Trails
Boardwalk Overlook
- Location: Bandon Marsh, Riverside Drive
- Length: 0.02 Miles
- Grade: Flat
- Surface: Boardwalk
Bandon Marsh was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1983 to preserve the only remaining tidal marsh in the entire Coquille River estuary. This area of the refuge can be seen from an access point located along Riverside Drive on the north side of Bandon, OR. This naturally occurring tidal marsh was the only remaining of its kind within the whole Coquille River estuary in the 1980s. Park in parallel spaces along the road and walk out along the boardwalk to the viewing platform. From the end of the platform, take in a view of the mudflats or venture forward onto the marsh. Mud flats, exposed at lower tides, provide important foraging habitat for migratory shorebirds and waders.
Ni-les'tun Marsh Trail
- Location: Ni-les'tun Marsh, North Bank Lane
- Length: 0.12 Miles
- Grade: Gentle
- Surface: Concrete and mowed grass
The area now known as Ni-les'tun Marsh was originally a Dairy Farm. Restored to tidal marsh between 2009 and 2011, it was the largest marsh restoration in the state of Oregon at the time. Today you can view the beautiful success of this restoration by visiting the Peter DeFazio Marsh Overlook on North Bank Lane north of Bandon, OR. The overlook area is underlain by a 4,500-year-old Coquille Indian campsite. The marsh trail extends south from the overlook parking area and leads into the marsh offering views of migratory birds and schools of young anadromous fish. The Ni-les'tun Marsh is open to the public though walking in the marsh itself can be difficult due to a series of ditches that can be hard to see. Use caution when accessing areas off the main trail.
Myrtlewood Grove Nature Trail
- Location: Refuge Headquarters, North Bank Lane
- Length: 1.0 Miles
- Grade: Gentle to Moderate
- Surface: Grass, gravel
The Myrtlewood Grove Nature Trail, opened in December 2020, begins just north of the newly constructed Bandon Marsh office at 83673 North Bank Lane. Visitors may park in one of two available parking areas to access the trailhead. The family friendly trail is rated as easy, has a natural, sometimes muddy surface and is comprised of two connecting loops on a short spur from the trailhead. This allows hikers the choice of a 0.5- or 1.0-mile hike. The trail begins in a patch of mature Sitka spruce/Western hemlock forest with thick green understory dropping into a small freshwater pond. Hikers then come to a meadow in the midst of restoration from pasture to coniferous forest. In the center of the trail, enter a shadowy grove of old Myrtlewood trees sprouting young saplings. The trail also affords a prime view of Ni-les’tun Marsh and Bullard’s Bridge in the distance.