The charming towns of Reedsport and Winchester Bay are bound by the Smith and Umpqua Rivers, the Pacific Ocean and scores of natural lakes. This area is a perfect setting for all forms of recreation, and is in the heart of the spectacular Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, the largest area of coastal dunes in North America, with wind-sculptured sand dunes up to 500 feet tall. Stretching for more than 40 miles along the coast, 14,300 acres of the Recreation Area are open to dune and trail riding. Other portions offer hiking trails, camping and day use areas.

Douglas County’s ocean beaches are clean and unspoiled. The Umpqua River Lighthouse lookout is a good place to spot migrating gray whales. There are also interpretive displays about the whale’s twice-yearly, 12,000-mile migration.

Salmon Harbor, located in Winchester Bay, is the largest recreational fishing port on the Oregon Coast. Whether fishing for Chinook or Coho salmon, bottom fish, freshwater bass, bluegill, steelhead, sturgeon or trout, there’s plenty of good fishing nearby. The docks are lined with bait and tackle shops canneries and markets. Shops can provide anglers with information, licenses and equipment.

The area is home to ducks and seabirds, and is a seasonal stopover for migrating Canada geese. It is not uncommon to see osprey, bald eagles, great blue herons, beaver and nutria. Binoculars or spotting scopes can enhance viewing. Interpretive displays designed especially for children teach about animal tracks, the annual shedding of antlers and much more. A herd of elk makes their home here, and can sometimes be seen from the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area.

In Old Town Reedsport, a must-see is the Umpqua Discovery Center, where exhibits and displays focus on the land, water and people that shaped the region. A stroll downtown will lead visitors to shops, art galleries and restaurants. Residents are friendly and glad to offer advice on all there is to see and do in Reedsport and Winchester Bay. www.reedsportcc.org