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Whether you want to go crabbing and fishing or want to explore dunes and waterways, local outfitters make it easy to get out and play.
Don’t let cold days or a lack of gear keep you from enjoying the great outdoors. Late winter is a great time to visit the Coos Bay, North Bend and Charleston tri-city area — Oregon’s Adventure Coast — especially if you want to beat the summer crowds. Here you can catch your own seafood for a tasty feast, hop into an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) for a dune adventure, or climb aboard a kayak and paddle out to special spots that are inaccessible by land. Best of all, you don’t need to invest in equipment or worry about the logistics, since local outfitters are on hand to sort out the details. All you need to do is show up ready for an adventure.
Catch Your Own Feast
Oregon’s Adventure Coast has seemingly endless opportunities for seafood lovers to catch their own fish and crabs, rain or shine. The area has dozens of freshwater lakes and rivers, many of which are particularly abundant during the winter season. Seasonal catches include cutthroat trout and steelhead, both of which are particularly abundant in waterways throughout the region, including the Coquille and Millicoma rivers.
Saltwater-fishing opportunities naturally abound, too, and the winter season is a great time to catch bottom fish such as lingcod and rockfish straight from the ocean. If you want to get out on the high seas, it’s as simple as booking a fishing charter through a local provider and leaving everything else to the pros. Popular charter companies in Charleston include Betty Kay Fishing Charters, which offers both half-day and 12-hour-long fishing trips, and Sharky’s Charter Fishing, which offers year-round ocean fishing. While you’ll need a fishing license before you cast your lines or nets, you can easily obtain one online (or ask your outfitter to help you through the process).
If you’d rather stay on land, crabbing is another great way to catch your supper. You can rent crab pots and rings, measuring tools, bait, and other supplies at equipment suppliers up and down Oregon’s Adventure Coast. At the Charleston Marina, Monkey Business offers all the gear you need for a self-guided crabbing adventure — as well as an extensive menu of seafood treats, from zesty fish ‘n’ chips to warming clam chowder perfect for a cozy winter day.
Experience Otherworldly Landscapes
Spanning from North Bend to about 40 miles north, the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is the largest stretch of coastal sand dunes on the continent. Many of the imposing dunes in this area rise as high as 500 feet above sea level, creating ideal opportunities for thrill seekers to embark on an off-road adventure aboard a dune buggy or an ATV.
You don’t need to be an expert dune driver or have your own ATV to tackle these sandy stretches. Those new to dune maneuvering need only book a guided tour out to the dunes through Spinreel Dune Buggy and ATV Rentals in North Bend. Get in the driver’s seat of a two- or four-person ATV and hit the sands, following your guide through the forest and out onto the beach for fantastic coastline views (just bring your driver’s license). Spinreel also offers a wide range of vehicles to rent by the hour or by the day, as does Steve’s ATV Rentals and Dune Bugs ATV Rentals, both of which are also in North Bend.
Get Out and Paddle
Winter is an excellent time for a kayaking trip, whether you’re looking to take advantage of excellent bird-watching opportunities or simply want to enjoy the peace and quiet that comes with an off-season adventure. The Umpqua, Coos and Coquille rivers are all popular kayaking destinations in the region, as are the Empire Lakes in John Topits Park.
If you want to see diverse wildlife, head to the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, a protected natural area that provides a habitat to a large number of plants and animals that are native to the region. South Coast Tours offers guided excursions to the estuary, ideal for first-time visitors. If you’re an experienced kayaker and don’t have your own gear (or don’t feel like lugging it with you), you can rent everything you need for an ocean or freshwater adventure — including fishing kayaks — from Coastal Kayak & Stand-Up Paddle Boards. This family-run outfitter is based in Coos Bay, but its staff will gladly deliver gear to 10 different locations.
