Arizona Beach -The Scenic Sheltered Beach at Port Orford

Arizona Beach at Arizona Beach State Recreation Site is a wonderful destination sitting between Port Orford and Gold Beach right off highway 101. In addition to rockhounding, beachcombing, and beach strolling this scenic location is a fantastic place for fishing, nature viewing, kite surfing, and exploring tidepools.

The beach is pretty sheltered from the wind so on average, the temperatures here are much higher than in the surrounding area, hence the name. However, during high winds, this place is a fantastic kite flying spot.

Arizona Beach is a tremendous place to stroll on the shore or do some beachcombing or rockhounding to add gifts of the Pacific Ocean to your collection. You can see a magnificent image of sea stars and other marine creatures at low tide. Red, purple, orange, shades of green, and other colors create a beautiful picture every time the ocean briefly exposes its flora and fauna.

The offshore rocks you can see from the beach are a home for a lot of wildlife species and a part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. A total of 13 species of sea birds nest here including common murres, tufted puffins, brown pelicans, pigeon guillemots, and double-crested cormorants. Seals and sea lions are also often seen on the rocks. For preservation purposes, no public access is allowed to these areas.

Arizona Beach State Recreation Site Park has several recreational activities as well. Myrtle and Mussel creeks run through the park and attract local wildlife including elk and waterfowl. So nature viewing enthusiasts can see a plethora of other creatures in addition to regular seaside inhabitants.

The Arizona Pond stocks rainbow trout at the park. Fishing is open for youth only and requires juvenile fishing licenses for children ages 14 through 17. There are picnic tables scattered throughout the park as well, so the entire family can find something they enjoy here.

There is also a campground, but the number of spots is very limited. The campsite is limited to either 10 RVs under 30 feet or 20 vehicles for tent camping. Please, keep in mind that there is no RV hookup.