Often touted as Oregon’s Banana Belt, Brookings has weather patterns that deliver some of the warmer temperatures along the Oregon Coast; it’s not uncommon to encounter a 70-degree day in January or February.
As a result this city close to the California border is home to Azalea Park, which has 33 acres of native azaleas, some growing here when Lewis and Clark wintered on the Oregon Coast in 1805 and 1806.
Brookings is also known for the Southern Oregon Kite Festival which takes place the third weekend in July. Art lovers can browse the galleries— including Burtonique Art & Photography, Manley Art Center and Signatures Gallery — or enjoy the monthly Second Saturday Art Walk.
The Chetco Valley Historical Society Museum is housed in the 1857 Blake House — the oldest standing building in the Chetco Valley — and features artifacts of 19th-century Oregon pioneer life. The largest Monterey cypress in the state, towering at 130 feet (40 meters), lives on the museum grounds.
The Brookings area boasts several wonderful parks, including Harris Beach State Park. Named for George Harris, a Scottish pioneer who raised sheep and cattle here, it features sizable offshore sea stacks, including the largest island on the Oregon Coast. Bird Island is a breeding ground for a variety of species, including the tufted puffin.
Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor — a long, narrow park with 12 miles (19 kilometers) of rugged coastline — is named for Oregon’s first parks superintendent. Featuring one must-stop scenic viewpoint after another, the park is also home to pocket beaches and offshore sea stacks, including the dramatic Arch Rock and Whaleshead. The beach at Thunder Rock Cove is considered one of the best of the sheltered beaches on the Coast. Walk the Indian Sands Trail through the unusual sculpted sandstone for views of the coastline and rocky islands. Don’t miss the stunning view at Cape Ferrelo, named for a Spanish explorer who skirted this area in 1542.
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