Oregon Coast - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 623

counter. Order fish-and-chips or a clam basket and head outside; there are plenty of
benches on the nearby boardwalk.
Information
Coos Bay Visitor Center ( 541-269-0215; www.oregonsbayareachamber.com ; 50 Central Ave;
9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 11am-3pm Sat, 10am-2pm Sun)
North Bend Visitor Center ( 541-756-4613; www.northbendcity.org ; 1380 Sherman Ave;
10am-5pm Mon-Fri, till 4pm Sat, till 3pm Sun)
Getting There & Around
Porter Stage Lines ( 541-269-7183; 126 Market Ave) , next to the old Tioga Hotel in Coos
Bay, goes to Florence and Eugene.
Curry Public Transit's Coastal Express ( 800-921-2871; www.currypublictransit.org )
shuttles connect Coos Bay/North Bend with Bandon, Port Orford, Gold Beach and
Brookings.
Loop Bus ( 541-267-7111; www.coostransit.org ) provides weekday services around Coos
Bay, North Bend and Charleston.
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Charleston & Around
Charleston is a tiny bump of civilization on the Cape Arago Hwy, a commercial fishing
port that sits just 8 miles southwest of bustling Coos Bay but feels worlds away. It makes
a good jumping-off point to a trio of splendid state parks on the Cape Arago headlands.
Sights & Activities
Sunset Bay State Park PARK
( 541-888-4902; www.oregonstateparks.org ; 89814 Cape Arago Hwy) Three miles southwest
of town on Cape Arago Hwy, this state park is nestled in a small, protected bay that once
served as a safe harbor for fishing boats, and possibly pirates as well. Today it's popular
with swimmers, hikers and tide-pool explorers. A 6-mile, cliff-edge stretch of the Ore-
gon Coast Trail continues south from here to link all three state parks. Cape Arago
Lighthouse sits just offshore on a rocky crag.