If you’re wondering what to do in Florence Oregon, the obvious answers involve sand dunes, beaches, seafood and a stroll through Old Town. Those are all worth doing, but after spending three days exploring this stretch of the Oregon Coast, my biggest takeaway was unexpected: some of my favourite experiences weren’t actually in Florence.
I arrived expecting Florence to be the focus of my trip, but I kept finding reasons to drive south. Reedsport surprised me with a tiny but fun food and drink scene, Winchester Bay delivered an almost empty stretch of Oregon Coast beach and fresh seafood on the marina, and the Oregon Dunes tied pretty much the entire trip together.
Staying just south of Florence on Siltcoos Lake also put me in a great position to explore in both directions rather than treating Florence as the boundary of the trip.
That’s why this isn’t another giant list of things you could theoretically do around Florence. This guide is based on what I actually did, ate and enjoyed over three days, along with a few things I missed that I’d consider for next time.
We’ll cover the obvious Florence attractions, but I’ll also take you north to Heceta Head and Sea Lion Caves and south through Reedsport to Winchester Bay.
And if I were planning the trip again, I wouldn’t skip that southern stretch.
What to Do in Florence Oregon: Start With the Oregon Dunes
You can’t really talk about Florence without talking about sand.
The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area stretches for roughly 40 miles along the coast from the Florence area toward Coos Bay, making this one of the largest expanses of temperate coastal dunes in the world. It’s not simply one enormous pile of sand, either. The landscape shifts between huge open dunes, forests, freshwater lakes and Pacific coastline, which is why you’ll encounter everything from hikers and sandboarders to ATVs and dune buggies.
For me, the dunes were easily the natural highlight of the trip.
There are several ways to experience them depending on how much adrenaline you’re looking for. Dune-buggy tours and ATV rentals are popular, but I decided to explore under my own power. The Florentine Waterfront Hotel had sandboards and sand sleds available, so I borrowed some gear and headed for Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park.
Honeyman is just south of Florence and has two freshwater lakes — Cleawox and Woahink — surrounded by forest and dunes. The Cleawox Lake side was perfect for what I wanted because I could climb the dunes, attempt to figure out sandboarding and then cool off in the lake afterward.
I say “attempt” because there is apparently more technique involved in sandboarding than pointing downhill and hoping gravity takes care of the rest.
Getting the wax-to-sand ratio right took some trial and error. So did figuring out how not to fall on my hands. I have the sunburned knuckles to prove that lesson.
Eventually, though, I managed a few decent runs and had a blast. Being able to dip into Cleawox Lake afterward made the whole afternoon even better. If you don’t care about sandboarding, Honeyman is still worth considering for swimming, paddling, hiking or simply seeing how dramatically the dunes meet the freshwater lakes.
There’s a day-use parking fee, so check current Oregon State Parks rates before visiting.
Another Easy Way to Access the Florence Dunes
After actually getting out on the dunes at Honeyman, another access point I found makes a lot more sense to mention.
There is only one Fred Meyer in Florence, located toward the north end of town, and there is dune access from the area behind the shopping centre. This isn’t just people randomly wandering behind a grocery store — the City of Florence has documented the Fred Meyer parking arrangement in connection with public access to the dunes.
Conveniently for me, the Fred Meyer parking lot also has EV fast chargers.
I was travelling by EV, so this became one of those unusually productive charging stops where I could plug in and actually go do something instead of sitting around waiting for electrons. If you’re doing an electric Oregon Coast road trip, charge the car and use the downtime to walk out toward the dunes.
Sand Master Park is also right nearby and specializes in sandboarding. If you’re interested in trying it but don’t have a board, that’s the obvious place to look into rentals, lessons and current riding conditions.
I still preferred Honeyman for the overall experience because of the lake, but the north Florence access is a very convenient option if you want a quick look at the dunes or have an EV that needs some juice anyway.
Explore Old Town Florence
Eventually, you’re going to have to shake the sand out of everything and see Florence itself.
