Cape Blanco Lighthouse built in 1870. Cape Blanco State Park was established to protect the lighthouse and the 19th century Irish settler’s home. Humbug Mountain State Park is the 1,850-acre park and campground on the slopes of Humbug Mountain and surrounded by forested hills. The 1934 Port Orford Lifeboat Station is today a museum and interpretive center.

1.Cape Blanco Lighthouse

Cape Blanco Lighthouse in Port Orford, Oregon, was built in 1870 on the site originally covered by spruce forest that had to be cleared. It was constructed using locally made bricks, in order to warn ships away from the reefs and to offer a position fix for navigators. This isolated historic lighthouse is the Oregon’s oldest continually operating light, the most westerly lighthouse, the light with the highest focal plane above the sea at 256 feet and Oregon’s first lighthouse with a woman keeper - Mabel E. Bretherton. Cape Blanco lighthouse is open to visitors, who can climb into the still working lantern room and see the historic lens. .

Port Orford, Oregon

2.Cape Blanco State Park

Cape Blanco is a state park located at the Oregon's westernmost tip, perched high above the Pacific Ocean. The park features a 19th-century lighthouse as well as an early Irish settler's home. Cape Blanco Lighthouse was built in 1870 and is the oldest lighthouse on the Oregon coast. It is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Historic Hughes House was built in 1898 for Patrick and Jane Hughes. The 3,000-square foot farmhouse still has its quaint Victorian charm. Volunteers offer tour of the home, which allows visitors to learn about early 20th century farm life. The park has a number of sheltered campsites and eight miles of hiking trails along the area’s rugged coastline that lead to the beach.

Port Orford, Oregon

3.Humbug Mountain State Park

About six miles south of Port Orford, Oregon, is the 1,850-acre Humbug Mountain State Park and campground. The park is dominated by Humbug Mountain and surrounded by forested hills. The campground is famous for having some of the warmest weather on the Oregon coast since the surrounding mountains provide protection from sharp ocean breezes. Humbug Mountain is one of the tallest mountains in Oregon directly rising from the ocean. Its slopes are home to an old-growth temperate rainforest that includes Douglas-fir, grand fir, Oregon myrtle, spruce, alder and Western red cedar.

Port Orford, Oregon

4.Hughes Historic House

The Hughes House is a charming, meticulously restored Victorian home that provides visitors with a glimpse of the life at the turn of the last century. The 3,000-square-foot, 11-room ranch house was built in 1898 for the Hughes family, who owned more than 2,000 acres and operated a dairy farm on Cape Blanco. The house was constructed of old growth Port Orford Cedar on a terrace on the north side of Cape Blanco, enjoying panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean, the Sixes River and the distant hills. It is now operated by the Cape Blanco Heritage Society as a historic house museum. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places

91816 Cape Blanco Road , Port Orford, OR 97465

5.Port Orford Heads State Park

Port Orford Heads State Park is located in Port Orford, on the coast of the northwest Curry County, Oregon. This day-use only park was established in 1976 and is now operated by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The park is located on a scenic bluff above the city and has three main walking trails that run through it: the Cove, Tower and Headland. Depending on the time of the year, the trails offers spectacular views of commercial fishing boats, gray whales, orcas, California and Steller's sea lions, and many seabirds. All along the Headland Trail there is an unrestricted view of Cape Blanco. The trail is a popular whale watching spot in the fall. The 1934 Port Orford Lifeboat Station, today a museum and interpretive center, is located in the park.

Port Orford Heads St Wayside, Port Orford, OR 97465, Phone: 800-551-6949

6.Port Orford Lifeboat Station Museum

The 1934 Port Orford Lifeboat Station, today a museum and interpretive center, is located in Port Orford Heads State Park in Port Orford, in the northwest Curry County, Oregon. From 1934 to the 1960s U.S. Coast Guard was home to US Coast Guard “surfmen,” always alert for ships in distress. When a call came they would scramble down 532 steep, slippery steps on a 280-ft. cliff to reach their 36-ft boat. The self-righting motor lifeboat number 36498 can be seen today on the grounds of the museum, which is located in the former barracks/office building. The 101-acre site has four other historic buildings . This is the only Forge River-type station left on the West Coast.

92331 Coast Guard Hill Rd, Port Orford, OR 97465, Phone: 541-332-0521

7.The Wooden Nickel

The Wooden Nickel is a very special gift shop. It is located in Port Orford, on the south coast of Oregon, home of the myrtlewood tree. It is that myrtlewood tree that The Wooden Nickel artists use to make a range of wooden objects including beautifully crafted and polished bowls, candle holders, vases, plates and even religious objects. The store has been in continuous operation for more than 38 years. Visitors can come and take a tour of the gift shop and see how these amazing handmade gifts are made. Besides their signature Myrtlewood, they also work with Maple, Redwood and Port Orford Cedar, using wax, satin, and gloss finishes. All their products are available for sale online from their catalog. They also can create custom orders.

1205 Oregon St, Port Orford, OR 97465, Phone: 541-332-5201