Visitor Information about Port Orford, Oregon on Oregon's southern coast.

When you see this sign you know you are on the right road. Actually, there is no other option. US-101 is the only road down the Oregon Coast. For all but a few miles it is a two lane road.

As you can see on the map to the left, Port Orford is in about the center of Oregon’s South Coast, half way between Bandon and Gold Beach.

Port Orford is a quiet community devoid of crowds. You won’t find a stoplight in the town. The people here are friendly and unhurried so if you’re looking for a peaceful, relaxing vacation Port Orford may fit the bill.

There is an art colony in Port Orford and you will find eight artist owned art galleries in the area. World class art can be found in the Galleries.

Port Orford is the most westerly city in the continental United States and the gateway to Oregon’s Wild Rivers Coast.

Port Orford is also the oldest platted town site on the Oregon Coast

The Port at Port Orford

The photo to the right is looking down on the port facility from the top of the hill that leads down to the port. There are some benches and picnic tables along the road and the view is breathtaking.

The port at Port Orford isn’t typical, it is a “dolly” port located on open water.

The Port at Port Orford

Griff’s on the Bay

That means the boats are lifted out of the water and put on dollies rather that moored in the water.

There used to be a restaurant by the visitors center but we found it had closed permanently so someone told us to try Griff’s at the Port. Griff’s doesn’t look like a restaurant, more like a tackle shop so I don’t know if we would have tried it for lunch but it came

highly recommended. Guess what, it is a tackle shop but there is also a fish market, museum, some groceries and an 8-table restaurant hidden in there, too. We found the best fish & chips on the Oregon coast right here. My wife said the same about her meal. You can’t always go by the exterior with restaurants, it all about the cook.

While we were there we watched the whales swimming in the bay to the west of the Port facility

Griff’s on the Bay

The bay west of the Port Facility

The shore from the Port Facility west to Port Orford Head is rugged and cliffs of solid rock so there is little or no access but it is a different story from the Port Facility east and south and this large curved beach is sandy with some interesting rock formations coming up out of the sand and sea.

The photo below shows the beach from the Visitor Center. There are people on the beach in front of the

first rock on the shore. You can’t see them in this small version of the photo because they are just dots.

There is a lot to see and do in Port Orford. Don’t overlook the lifeboat station, lighthouse, the trails at Port Orford Head, the museums at both the Lighthouse and Port Orford Head, the Port, the whales, and much more.

The Bay west of the Port below the Visitor Center

Recommended Attractions in Port Orford, Oregon

Museums
Port Orford Lifeboat Station Museum 541-332-0521 92331 Coast Grade Hill Rd, Port Orford, OR 97465 http://www.portorfordlifeboatstation.org/	Hughes House Museum 541-332-2207 91100 Cape Blanco Rd, Port Orford, OR 97465 http://www.hugheshouse.org/
Parks
Cape Blanco State Park 39745 US-101 (9-mi. north of Port Orford) Port Orford, OR 97465 541-332-6774 Visit the Park's web site. Park Brochure PDF of Park brochure. All campsites first come, first served, 53 electrical sites, 4 cabins, 8 horse camp sites, and a group camp. Cape Blanco Lighthouse & Hughes House Museum 541-332-2207 91100 Cape Blanco Rd, Port Orford, OR 97465 http://www.hugheshouse.org/ Located at the end of the Cape Blanco highway 9-miles north of Port Orford. The oldest standing lighthouse on the Oregon coast is here. The Historic Hughs House, built in 1898 by a dairy farmer is open for public viewing.	Point Orford Head State Park 541-332-0521 Visit the Park's website. PDF version of Port Orford Head State Park Brochure. Brochure of Port Orford Head State Park. Port Orford Heritage Society Keepers of the Lifeboat Station Museum http://www.portorfordlifeboatstation.org/ The Coast Guard constructed the lifeboat station here in 1934. The old station is now a museum run by the Heritage Society and several trails begin at the museum. The old boathouse is gone, it burned in the 1970’s but there are still remains of the stairway, boathouse foundations (piling), marine railway the lifeboats were launched on, and breakwater.