Historic Old Town sits along the Siuslaw River near the distinctive Siuslaw River Bridge and is compact enough that you don’t really need a plan. Park the car and wander between locally owned shops, galleries, antique stores, restaurants and places selling the expected assortment of Oregon Coast souvenirs. There’s also a small waterfront boardwalk where you can walk along the river and watch the boats.
I happened to visit on a Saturday when there was a market selling local goods, which added a little more activity to the waterfront. I browsed some shops, dug through antiques and found a particularly good olive shop before stopping at Homegrown Public House.
Located just off the main waterfront area on Laurel Street, Homegrown focuses on locally sourced, seasonal food along with craft beer, Oregon wine and spirits. I opted for a beer flight, which was a great way to sample a few different pours and fit perfectly with an afternoon of wandering around Old Town. The casual neighbourhood pub atmosphere also felt much more my speed than simply picking a touristy waterfront spot.
Overall, I liked Old Town, but it wasn’t the highlight of my trip. I don’t mean that as a criticism — if you’re visiting Florence, you should absolutely spend some time here, and grabbing a flight at Homegrown gave me another reason to linger. I just wouldn’t dedicate an entire day to Old Town when the dunes, lakes and coastline are right outside town. A couple of hours to wander the shops and waterfront, browse the market and stop for a beer felt about right before heading off to explore another part of the coast.
Florence Oregon Restaurants: What I Ate
Food is naturally a big part of an Oregon Coast road trip, and Florence Oregon restaurants cover most of the coastal staples you’d expect: seafood, chowder, casual pubs and waterfront dining. There are also Mexican restaurants, cafés, breweries and plenty of places to grab sweets for the road.
One of my dinners was at Los Compadres Taqueria, which came recommended by the staff at my hotel. Good recommendation.
It was colourful and casual, and the Mexican food was very good. More importantly, it was exactly what I wanted after a day outside and provided a welcome break from eating seafood at practically every opportunity.
If you’re researching the best restaurants in Florence Oregon, I’d spend some time walking through Old Town and seeing what appeals to you rather than locking every meal into the itinerary. Seafood is the obvious choice, and fresh fish, crab and chowder are easy to find. Saltwater taffy and other coastal sweets also make pretty predictable but worthwhile road-trip snacks.
As for coffee shops in Florence Oregon, I tried a few during the trip without finding one that stood out nearly as much as the café I eventually stumbled across farther south.
That brings me to one of the recurring themes of this trip: Reedsport kept surprising me.
But before heading south, there’s a worthwhile drive north of Florence.
Drive North to Heceta Head Lighthouse
Roughly 12 miles north of Florence on Highway 101 is one of the Oregon Coast’s classic landmarks: Heceta Head Lighthouse.
The lighthouse has been guiding ships along this section of coast since the 1890s, and the 56-foot tower sits dramatically above the Pacific. Even if you have little interest in lighthouse history, it’s worth stopping for the setting.
From the parking area, there’s a roughly half-mile uphill walk to the lighthouse. Along the way you’ll pass the historic assistant lightkeeper’s house, which now operates as a bed and breakfast. There’s also a beach below the lighthouse, so this is an easy stop to stretch into an hour or two if the weather cooperates.
Check the current Oregon State Parks parking fee before arriving, and don’t count on getting inside the lighthouse itself. Access can depend on staffing and conditions.
The coastal views are the reason to come anyway.
Visit Sea Lion Caves — Even if the Sea Lions Have Other Plans
Just north of Heceta Head is one of the more unusual attractions on this stretch of Highway 101: Sea Lion Caves.
The privately owned attraction has been operating since 1932 and provides access to a massive natural basalt sea cave. Wild Steller sea lions use the area throughout the year, and the word wild is important here.
Nobody tells them when to show up for work. That became very clear during my visit.
There was basically one sea lion.
Thankfully, he seemed to understand the assignment and looked like he was posing for everyone who had made the journey down into the cave to see him.
Even without hundreds of sea lions barking away inside, I enjoyed the experience. You descend by elevator into an enormous natural chamber with the Pacific visible through the opening, and seeing the sheer scale of the cave was more impressive than I expected.
