Things To Do While Visiting
Sea Lion Caves
Sea Lion Caves is a privately owned wildlife preserve and bird sanctuary (since 1932) centrally located just 11 miles north of Florence on the beautiful and rugged Oregon Coast. Sea Lion Caves is proud to be part of the Oregon/Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve helping to protect the local marine animals and marine environment. Sea Lion Caves is America’s largest sea cave and the year-round home of the Steller sea lion, but sea lions are not always in the Cave. They are wild animals and we are not a zoo. These protected animals come and go as they please, as is their nature. Winter months will usually find hundreds of sea lions in the Cave and when spring arrives, breeding and birthing time, the sea lions will move from the Cave to the rookery areas (the rock ledges out in front of the Cave) and will remain there through the summer.
Sand Master Sandboarding - Park & Store
Visit the WORLD’s FIRST sandboarding park located right on Pacific Coast highway 101 in the city of Florence of beautiful western Lane County. Acres of pristine, sculpted sand dunes with beginner & advanced slopes ( just minutes from the Pacific Ocean ) ready and waiting for YOU! Take a sandboard lesson, rent a sandboard or sand sled, surfboard, boogie board, skim board or paddle board. Learn the art of sand sculpting or beach labyrinths free annual events. RV & bus parking and LOTS OF FUN!! Sandboards and Sand Sleds are rented on a first come first served basis, however, if you are scheduling lessons then we do reserve the boards for you and you have them for up to 24 hours plus free sandboard wax, free parking, free dune access and you can take our boards to any of the other unique dune locations. This is sandboarding paradise! Plan your visit today and get ready to have a BLAST!!
Darlingtonia State Natural Site
Darlingtonia State Natural Site is a state park and botanical preserve located five miles north of Florence, Oregon, United States on U.S. Route 101, just west of Mercer Lake and south of Sutton Lake that is dedicated to the preservation of a rare plant. Darlingtonia californica is a carnivorous plant, commonly known as the cobra lily, which traps insects in its hollow tubular leaves, whose top is flared into a hollow dome with a forked "tongue" that gives the species its common name. In late spring, they bear purple and yellow flowers that rise above the green cobra-like leaves. Darlingtonia are found only in wet meadows and bogs with acidic soils low in nitrogen. The rare, strangely shaped plant is the only member of the pitcher plant family Sarraceniaceae in Oregon. The park has a short loop trail through a peat bog area overlooking patches of Darlingtonia. It is the only Oregon state park dedicated to the protection of a single plant species.
Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint
History, Heceta Lighthouse B&B Our Story For more than a century Heceta Head Lighthouse has helped seagoers navigate the Pacific Ocean’s treacherous currents. The cape owes its name to Don Bruno de Heceta, who in 1775 embarked on a secret voyage for the Queen of Spain to sail up the West Coast. Due to the onslaught of scurvy, Heceta and his crew turned back just before the Columbia River, but not before he noted the shallow waters and rocky headland that now bear his name. A century later, mariners frequenting the dark waters between Coos Bay and Newport asked for a lighthouse to guide their journeys up and down the coast. Read more about the history of Heceta Head Lighthouse on their website.
Oregon Coast Military Museum
The Oregon Coast Military Museum, a 501c3 non-profit, opened its doors in Florence, on the Oregon coast, on July 4th, 2015, after a seven-year effort by locals to build a museum to honor the more-than 20% of Florence-area residents who are Veterans. Intended to honor all eras of military heritage and all disciplines of military service, it is a small museum in comparison to other military museums around the country. The 3,000-square foot display space is filled with life-sized dioramas depicting scenes from WWI to Vietnam, plus a scaled diorama of a typical Iraqi village depicting a US military convoy traveling through. While small by museum standards, this facility is jam-packed with artifacts, mementos and experiences all in an effort to serve the Museum’s mission “To Honor our Veterans by Educating Our Public.” In addition to a small gift shop, the Museum also features a small theater showing military documentaries, a USO Canteen, and a lending library.
Siuslaw Pioneer Museum
About Siuslaw Pioneer Museum Our mission at the Siuslaw Pioneer Museum is to preserve and present the rich history of life in the Siuslaw Region for the enrichment of our local residents and visitors from around the world. We are an educational and repository facility that demonstrates the history, the vision, vitality, values, and culture of the peoples of the Siuslaw Valley and coastal region. Your Siuslaw Pioneer Museum preserves and shares the exciting history of our region with children at our area schools, local families, tourists, writers, visiting academics, and researchers so they can appreciate the history, values, stories, and culture of the people who have made this area home.