Battle Rock Wayside Park

The beach at Battle Rock is one of those spots on the Oregon Coast where it is just safer to stop; your driving will be much less distracted if you give in and satisfy your curiosity. This incredible stretch of Port Orford coast has plenty of sea stack formations that are similar to those found farther north at Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint and Kronenberg County Park, and they are all anchored by the sea stack in the making known as Battle Rock.

This rocky point earned its name when it became the final refuge for white settlers besieged by displaced Native Americans who were irate over white land claims. Nine members of a settlement party spent two weeks on the point before they slipped away, only to return weeks later with the reinforcements that would firmly take possession of the land that would become Port Orford.

Walk south from the large day use area for the most intimate perspectives on sea stacks and the sea life that lives on them. Sea stars pock the walls of these little monuments, and shore birds stand silhouetted on their peaks. This wayside is well known for its beach break, which can get some good winter swells when off-shore winds blow (an occasional event, but an event nevertheless). Because the bulk of the beach stretches south of the wayside, most visitors head that way; don’t overlook the private little cove just north of Battle Rock, however. This is a great spot for families, as the waves may be less powerful and the beach more contained. You’ll also get a great view of the southern sea stacks through a tunnel under Battle Rock.