There is also a useful policy if your wildlife luck is as questionable as mine. If there aren’t any sea lions present, keep your ticket. Sea Lion Caves provides eligible visitors with a complimentary return pass that’s valid for up to one year.
Hopefully your return visit has more than one employee on duty. Because admission, hours and wildlife conditions can change, check the current information directly with Sea Lion Caves before making the drive.
Things to Do in Reedsport Oregon: My Surprise Favourite
Now we get to the part of this trip I wasn’t expecting.
I arrived thinking I was researching what to do in Florence Oregon. By the end of three days, I found myself talking almost as much about things to do in Reedsport Oregon.
Reedsport is tiny. You’re not going to arrive and find blocks of trendy restaurants and nightlife. That’s exactly why I liked it.
A handful of interesting businesses are clustered close enough together that I parked the car and wandered between coffee, food, a tiki bar, a distillery, a brewery, antique stores and an old-school bakery.
My first stop was Highwater Cafe & Market, which immediately raised my expectations for food in Reedsport Oregon.
It’s part café and part market, with local Oregon goods, coffee, baked treats and a proper food menu. I ordered the smoked salmon chowder with a Tillamook grilled cheese sandwich, and it was excellent. The sandwiches coming out around me looked equally good.
Then the people at the next table ordered affogatos. They arrived with so much ice cream piled on top that some of it had to be scooped off. Instead of letting perfectly good ice cream go to waste, they handed the extra over to us.
Free ice cream from strangers is a pretty effective tourism campaign.
Hoaloha Tiki Room and Stillwagon Distillery
Almost directly across from Highwater is Hoaloha Tiki Room, part of the Reedsport operation at Stillwagon Distillery. This was another place that made me wonder why nobody had told me about Reedsport before.
The room is colourful, quirky and exactly the kind of unexpected place I love finding in a small town. Stillwagon produces its own spirits, and Hoaloha puts them to work in cocktails, including a Bloody Mary made with smoked black garlic that I had to try.
It was savoury, strange and delicious, particularly the olives. Looking around at all the tropical decor, I did wonder whether I should have ordered something fruitier and more appropriately tiki, but then I remembered it was around 11 in the morning. Somehow, a Bloody Mary felt like the responsible choice.
There are spirit tastings available as well, and I’d probably go that route on another visit. I also discovered a free tabletop arcade loaded with hundreds of retro games, which inevitably led to some competitive Donkey Kong. I’d like to think my score is still sitting there waiting for someone to challenge it.
The food menu was just as interesting. The item I wanted most was their “not SPAM” musubi, made with a house-made interpretation of SPAM using prosciutto and other cuts rather than simply opening a can. Unfortunately, it was sold out when I visited, so I never got to try it. Reedsport still owes me a musubi.
Two Shy Brewing: My Favourite Beer Stop in Reedsport
Fortunately, the next stop was almost directly across the street.
Two Shy Brewing has a Reedsport taproom on Fir Avenue, so I wandered over and ordered a flight rather than committing to one beer.
This felt very Oregon.
I’ve spent a fair amount of time exploring the state’s craft beer scene — including taking a Portland craft beer tour — so finding a good little brewery in a town the size of Reedsport immediately felt familiar.
It’s also why I’d recommend parking and exploring this area on foot. Highwater, Hoaloha/Stillwagon and Two Shy are all within an absurdly small radius of one another. Add the nearby shops and bakery and you have the makings of a surprisingly entertaining afternoon.
If you’re specifically searching for bars in Reedsport Oregon, this little pocket is where I’d start.
Restaurants in Reedsport Oregon, Antiques and Giant Donuts
Between drinks, I wandered through several antique and secondhand stores and spent an unreasonable amount of time debating whether I needed questionable records and corn-shaped salt-and-pepper shakers. I showed restraint. Mostly.
That kind of aimless wandering was part of what I liked about Reedsport. There wasn’t one giant attraction I felt obligated to check off. I could simply move between shops, food and drinks and see what I found.
Before leaving town, I stopped at Sugar Shack Bakery.
The pastry case has more of an old-school bakery vibe than a polished Instagram aesthetic, but don’t let that stop you. The doughnuts delivered.
