Welcome To Bandon Visitors Guide 2010

• Bandon Marsh & Oregon Islands NWR

Published: Tuesday, May 13th, 2008 Bandon Marsh & Oregon Islands NWR The scenic beauty and majestic grandeur of Bandon's coastal rocks, reefs and islands - all part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge - are closed to public access to help conserve sensitive and easily disturbed wildlife for the enjoyment and benefit of America's current and future generations.

These stunning coastal rocks - with names such as Face Rock, Haystack Rock, Coquille Rocks, Table Rock, and Cat and Kittens Rocks - are home to tens of thousands of nesting and loafing seabirds. In addition, this nationally designated wilderness area is undisturbed habitat for thousands of breeding and loafing seals and sea lions.

To gain an appreciation for the abundant wildlife and to enjoy the scenic beauty, you can visit the Coquille Point Unit of the refuge where, on weekends, The Friends of Southern Oregon National Wildlife Refuge volunteer naturalists are available with spotting scopes to help visitors get a closer look at the refuge and its inhabitants.

Paved, accessible walking trails and interpretive panels are readily accessible along the headland. Two sets of stairs lead the public to the beach for a closer look at loafing harbor seals or nesting cormorants on the offshore rocks and cliffs.

Remember: To protect sensitive nesting birds and their habitat, please keep your distance from the wildlife and do not climb the rocks.

In contrast to the power and stateliness of the coastal rocks, pillars and islands that withstand the brunt of the pounding Pacific Ocean are the mudflats and forested wetlands of the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge - located in Bandon's internationally renowned Coquille River estuary.

In the mudflats, washed twice daily by the ebb and flow of the tides, myriad invertebrates provide the prey and fuel for thousands of migrating shorebirds and waterfowl. The estuary is habitat for a diversity of wildlife, including mammals such as river otter, mink and black-tailed deer, as well as numerous bird species, including the bald eagle, peregrine falcon, Canada goose and great blue heron.

Access and parking are available at an overlook on the west side of Riverside Drive. This overlook includes an accessible boardwalk and deck, peaceful bench and a short stairway leading to the marsh.

Public uses at this unit include wildlife photography, birdwatching, waterfowl hunting, clamming, environmental education programs and more. This is "the spot" for viewing the seasonal shorebird migrations in the spring and fall.

The refuge's other unit lies slightly northeast in a mixture of uplands, forested wetlands and historic estuary that was converted into pastureland decades ago. Starting in 2009-2010, this unit will be the site of the largest tidal marsh restoration project ever to be attempted in this state.

An easily accessible observation deck and parking area are available to allow the public to view the refuge during and after the restoration effort. To visit the overlook, turn east onto North Bank Lane just north of Bullards Bridge, which is located about two miles north of Bandon on Highway 101.

These National Wildlife Refuges, part of a national network, are managed for the public by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The network encompass several million acres that are managed to restore and sustain America's wildlife heritage.

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