Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area
| Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area | |
|---|---|
|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
  | |
| Location | Oregon, United States |
| Nearest city | North Bend, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 43°43′27″N 124°10′39″W / 43.72417°N 124.17750°WCoordinates: 43°43′27″N 124°10′39″W / 43.72417°N 124.17750°W |
| Area | 31,566 acres (12,774 ha)[1] |
| Established | March 23, 1972 |
| Visitors | roughly 1,500,000 (in 2005) |
| Governing body | United States Forest Service |
| Website | Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area |
The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (or NRA) is located on the Oregon Coast, stretching approximately 40 miles (60 km) north from the Coos River in North Bend, to the Siuslaw River, in Florence. The NRA is part of Siuslaw National Forest and is administered by the United States Forest Service. The dunes adjoin Honeyman State Park.
The Oregon Dunes are a unique area of windswept sand that is the result of millions of years of wind and rain erosion on the Oregon Coast. These are the largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in North America. Some dunes tower up to 500 feet (150 m) above sea level, providing numerous recreational opportunities including off-road vehicle use, hiking, photography, fishing, canoeing, horseback riding, and camping. The Carter Dunes Trail and Oregon Dunes Day Use provide disabled access for forest visitors.
In 1963, Congressman Robert B. Duncan introduced a bill to establish a National Park at the Oregon Dunes. It passed the Senate Interior Committee unanimously. Senator Wayne Morse opposed provisions of the bill that would have increased environmental protections by restricting property uses.[2]
Author Frank Herbert was inspired (in part) to write the famous science fiction novel Dune based on his research about the dunes of this area.[3]
An aerial view of the dunes near Coos Bay.
Sand dunes in the Recreation Area just outside Reedsport
Banshee Hill is the highest dune in Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area at 500 feet elevation.
References
- ↑ "Land Areas of the National Forest System" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-04-22.
- ↑ "Solons pass Dunes bill". The Oregonian. November 22, 1963.
- ↑ The Road to Dune (2005), p. 264, letter by Frank Herbert to his agent Lurton Blassingame outlining "They Stopped the Moving Sands."
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. |
- Official Forest Service Site
- Oregon Dunes Guide
- Coos Bay Dune Guide
- Florence Dune Guide
- Winchester Bay Dune Guide
- Coos Bay Trip Report
- Exploring the Oregon Dunes Video produced by Oregon Field Guide