Battle Rock Wayside Park in Port Orford is a scenic outdoor destination with a fascinating history and plenty to do. This is a fantastic location for kite and windsurfing, rockhounding, nature viewing, or simply enjoying a relaxing stroll on the sandy beach. The park provides easy access to Dock Beach and Battle Rock Beach, separated by a massive headland of the same name.

As soon as you pull into the parking lot, you will see a viewpoint providing an impressive view of Battle Rock, surrounding sea stacks, beach, and the mighty Pacific. Battle Rock Beach is interconnected with Port Orford Heads State Park, so you can hike and enjoy the viewpoints there as well.

The beach is just a short walk away from the parking lot. There is plenty of space on the lot, along with restrooms and picnic tables. Stop by the visitor's center to learn more about the park and the surrounding area.

Battle Rock Wayside Park – Things to Do

Unique Dolly Dock in Port Orford

Located west of the Battle Rock, the Port of Port Orford is a unique port, the only "dolly dock" on the Pacific West Coast. Boats are launched and retrieved using the large hoists and housed on rubber-tired dollies or trailers.

4th of July Beach Fireworks

Every 4th of July, the volunteer fire department hosts a fireworks display right on the beach. It is one of the best displays you can attend on the entire Oregon coast, and the park's terrain serves as a natural amphitheater for guests.

Windsurfing and Kitesurfing

Winter storms create a perfect break for surfers, and windy days allow wind and kite surfers to enjoy their favorite pastime.

Beachcombing and Rockhounding

Beachcombing and agate hunting are excellent here as well, especially after the winter storms during low tide. Agates in a variety of colors are the most common finds.

Fishing

Fishing is a popular activity here. You can fish off the beach, dock, or jetty for smelt, sardine, herring, and bottom fish.

Kayaking and Canoeing

Kayakers and canoers can launch at the dock or beach on quiet days and fish in the calm waters of Tichenor and Nellie's Coves.

Tidepool watching

North of the dock, there is an intertidal area with many colorful marine creatures, including sea stars, anemones, sea urchins, and others, in tide pools.

The Battle Rock name comes from the 1851 skirmish between Native Americans of the Quatoma Band and European settlers. On June 9, 1851, Captain William Tichenor left 9 of his men in the area of Port Orford and promised to return in 2 weeks after resupplying his ship in San Francisco.

Quatoma Band natives were not happy with the presence of outsiders, and Tichenor men retreated from the beach to the sea stack, which became the Battle Rock, and established a defensive perimeter.

The natives waited for reinforcements and attacked. Lucky for Europeans, they brought a small cannon and managed to repel the attack, injuring and killing multiple Quatoma Band warriors while having two men injured from arrows.

Tichenor hasn't returned in two weeks as promised, so his men decided to escape under the cover of the night. They made their way to Coos Bay under the protection of friendly native Americans in the area.

Tichenor later returned in July with 70 men who built the fort, which later became Port Orford.

The source of the conflict was the US Congress's Oregon Donation Land Act of 1850. This law allowed settlers to claim native land without the natives' consent or input.