Thinking of heading up the southern Oregon coast?  You shouldn’t have a problem finding things to do or finding a place to camp. You’ll come across tremendous scenery around every bend in the road and a campground literally every couple miles.  There are ample opportunities for hiking and biking, exploring the many coves or just relaxing on a sheltered beach.  Here are some state and county parks especially worth visiting on a trip up Highway 101.  

Humbug Mountain State Park

Humbug Mountain State Park provides a cozy leeward valley, several miles of beach, access to Brush Creek and the Humbug Mountain hiking trail.  The Oregon Coast Trail also passes through the park.  Hiking, biking, beachcombing and wildlife viewing are all popular in the area.  The campground has nearly 100 spots and full amenities.  

Battle Rock Wayside Park

Continuing north on Highway 101, you will see Battle Rock Wayside Park to your left just before you enter Port Orford.  The park is so named for the 1851 battle between the first white settlers and the native tribes.  Check out Battle Rock just off the highway, where the settlers held out during the fighting, and then head down across the beach to see the many other rock formations rising directly out of the sand and surf.  

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Many ages ago a volcanic eruption deposited thousands of feet of ash and pumice across what would become south-eastern Arizona.  Eventually, after much erosion by rain and wind and a decree by President Calvin Coolidge, we ended up with Chiricahua National Monument.

The Chiricahua area is a captivating, almost-otherworldly wilderness.  Looking at the rock formations and steep valleys, you can easily understand how the area was the perfect base of operations for the Chiricahua Apache in the 1800s.  And in modern times, the remote and rugged landscape has kept most development at bay.

For nature lovers, hikers, photographers and bird watchers, the monument is about as good as it gets.  In fact, I was so impressed that I decided to dedicate a full length post to Chiricahua.  See my previous post on Southern New Mexico / Arizona here. 

What to Do There

As the official park brochure states, there are 17 miles of hiking trails to explore.  But this doesn't mean you have to hike 17 miles to see everything in the park.  You can get a good feel for the area by visiting Massai Point and Massai Nature Trail.  Massai Point was developed specifically as an overlook for the rugged national monument.  The Massai Nature Trail is an easy half-mile loop around the point.  Along the trail you will enjoy vistas to the west of Echo Park and to the south of Hailstone Valley and the Chiricahua Mountains. 

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Is springtime full of sleet, snow or other unseemly weather in your area?  Then pack your bags and/or trailer for southern New Mexico, because as I just discovered, late March and early April can be a very nice time in the "land of enchantment". 

You might encounter a passing thunderstorm or two, but most of the time you can expect sunshine, light wind and daytime temperatures in the high 50s and 60s.  Note that this strictly applies to the southern areas of the state, south of Albuquerque.  Visiting the northern areas and higher elevations of the state at this time, you are likely to encounter cold temperatures, snow and wind.  So for the best weather, stay south and down out of the higher mountains.

Following are a few areas and attractions that should not be missed during a trip through southern New Mexico.

White Sands National Monument

Just west of Alamogordo on Route 70, you will come across a sea of bleach-white sand dunes.  And since 1933, those gypsum dunes have been set aside as White Sands National Monument.  The park is open all day, but the best time to enter the dunes drive and hike the 4.5 mile dunes loop is in the late afternoon.  You will be treated to deep blue skies and a stunning 360 degree view of the dunes.  Stick around for sunset, as the white sand will look its best in the final rays of the day.

There is no overnight camping in White Sands National Monument.  However, there are a few RV parks around Alamogordo.  The nearest state campground is a twenty minute drive to the other side of the city in Oliver Lee State Park.  Oliver Lee offers standard amenities for trailers, and there is a nice hike in nearby Dog Canyon.

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