Port Orford Heads State Park

Port Orford Heads State Park is a coastal state park in northwest Curry County, Oregon, United States, in the city of Port Orford. Established in 1976, it is administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

Port Orford Heads State Park
Port Orford Heads State Park, May 2014
Port Orford Heads State Park is located in Oregon
Port Orford Heads State Park
Port Orford Heads State Park is located in the United States
Port Orford Heads State Park
TypePublic, state
LocationPort Orford, Curry County, Oregon
Coordinates42°44′24″N 124°30′49″W / 42.7401091°N 124.5137164°W / 42.7401091; -124.5137164[1]
Created1976 (1976)
Operated byOregon Parks and Recreation Department
Port Orford Coast Guard Station
Built1934
Built byUnited States Coast Guard
NRHP reference No.98000606
Added to NRHPMay 29, 1998[2]

Location

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Located on a bluff above the city, the park has three main walking trails: the Cove, Tower and Headland trails. From each of these vantage points (at the right time of year) one can see commercial fishing boats, orcas, gray whales, California and Steller's sea lions, and various seabirds. The Headland Trail offers an unrestricted view of Cape Blanco to the north and is a popular whale watching spot during the fall. The park is open for day use only.

History

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From 1934 to 1970, one of the earliest US Coast Guard lifeboat stations on the Oregon Coast operated at what later became the park.

Lifeboat Station Museum

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The Port Orford Lifeboat Station is a museum and interpretive center that was opened in 2000 by the Point Orford Heritage Society. Built in 1934, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places (as the Port Orford Coast Guard Station) and was used by the U.S. Coast Guard until 1970.[3] The museum includes the station's refurbished, unsinkable 36-foot (11 m) motor life boat, and information about the Japanese bombing of the south Oregon coast during World War II.

 
Unsinkable 36-foot (11 m) motor life boat

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Port Orford Heads State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2011-07-01.
  2. ^ "Port Orford Coast Guard Station". National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 2011-07-01.
  3. ^ "Port Orford Lifeboat Station Museum". Point Orford Heritage Society. Retrieved 2011-07-01.
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