Welcome to Bandon...
The recently restored Bandon Lighthouse at the mouth of the Coquille River beckons you to visit the little coastal town known as “Bandon by the Sea”. This lively town offers wonderful hotels, cozy B&Bs, spectacular ocean views, scenic beaches, and an Old Town area with restaurants, antique and boutique shops and a new performance center that hosts plays, concerts and community events. With the average temperature in January being just over 50 degrees and in July being just about 67 degrees and averaging 66 inches of rain annually, the climate is a moderate one. Framed by heavily forested hills to the north, south and east, Bandon does have its share of wild winter storms but they seem only to add to the town’s charm.
Recognized nationally for its cranberry crop and its hand-cheddared cheese production, the town’s economy is agriculture and tourism based. Bandon offers high quality health care, culture and communications, along with year round recreational activities that include fishing, hunting, hiking, and golf at the world famous Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. Seasonal festivals like the Irish Festival in May and the Cranberry Festival in September are reasons to come and celebrate.
The Coquille River Lighthouse, built in 1896 and decommissioned in 1939, is located in Bullard’s Beach State Park where tours are offered daily in the summer with volunteers who staff the lighthouse information center and gift shop. They answer questions, describe life as a lighthouse keeper, and take visitors to the top of the tower.
There are many opportunities to become immersed in the natural world by visiting the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge and the West Coast Game Park Safari which is the largest wildlife animal petting zoo in America. And the popular Beach Loop Drive tour winds along the coast and invites you to use your imagination as you view the many craggy sea stacks with names like Face Rock, Table Rock, and Elephant Rock. Native American legend says that Face Rock was formed from the face of an Indian maiden who was frozen into stone by an evil spirit who also cast her animals into the sea to create Cat and Kittens Rock.
Visitor Information
Elevation: 67 feet
Population: 2,900 people
County: Coos
Zip Code: 97411
