Today at a glance
Live from NOAA, NWS, USGS and ODA when the page loads · rules checked 2026-10-30Know before you go
Sneaker waves
Waves can surge at least 150 ft up dry beach, often after 10–20 minutes of small waves. Watch the water for 20 minutes first, never turn your back on the ocean, and stay off logs: soaked logs weigh up to several tons and the surf can roll them.
Source: NWS: sneaker waves · Oregon State Parks: beach safety
The Chetco bar
Flashing amber lights on the harbor signs mean a Coast Guard bar restriction. Listen on 1610 AM or VHF Ch. 16. Cross at slack water or on a flood tide, and check the marine forecast and bar camera first.
Source: Port bar guide (PDF) · Bar camera · NWS PZZ356 forecast
Shellfish toxins
Call the ODA hotline 1-800-448-2474 the day you harvest. A closed beach reopens only after two clean samples at least a week apart. Gut crab, discard the butter and cooking liquid. If you feel ill after eating shellfish, see a doctor and report it to the county health department.
Source: ODA closures
Tides & tide pools
An incoming tide can strand you away from shore, so know when it turns, especially at secluded beaches and tide pools. Take extra care at extreme tides and in storms.
Source: Oregon State Parks: beach safety · NOAA tides 9430104
Emergency: call 911. Full checklist on the safety page.
Fishing, crabbing & tide-pool conditions
Live tides, the week’s best tide-pool lows, daylight, ocean, bar and river readings, plus shellfish status. Each card links to its official source.
Best low tides this week for tide pooling
Source: NOAA tide predictions · ODFW report (evening minus tides)
Sunrise, sunset & daylight
Source: Computed in your browser with the NOAA Solar Calculator equations
Ocean & bar
Source: NWS zone PZZ356 · Port bar camera · Port bar guide (PDF) · NDBC buoy 46027 waves
Chetco River flow
Rain on the Chetco raises flow fast. ODFW notes heavy rain also pushes crabs out of the bay toward saltier water.
Source: USGS 14400000 Chetco River near Brookings · ODFW Southwest zone fishing report
Crab, clam & shellfish status
| Crab: ocean (boats) | Closed Oct 16 – Nov 30 (ODFW season rule) |
| Crab: bays, docks, jetties, beaches | Open Open all year under ODFW rules unless ODA closes it for toxins (area 50-L, Gold Beach to CA border) |
| Razor clams | Closed ODA zone: CA border to Pistol River |
| Mussels | Open ODA zone: CA border to Pistol River |
| Bay clams | Open ODA zone: CA border to Pistol River |
Checked on 2026-10-30 ODA page last updated 10/19/2026 (read from the ODA page at build time). The page tries to load ODA’s live map data when it opens.
ODA: gut crab and throw away the “butter” before cooking, and throw away the cooking liquid. The hotline is the best up-to-date source: 1-800-448-2474.
Source: ODA biotoxin closures · ODA closure map · ODFW crabbing & clamming report
Coming up
From the City of Brookings calendar and organizer websites. Past events fade out automatically.
Stringing of the Lights (volunteers)
Help string the lights for the Festival of Lights. Only extreme weather moves it to the following Saturday.
Source: City of Brookings calendar
Wild Rivers Mushroom Festival
200+ locally collected wild mushroom varieties on display, vendors, food, lectures and ID hikes. Service dogs only.
Source: Festival site · City calendar
Brookings Harbor Community Bazaar
56th year. 100+ craft vendors, food trucks, holiday gifts.
Source: City calendar
Nature’s Coastal Holiday Festival of Lights
3 million+ lights, 30–45 minute walk-through. Santa visits on select evenings before Christmas. Weather closures are posted on the festival’s Facebook page by 3 PM. Tip from the organizers: Sunday–Thursday is less crowded.
Source: Festival site · City calendar
Best beaches & trails
Local picks with practical notes.
Samuel H. Boardman corridor
12 miles of viewpoints
12 miles of bluffs, sea stacks and hidden beaches on Hwy 101 between Brookings and Gold Beach. The south end is about 3 miles north of Harris Beach.
- Arch Rock: short paved path to an overlook. The easiest stop.
- Cape Ferrelo loop: 1 mile. Good whale-watching spot in fall and spring.
- Whaleshead Beach: flat path from the picnic area (rough gravel road), or a steep trail from the south viewpoint.
- Secret Beach: rough ¾-mile trail. Go at low tide and watch the tide.
- Indian Sands → China Beach: a full-day hike, 7 miles round trip.
Harris Beach State Park
Tide pools · sea stacks
Beach picnicking, tide pools and views of Bird Island (Goat Island), a wildlife sanctuary where tufted puffins breed. Watch for gray whales in winter and spring. It’s 1.5 miles north of the Center St light on Hwy 101. The Harris Beach loop is 2.8 miles with 305 ft of gain (Oregon Hikers).
Open for day use year-round. Buy the 1-day parking permit on site.
Source: Oregon State Parks · Oregon Hikers
Chetco Point Park
Sunset + dog park
A city park with views of the Port, Macklyn Cove and the ocean. It has tide pools and sandy beaches, seals on the rocks, and St. George Reef Lighthouse in the distance. The picnic area is ADA accessible, and a trail climbs to the bluff. It also has a fenced off-leash dog park.
Source: City of Brookings
Rainy day?
Indoor and storm-day ideas, each with its source.
Chetco Community Public Library
Free, warm and dry. The library lists its hours as Mon–Thu 10–7, Fri–Sat 10–5, closed Sunday. It displays the samurai sword Nobuo Fujita gave the City in 1962 “as a gesture of international peace and goodwill.” In September 1942 he dropped incendiary bombs near Brookings, the only Japanese pilot to bomb the U.S. mainland.
Source: Library hours · City of Brookings: Fujita sword
Redwood Theater
A downtown movie theater whose history goes back to 1909. Check current showtimes before you go.
Source: Redwood Theater · Showtimes
Manley Art Center & Gallery
A local art center and gallery.
Source: Oregon Coast Visitors Association · Manley Art Center
Where to eat & get supplies
Lists published by the Port and the regional tourism board, plus ODFW license agents. Not endorsements.
Bringing a dog?
Leash rules, the off-leash park and dog-friendly patios.
Dog guide → Short version: 6-ft leash in state parks, leashed in city parks, off-leash only inside the fenced Chetco Point Dog Park.