Florence Offers Even More To The Beachfront Playground
Words and Photos: Betsy Fessler
Florence, Oregon is the least talked about riding area of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (ODNRA). That didn’t slow us down much from planning a trip there, though. After all, a day in the dunes is far better than a great day at work, right? So we spent a few days checking Florence out.
As the most northern section of the ODNRA, Florence is seemingly the least busy. It’s landscaping is unique with trees and beach access. It has open dune riding areas as well as sand trails throughout.
With only a few camping options, we found last minute reservations for our group at the Driftwood II campground https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232182. Driftwood II is at the south end of the Florence dunes, about 30 minutes north of Winchester Bay. That proximity makes it easy to combine several ride spots in one vacation, which is exactly what we did.
When we arrived at Driftwood II, we realized why ours were the only camp spots left. We were camped right in front of the bathrooms! Many people walked through our camp each day. There was a positive side though. We got to meet everyone in the campground as they used the facilities. And thankfully, there were friendly staff that cleaned them frequently.
The Driftwood II campground is all asphalt. There are no hookups. Sites are available for long rigs, which is a plus for our group. There are showers in the campground too, which made saving water and holding tank space easier. Gas and groceries are available in Florence, which is about a 10 mile drive north of the campground. If you’re coming from the south, it is easier to get gas and other necessities in Reedsport.
We had our UTVs quickly unloaded and camp set up. It was an understatement to say that we were all anxious to check out the riding area. We suited up and took off for a few hours to explore.
The drive from the campground to the dunes is fairly short. In no time, we were out in open sand to play. The dunes just outside of Driftwood are short. We had to stay aware though. These small dunes hide witch eyes and other hazards which could easily ruin your day. Further out are larger dunes amongst several tree islands. The islands are remnants of forest that are now surrounded by sand.
We passed several groups of trailers sand camping during our ride. Eventually, we found our way to the oceanfront from Beach Sand Road. Noticing a 25 mph speed limit sign, we cruised slowly and enjoyed the sound of the waves and the smell of the ocean air. There are very few places where you can ride along an open beach. It is always a treat when we have the opportunity to.
During our ride, we observed several extra large buggies slowly laboring through the dunes. Apparently, there are two companies that give dune tours in Florence. Throughout our stay, we saw these huge vehicles taking people for rides. It was fun to see tourists experiencing a taste of what we have all enjoyed for decades.
We returned to camp for a snack and waited for sunset. Our group has a ritual that whenever we are together at the Oregon Dunes, almost every night, we all gather our UTVs on a tall dune for sunset. Sometimes it is hard to get back out of my lawn chair after a long day of riding. But I’m often treated to the most vivid color displays Mother Nature has to offer, and am always glad I went.
I noticed hiking trails right behind our camp site. So the next morning, I laced up my hiking boots, leashed up our dogs, and went for a walk. We started in a flat area meandering through dense beach grass. But soon after, the terrain changed. We were ascending. The landscape changed to a well-groomed trail with a beautiful thick green canopy of trees and fern. No one else was around, so I took the dogs off leash to explore freely while I powered up my GPS. I didn’t want to get lost! I noticed that I was headed straight for a geocache.
I can never pass up the opportunity to find a cache, so I navigated to it. It was a hard bugger to find, but I prevailed. However, I didn’t have a pen to sign the log. Being the diehard that I am, I hiked all the way back to camp, got a pen and hiked all the way back to sign the log.
It was a great hike. When I returned, I told the kids in camp about the geocache. They were excited to explore and to find the cache, so I gave them my GPS. They successfully navigated and found it too. Unfortunately though, the next morning I found and removed the largest tick I’ve ever seen on one of our dogs. So if you hike this area, remember to check yourself as well as your pets when you’re done.
I’d also never seen the town of Florence before. The following day part of our group stayed in camp and rode the dunes. The rest of us took a truck ride to town to investigate all that Florence has to offer. There are many antique stores and boutiques to meander. We enjoyed browsing for treasures. We didn’t buy anything, but we did find Los Amigos Burrito, a little Mexican restaurant that was really busy. Mexican food is one of our all-time favorites, and we were hungry. The locals were there for their Taco Tuesday special, so we followed suit. The tacos were so delicious; so we bought and ate more!
Our last day in Florence was spent riding the dunes again and enjoying the beach. One of our group members is an Odd Fellow, and the Odd Fellows have an RV park in Florence with dune access. It is the Jesse T. Jones Odd Fellows Park. It is nicely appointed and well maintained. We located the entrance, and drove in to have a look. Anyone can be a guest there once, provided that you are camping along with an Odd Fellows member. Their website is http://www.jessejonesioofpark.com/.
Even though duners don’t talk about Florence as frequently as Coos Bay or Winchester Bay, the Florence dunes still have much to offer. It is one of the only dune areas in the country with beach access. It is also near the quaint town of Florence, known for its mix of boutiques, restaurants and antique stores. Fit in a few extra days and combine it with a trip to Winchester Bay. See what Florence has waiting for you.
