A couple of weeks ago, just after some heavy rains here on the Oregon Coast, my fiancé and I went for a drive in his Ford Explorer up Smith River Road for a pancake breakfast at the Grange.
Located between Reedsport and Gardiner, in Coastal Douglas County, there's a beautiful valley that heads east away from Highway 101. While this river is not nearly as large as the nearby Umpqua, there are some gorgeous views and birdwatching opportunities. One marshy area has quite a bit of wildlife and is listed on the new Oregon Coast Birding Trail.
On our way up this steep road, we got a great view of the Smith River Valley. This valley was the scene for an Indian massacre where its namesake Jedediah Smith barely survived. As we climbed this steeper and steeper road, there was more and more branches and rocks on the road. At a certain point, the boulders made our route impassible. My fiancé backed the car down to a wide spot, and then we turned around.
Heading back to town, we felt fortunate to live in such a beautiful place. Check it out sometime.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Tee,
As an Oregon coast road cyclist, I was intrigued by the description of your drive.
What sort of bike ride would it be? I know you said it was steep.
SWA
Florence
stevea@ohwy.com
SWA,
Smith River Road is fairly flat as it runs along the river. Some of the side roads are steep and therefore not recommended for the average Oregon Coast cyclist.
Thanks for asking.
Tee
Reedsport
Post a Comment