William “Ham” Bunch/Cherry Creek County Park is a potential stop along the Coos Bay Wagon Road.

A passing cold front sent nighttime temperatures to unseasonable lows on the South Coast last week, but in the morning it would warm up again, as if the sun was saying “Don’t give up on me just yet. There’s still some Indian Sumer left.”

Good thing, because It occurred to me I’d neglected to make a summertime pilgrimage to one of my favorite places, the  Coos Bay Wagon Road.

Opened in 1872, the Wagon Road is one of the region’s original land routes, and still provides a transportation link as well as offering impressive scenery. As might be deduced from the name, the Wagon Road goes back to the horse-and-wagon era. The 56-mile route connected the Coos Bay area to Umpqua Valley communities in the vicinity of Roseburg, with its eastern terminus in Lookingglass, near Winston.

Most of today’s route is paved, but two challenging gravel sections remain, as well as single-lane stretches alongside rushing streams and picturesque waterfalls.

The route was supplanted in the 1870s by a better road – today’s Highway 42 – but it’s still a viable east-west route, connected by settlements about 8 to 10 miles apart that once served as stage stops for fresh horses. The route changes names a few times along the way, but is well-signed.

The official western terminus is at Coos City, 4 miles south of Coos Bay on US 101, and the eastern end is at Lookingglass. The two unpaved sections are between Sumner and Fairview, and Sitkum and the Douglas County line.

In addition to small settlements along the way, there are also some county parks that offer day-use and seasonal camping.

It’s particularly satisfying in autumn, when awesome big-leaf maples and other deciduous trees and shrubs that line the way put on a colorful show.

Getting There

You can drive the entire route or just visit parts of it. For this tour, let’s begin in Myrtle Point and head for a couple of settlements and parks, returning via Coquille.

So, from the north end of Myrtle Point on Highway 42, take Sitkum Lane, following signs to Dora and Sitkum. The route curves out of town through soothing countryside, passing neatly-kept homesteads and ranches. At just under 4 miles it crosses the Coquille River’s north fork.

Climbing gently, the road crosses another bridge at about 8.1 miles. The ascent continues through field and forest, and at about 16.5 miles is Dora Cemetery.

At 17.5 miles is the intersection with Lone Pine Lane, as the Wagon Road is called along this stretch. Turn left (W) and follow the road’s twisting ascent, then an equally twisting descent.

It levels off at the settlement of McKinley, where you’ll encounter William “Ham” Bunch/Cherry Creek County Park. The park’s closed to camping for the season but it’s still a pleasant place to enjoy the mellow autumn sunshine under some huge, aromatic myrtlewoods, and adjacent proverbial babbling brook. A plaque explains the park was named after the county’s first school superintendant.

The solitude, the charming creek, the wind sighing through the trees, the muted birdsong all conspire to make this place hard to leave.

When you do, keep going on Lone Pine Lane, arriving in 7 miles at Fairview. Turn left (S) and follow it to 8 miles Coquille. And perhaps another day continue our journeys on the good old Wagon Road.

(Tom Baake is author of local guidebooks.)

A hiker heads to the top of Hanging Rock.

People occasionally ask about intriguing-sounding ridgelines in the region, such as Panther Ridge, Blue Ridge, Euphoria Ridge and the Iron Range. Are they difficult to get to? How did they get those names? Do they have big views?

I used to have the same questions. I pictured myself figuring out how to get to these places, then walking atop distinctive escarpments and taking in big soaring vistas. As it turns out, the ridgelines are relatively accessible, but are much like the surrounding forest – grown in with trees!

There’s not much difference between a ridgeline road or trail than those lower down, except for occasional openings that offer brief views.

There are, however, some awesome vistas here and there. Probably the most famous is Hanging Rock in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest south of Powers.

It was called “Coos County’s Geological Wonder” back when they really knew how to nickname things. It’s a distinctive, dome-shaped sentinel at the end of an outcrop of similar but less-prominent domes and at 3500 feet, it has commanding views, thanks to the fact that the forest drops dramatically away to the south and east.

Getting There

Make your way to Highway 42 and proceed to Myrtle Point, and in 4 miles take the Powers Highway turnoff.

The road rolls through peaceful countryside, passing through the settlement of Broadbent on the 18-mile journey to Powers. There’s river access at several places.

The U.S. Forest Service Powers ranger station is on the left as you enter Powers, if you want to stop for a map or information. Stay on the main road as it doglegs through town, following signs to China Flat, Ilahe, Agness. In about 4 miles the route enters the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and becomes FS 33. About 1 mile beyond is a short trail to pretty Elk Creek Falls.

About 17 miles from Powers, turn left (E) on FS 3348. It heads immediately uphill. About 1.5 miles up is a trail to Coquille Falls. A half-mile beyond, turn right (W) on FS 5520, following the sign to Bald Knob Lookout and Panther Ridge trail. The gravel road heads uphill, then turns south.