I’d particularly recommend one of the fritters. There are also some hilariously large doughnuts if you’re prepared to commit. I grabbed a scone for the road as well because apparently the doughnut wasn’t enough.
Between Highwater, Sugar Shack and the other businesses downtown, restaurants in Reedsport Oregon ended up being a much bigger part of my trip than anticipated.
I came south looking for things to do. I ended up eating my way around town.
No complaints there.
Look for Roosevelt Elk at Dean Creek
One Reedsport-area stop I didn’t get to myself is Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area, roughly three miles east of town along Highway 38.
The Bureau of Land Management maintains habitat here for a year-round herd of Roosevelt elk, and animals can frequently be spotted from the designated roadside viewing areas. There are interpretive displays, restrooms and several places to pull over, and there’s no admission fee.
Since I didn’t personally visit, I’m not going to pretend this is one of my firsthand recommendations. It’s something I’d add next time, particularly if I were entering or leaving Reedsport along Highway 38.
Wildlife sightings are obviously never guaranteed.
My Sea Lion Caves experience should have taught you that by now.
Continue South to Winchester Bay
From Reedsport, I continued south toward Winchester Bay with another sandboarding session in mind, but that plan didn’t last long once I arrived.
The dune area was packed with dune buggies and OHVs, and since I was visiting over a long weekend, it felt much more like an engine-powered playground than somewhere I wanted to wander around carrying a sandboard.
If motorized dune recreation is what you’re after, this area looked like a blast, but it wasn’t quite what I was looking for that day.
Instead, I changed plans and headed across the way to Umpqua Beach #2 Day Use Area, where I found almost the exact opposite experience. Rather than engines and crowds, there was a huge stretch of Oregon Coast beach with hardly anyone on it.
I went for a long walk, found a quiet spot in the sand and ended up having a nap. Sometimes the backup plan wins, and while the Winchester Bay OHV areas certainly looked popular, I was much happier with the quiet beach across the way.
Eat Seafood at Blue Box Seafood Company
After the beach, I headed into Winchester Bay and stopped at Blue Box Seafood Company. The setup immediately appealed to me, with blue shipping containers, casual outdoor seating, games, local beer and the marina right there.
College football was playing during my visit, so I settled in with a beer and ordered the Dungeness crab roll. It was delicious, but at about $35, I was definitely expecting a little more crab for my money.
I’d still eat at Blue Box again because I loved the atmosphere and the seafood was good, but next time I’d probably order something else or see what local catch looks best that day. Dungeness crab isn’t cheap, particularly when you’re buying locally caught seafood on the Oregon Coast, so the price wasn’t exactly shocking.
I was just hoping for a bit more crab in my crab roll.
Golf in Florence Oregon
I didn’t play golf in Florence Oregon on this trip, but golfers have an interesting option right in town.
Sandpines Golf Links is a public 18-hole, par-72 course designed by Rees Jones. The front nine works through pines and lakes, while the back nine shifts toward more traditional links-style terrain and dunes.
The course was named Best New Public Course in America when it opened in 1993, and it looks like exactly the kind of course I’d make time for on another Oregon Coast trip.
I can, however, speak from experience about golfing farther south.
On my previous EV road trip down the Oregon Coast, I stayed and played at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. Bandon is in a completely different league if golf is the purpose of your trip. The resort now has seven distinct links courses built into the dunes above the Pacific, and playing there was one of the highlights of that road trip.
You can read about that experience in my Oregon Coast EV road trip itinerary, which covers the drive, charging stops and my stay at Bandon Dunes.
If you’re a golfer building a longer Oregon Coast itinerary, I’d look at Sandpines while you’re in Florence and Bandon Dunes if you’re continuing south.
Where to Stay in Florence Oregon
After exploring north and south of Florence, I was glad I hadn’t stayed directly in Old Town.
For this trip, the Florentine Waterfront Hotel on Siltcoos Lake worked extremely well. It’s south of Florence, close to Honeyman and the Oregon Dunes, but it’s also positioned in the direction of Reedsport and Winchester Bay.
