Blacklock Point and the Southern Coast

I don't quite remember how I got to know about Blacklock Point, probably with a picture seen on the web. I do know however that I've been wanting to go there for a couple of years now. Then one day at the end of August, I went there, just like a Chasseur d'Images (images hunter), trying to add pictures of those superb cliffs to my collection.

Blacklock Point

Blacklock Point is not very well known, even though it's one of the most beautiful places on the Oregon coast. And it's not too difficult to see why. It's located 3 miles (4.7 km) away from highway 101 and there is no signpost for it on that main highway of the coast. Since I left a little on a whim, I forgot the maps and could not find the turn off to Blacklock Point. I had to call someone with access to the Internet in order to get directions from Google Maps.

The trailhead for Blacklock Point is at the end of Airport Road, just next to the old airport. To get to Blacklock Point, just follow the main trail and the signposts. Blacklock Point is undeniably beautiful, but also keep an eye out for the floras and the forest on the way there.

For a closer view of the sandstone cliff, go back the trail to the first intersection and take the trail to Floras Lake, to the north. Now things get a little complicated. I knew where the cliff is. I kind of guess where I needed to be to have the view of the cliff I had in my head. But the problem was that the bushes are really thick and tall (shoulder height at places), which prevented me to get to where I wanted to be. After about haft an hour of bushwhacking, I did manage to find a view of the cliff, but not where I wanted.

The sandstone cliff is about 100 feet high and goes along the beach all the way to Floras Lake. It's on that side that one can access the beach for a hike along the foot of the cliff, an activity that should be done at low tide only. I've heard that because of erosions, the view of the cliff from Floras Lake end is not as nice as it used to be, but I did not walk all the way to the lake to verify.

Cape Blanco

Cape Blanco is the westernmost point in Oregon, and even perhaps in the contiguous United States (it is in contention with Cape Alava in Washington for the title). Cape Blanco Lighthouse, which is in service since 1870, is the southernmost lighthouse in Oregon and is part of Cape Blanco State Park. There are numerous hiking trails and horse riding trails in the park. Easy access to the beach also provides scenic promenades.

Because California is warmer in the summer, it sucks the cooler air from up north, causing the wind in southern Oregon coast to always blow from north to south, and often quite strong. When I was at Cape Blanco, the wind was quite strong all night long and into the morning. The gusts were strong enough that I had some hard time holding the camera straight to take pictures.

Bandon

If you like finding solitude on large beaches with superb view, plan a visit to Bandon. The beaches at Bandon State Park, whose many access can be found along Beach Loop Road, are practically void of people and go for miles and miles. The rocks formation at Bandon Ocean Bayside offers opportunities to take interesting pictures, especially around sunset and low tide. Unfortunately I had to leave before sunset and could not hang around to take the pictures of the sun setting that I had in mind. That's good enough reason for me to come back in the future.

Practical Details

Date of the trip: end of August 2012

I arrived at Cape Blanco State Park well after dark. The campground there was already full, but fortunately for me, they let me camp at the Horse Camp ($17 fee) since there were no horses there that day. I never thought that campgrounds could be full on a week day, on a week that is nowhere close to a long holiday weekend.

Even though Blacklock Point is not well known, the entire Oregon coast is very popular in the summer. Consequently campgrounds fill up most of the times. So it's better to plan in advance or be flexible.

Nearest State Parks with campgrounds are Cape Blanco, Bullards Beach and Humbug Mountain state parks. For more details, see this map.

In general, it's easier to find vacancy at the many hotels and motels in town. The only exception is during those long holiday weekends or during heat wave periods in the valley. Closest towns to Blacklock Point are Bandon to the north and Port Orford to the south.

Last updated: 2012-10-21 19:39:19 -0700