Pass roads to Bald Knob Lookout and Panther Ridge trail, staying on FS 5520. In about 3 miles pass the access road to Clay Hill Trailhead. Stay on FS 5520. In another 3 miles, turn right on FS 140, following a sign to Panther Ridge trail and Hanging Rock, 1 mile.

Park at the trailhead and follow the trail (FS 1253-A) about a half-mile up to the main trail (FS 1253). This would be the famed Panther Ridge trail, whose name dates back to when it was common to call a cougar a panther.

Turn left (E), and after a short uphill, then downhill stretch of just over a quarter-mile, watch for the Hanging Rock trail (1253-A) to the right.

Follow the path up to the ridgeline, passing trees blackened in forest fires. There are some “hanging”-looking rocks, but stay on the trail as it goes downhill and ends at Hanging Rock.

Wow! That view! On and on, down and down! You might spot turkey vultures and eagles way down in the Rogue River canyon. As for the river, it’s mostly hidden in the trees.

The views, the stillness, the sighing trees make this a hard place to leave. When you’re ready, retrace your route, making sure not to miss the side trail (1253-A) to the parking area.

Back in your vehicle, retrace your route to FS 5520 and turn left, following it down to FS 33 for the return trip downriver to Powers and thence down to the Coquille River Valley. And as for those other ridgelines mentioned at the start, I hope to discuss them in upcoming columns.

(Shopper columnist Tom Baake is author of regional guidebooks.)

Paddlers head out into the bay during a previous Standup! For the Bay community event. This year’s celebration will be combined with Octoberfish on Oct. 5

Summer has slipped into fall, but that doesn’t mean the end to a busy season of fairs and festivals here on the South Coast. Myrtle Point’s Harvest Festival – set for this Saturday, Sept. 28 and about which more in a moment – was traditionally the final big event of the season, but through the yeas more celebrations have sprung up, extending the potential for fun.

Among them is the annual Octoberfish celebration in Charleston, set for Saturday, Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB). Attendance is free. There will be local arts and crafts, live music, craft beers, kid-friendly games, yoga workshops, and grilled albacore by the famous Tuna Guys of Charleston. Proceeds benefit the Charleston Food Bank. Bring a lawn chair.

This year’s Octoberfish is being combined with the annual Stand Up! For the Bay community paddling event. In addition to being a fun get-together, it’s also a clean-up campaign for the shorelines of the Coos Bay Estuary.

Coos Bay Surfrider volunteer Annie Pollard said the idea for the community event began as a way to show off what the bay has to offer and to rejoice in its beauty. “We’re really excited to dovetail into this year’s Octoberfish activities,” she said. Paddlers will meet at 9 a.m. at the Distant Water Fleet facility on Troller Road (on your left just before the Charleston Bridge.)

These activities are part of National Estuaries Week held every September to raise awareness about the critical role that estuaries play in our environment and to encourage action to protect the ecosystems. South Slough is considered a gem of the entire national system – and also the very first so designated in 1974, hence this year’s 50th anniversary activities.

Speaking of the estuary, anglers have been enjoying what appears to be a very productive season, despite a slightly rocky start at the front end. The fish-cleaning stations at boat ramps around the bay are busy all day long, and that little bit of rain we had helped “encourage” a lot of fish to head for their upriver spawning beds – if they can avoid the gauntlet of anglers, that is . . .

Crabbing has also been excellent, with dozens of postings on social media showing off tremendous catches. Hey you guys, leave a few for us locals!,

Meantime, the folks who run those colorful little former railroad maintenance vehicles called speeders will make one of their annual trips to Coos Bay on Saturday, Oct. 5. It’s the annual Teddy Bear Toy Express, under supervision of the Coos Bay-North Bend Rotary Club, to collect new, unwrapped toys. They’ll stop at Mapleton, Reedsport and Lakeside, then continue to Coos Bay, and then Coquille, before returning to Coos Bay, where they’ll stop at the Oregon Coast Historical Railway at around noon. They’ll deliver the toys later in the day at the Coos Bay Boardwalk.

Incidentally, the scheduled stop at the popular railroad museum in Coos Bay is a great way to get an up-close look at the speeders, and to chat with their owners. You can also see what’s new and old at the railroad museum, and check out their new blacksmith education and demonstration area.

Finally, back to the Myrtle Point Harvest Festival, which seems to draw more people every year. The vehicle show and shine from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. is followed by the cruise beginning at 4 p.m. There will be live music, vendors, a scarecrow contest, the firefighters’ steak feed, and a childrens’ fun run beginning at 10 a.m.

As you might deduce, there’s still plenty of life left in the fairs and festivals season. And this is just a partial list, with more activities highlighted in this edition of the Shopper. So pace yourself and enjoy the fun!

(Shopper columnist Tom Baake is author of guidebooks available at the Coos Bay Visitor Center.)