That ended up being ideal.
The property consists of individually designed waterfront cabins rather than conventional hotel rooms, which was a big part of the appeal for me. I stayed in two different cabins during my visit, and both had plenty of space to settle in, lake views and kitchens that I actually wanted to use.
After spending the day sandboarding, exploring the coast or driving down to Reedsport and Winchester Bay, coming back to Siltcoos Lake felt like part of the trip rather than simply returning to a room for the night.
Having a kitchen also meant I didn’t have to eat out for every meal. One evening I made a proper surf-and-turf dinner with tomato crab soup and steak, then settled in for the night overlooking the lake. Another evening was even more relaxed: wine while watching the sunset, followed by s’mores made in the cabin’s air fryer while we curled up on the couch with a movie.
There were fire pits outside that I could have used, but the cabin was so comfortable that leaving it felt unnecessary. Making air-fryer s’mores inside a boutique waterfront cabin might be the most bougie millennial version of camping imaginable, but I’m not mad at it.
You can read my full Florentine Waterfront Hotel review for a look inside the cabins, what I liked and the few things I think could be improved.
Check current Florentine Waterfront Hotel rates and availability.
If you’re specifically comparing the best hotels in Florence Oregon, staying directly in town may make more sense if walking to restaurants and Old Town is your priority. For my itinerary, though, I preferred being outside town on the lake.
I also wouldn’t call Florentine one of the traditional Oregon Coast luxury hotels. It’s a boutique waterfront cabin property with personality, kitchens and an excellent setting, which I think is a more useful description anyway.
Hotels in Reedsport Oregon
If Reedsport, Winchester Bay and the southern dunes are going to make up most of your trip, there are also hotels in Reedsport Oregon that put you closer to the action.
The Best Western Salbasgeon Inn & Suites of Reedsport is one of the more conventional choices. It’s directly on Highway 101 and has an indoor pool, making it an easy option if you’re looking for a familiar chain hotel and primarily need a comfortable base for exploring.
Another possibility is Winchester Bay Inn, about three miles from Reedsport at Salmon Harbor. This one makes more sense if Winchester Bay, fishing, the marina or the southern dune areas are your priorities. Some rooms have kitchens or kitchenettes, and the inn is within walking distance of the marina.
I didn’t stay at either of these properties, so consider them practical alternatives rather than personal hotel recommendations.
For an itinerary like mine that splits time between Florence, the dunes, Reedsport and Winchester Bay, I’d still choose the Florentine Waterfront Hotel. Its Siltcoos Lake location gives you a much better in-between base, and after a full day exploring, I liked coming back to a quiet waterfront cabin rather than another stop along Highway 101.
You can see exactly why in my Florentine Waterfront Hotel review.
Turn Florence Into a Longer Oregon Coast Road Trip
Florence works particularly well as part of a longer Highway 101 road trip.
Head north and you’ll find seemingly endless beaches and viewpoints before reaching places like Yachats, Seal Rock, Newport and Depoe Bay. If whale watching is part of the plan, you can check whale-watching trips from Depoe Bay. Continue farther and Tillamook provides a very reasonable excuse for cheese and ice cream before Cannon Beach and Seaside.
Heading south eventually brings you to Bandon, which is well worth the detour even if you don’t golf.
If you’re beginning the trip in Portland, you can compare flights to Portland and rental cars in Portland. I’d strongly recommend having your own wheels because stopping at random beaches, viewpoints and small towns is a huge part of the Oregon Coast experience.
If you’re doing it in an EV, my Oregon EV road trip itinerary covers my experience driving the coast and interior by EV, including Bandon Dunes.
If you’d rather leave the driving and planning to someone else, you can also check this Oregon Coast tour from Portland.
How I Would Spend 3 Days Around Florence and Reedsport
Looking back at the trip, I wouldn’t try to squeeze every attraction into a giant checklist. The distances here aren’t enormous, but stopping at beaches, viewpoints and places you hadn’t planned on visiting is half the fun.
