There are a variety of surfing and diving beaches within a short distance from Brookings, some even within walking distance of town. Among surfing parks and beaches are Rainbow Rock and Cape Sebastian, both North of Brookings, and Sporthaven Beach, just South of the Harbor entrance to the Chetco River. Easy beach access to reef diving is at Twin Rocks, a few miles North of Brookings. Most of these areas are open and easy to access, but to match your abilities with the site, check the wannasurf.com web page before you go.
Crabbing and fishing are among the favorite local pasttimes and certainly an attraction to this river-sea community. At Port of Brookings Harbor, where the Chetco River meets the Pacific, you can crab and fish right from the docks or fish with the experts on a sports fishing boat. The harbor is famous for its commercial salmon fleet and has a separate marina for sport fishers. The Chetco and Winchuk Rivers are also known for their fisheries. For Harbor services and rules, check out the Port of Brookings-Harbor website. Day licenses and other equipment can be purchased on site. See the Oregon Parks and Recreation website for clamming sites.
Parks abound in Brookings:There are six city parks nestled among the flowers and trees, and there are state and regional parks with cliff-side knolls where you can picnic with the ocean in front of you and the Siskiyous behind you or right on the beach, where waves and underwater plate movement have left rocky outcroppings just offshore called "sea stacks." For information about Brookings City parks, check out the city's web page. A link to the parks is on its home page. Look to the Oregon Parks and Recreation website for links to the many state parks along Highway 101, where hiking, clamming, camping and surfing are all available.
Hiking and touring the mountains and forest inland from Brookings is an adventure unlike any other. The beautiful Siskiyou National Forest and the Kalmiopsis Wilderness lie just to the east of Brookings. These are filled with rare and interesting plants and trees. If you have just a few hours, you can drive up the Chetco River Road to a trail that will take you through a redwood forest that includes the oldest such tree in the Northwest. The fabulous views along the way make this and many other hikes in this region unlike any other. Some of the area was desolated by fire about five years ago, but even these areas offer profound intrigue, as they struggle to recover from this disaster. For more information about this area of Brookings, see the U.S. Forest Service website link for the Rogue-Siskiyou area.
Even in Brookings-Harbor, it rains now and then. These are great times to come inside, see a movie or live theater, have a bowl of hot chowder, or shop. Brookings Harbor Shopping Center has 30 small shops, and the town is filled with art shops, antiques, restaurants, gift shops and much more. Even when the sun shines, there's lots to do in this small city. Events include art festivals in the winter and summer, the Azalea Festival in May, and the Kite-Flying Festival in July. And for eats, you'll have no shortage of places to try, from pizza to seafood by the sea. Check out the Chamber website for specific events and information about shops and restaurants.