For day one, I’d concentrate on Florence. Walk around Old Town in the morning, have lunch and then dedicate the afternoon to the Oregon Dunes. Honeyman would still be my choice for sandboarding because you get the dunes and Cleawox Lake together. If you’re travelling by EV or just want another easy dune access point, stop at Fred Meyer and walk out toward the dunes while you’re there.
On day two, I’d drive north. Heceta Head and Sea Lion Caves work naturally together, and I’d leave enough time to stop at beaches and viewpoints along Highway 101 rather than racing from attraction to attraction. If you get an early start, you could continue north toward Cape Perpetua or Yachats before turning around.
Then I’d dedicate day three to Reedsport and Winchester Bay. Start with coffee and food at Highwater, walk across for a drink or tasting at Hoaloha and Stillwagon, then sample a flight at Two Shy. Browse the antique stores, grab a fritter from Sugar Shack and add Dean Creek if seeing elk appeals to you. From there, continue to Winchester Bay for the dunes or beach and finish with seafood at Blue Box.
If you’re a golfer, you could easily add another day for Sandpines or make Florence part of a longer drive south to Bandon Dunes.
That Reedsport and Winchester Bay day was the surprise of the trip for me.
Is Florence Oregon Worth Visiting?
Absolutely, but I think Florence becomes considerably more interesting when you stop treating the city limits as the boundary of your trip.
The Oregon Dunes alone make this stretch of coast unusual. Add Heceta Head, Sea Lion Caves, freshwater lakes, beaches, seafood and Old Town and there’s easily enough around Florence to fill a weekend.
What changed my opinion of the area, though, was heading south.
Reedsport gave me the café, tiki bar, distillery, brewery, antique-store wandering and giant doughnuts I hadn’t expected. Winchester Bay gave me a nearly empty beach followed by local seafood and beer on the marina. Staying on Siltcoos Lake put me conveniently between those experiences and Florence itself.
So if you’re researching what to do in Florence Oregon, absolutely spend time in Florence.
Just don’t stop there.
Give yourself at least three days, explore both directions on Highway 101 and leave some room in the itinerary for places you weren’t originally looking for.
In my case, those ended up being some of the best parts of the trip.
FAQ: Visiting Florence and Reedsport Oregon
How many days do you need in Florence Oregon?
I’d recommend at least two days, with three being much better if you want to explore beyond Florence itself. Three days gives you time for Florence and the dunes, Heceta Head and Sea Lion Caves, and a full day around Reedsport and Winchester Bay without spending the entire trip racing between stops.
What is Florence Oregon best known for?
For me, the Oregon Dunes are the standout. Florence is also known for its historic Old Town along the Siuslaw River and its proximity to Heceta Head Lighthouse and Sea Lion Caves. The combination of enormous dunes, freshwater lakes and Pacific coastline is what makes this area different from many other Oregon Coast towns.
Is Reedsport Oregon worth visiting?
I think so, particularly if you’re already exploring Florence and the Oregon Dunes. Downtown Reedsport is tiny, but I really enjoyed Highwater Cafe, Hoaloha Tiki Room and Stillwagon Distillery, Two Shy Brewing, the antique stores and Sugar Shack Bakery. Add Winchester Bay and Dean Creek nearby and there’s easily enough for a leisurely day.
Can you sandboard in Florence Oregon?
Yes. I sandboarded at Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park using boards borrowed from Florentine Waterfront Hotel. Sand Master Park in Florence is another option if you need equipment or want a dedicated sandboarding facility. There’s also convenient dune access near Fred Meyer on the north end of Florence.
Where should you stay when visiting Florence and Reedsport?
If your itinerary looks like mine and includes Florence, Honeyman, Reedsport and Winchester Bay, I like staying somewhere between Florence and Reedsport rather than committing to either town. That’s one reason the Florentine Waterfront Hotel worked so well for me. If your trip is focused primarily on Reedsport and Winchester Bay, the Best Western Salbasgeon Inn & Suites or Winchester Bay Inn put you closer to those areas.
What say you?
Thoughts on what to do in Florence Oregon and beyond?
Let’s hear it!
Like me? Pin me!
