Stewart Park

Location = Stewart Park. 1003 NW Stewart Park Dr., Roseburg OR.

Stewart Park runs along the Umpqua River, providing various fun water activities. Stewart Park also includes various nature trails and a butterfly garden, as well as activities like disc golf, skate park, golf course, tennis, volleyball, and baseball. For longer walking trails, Stewart Park connects to Gaddis Park to the east, and Fir Grove Park to the south.

I enjoy walking the trails, because you're sure to find little surprises everywhere like butterflies, fish swimming in the river, or red-headed woodpeckers. Just walking with your dogs in quiet admiration of nature leaves you feeling happier, relaxed, and rejuvenated - and who doesn't love that? Even on a foggy morning below, the scenery was gorgeous.

Plan on 5-7 fun-tastic days on a Loop tour to the Coast.

Start Route: Roseburg to Winston, Powers and Coos Bay on the Coast.

End Route: Reedsport to Scottsburg, Elkton, and Drain back to Interstate 5. Head south to Roseburg or north to: Walk the Plank, Eugene OR.

More Fun Things to Do - Roseburg

• Gateway to epic adventures, less than 70 minutes drive from Roseburg.

• Blog: Waterfall Hwy & Mysterious Volcano.

• Blog: Walk the Plank in Eugene OR.

• An outdoor lover's paradise - go hiking/biking in gorgeous scenery.

• Umpqua River - whitewater rafting, kayaking, tubing, lazy float, wind surfing, fishing, etc.

• 20+ Wineries - if you're not a fan of dry wine, try cranberry or blackberry wine. Super delish.

• The Discovery Garden (by Master Gardeners) - check out the butterfly garden & Japanese garden.

Wildlife Safari Village

The Safari Village is our 2nd favorite thing to do here after the drive-thru. I'm totally in love with the monkey exhibits - they're absolutely adorable and also endangered.

The Marmoset & Tamarin monkeys are in the top 6 for being the smallest monkey and typically range between 3.5 ounces to less than 2 pounds. The endangered cotton tamarins just had twins born in February 2024. Everyone say "ahhhh".

We also go nuts over the baby goats. Always happy, goofy and bouncing over every thing. As for the giraffes, I'm all good until I see their long purplish-black tongue. Don't know why - but it kinda creeps me out.

The Wildlife Safari isn't a big zoo kind of place, but it's pretty special and totally worth a visit.

Location = Wildlife Safari. 1790 Safari Rd, Winston OR, 7 miles SE of Roseburg. Open 7 days/week except Thanksgiving & Christmas. Included is a drive-thru Wildlife Safari, Safari Village, encounters & feedings, camel rides, and petting zoo. Their focus is on conservation & education.

When you take this very interactive, up close and personal, drive thru the Wildlife Safari - it's an experience you won't soon forget. No need to wave them over to your car because they know what's coming. FOOD. Food cups are on sale before you start the driving tour. Be prepared - you're gonna be swarmed, and you can't fool those sniffers.

As you watch the line of cars feeding all these beasts, you'd think they'd get full by early afternoon. HA.... not even close. The bigger animals will push thru the crowds and into your car as far as possible. Watch out for the emu's - they're tall with long necks.... and they're not bashful about it.

Talk about being on the edge of your seat, alternating between burst of giggles & screams as you maneuver between heads, beaks, and tongues. Oh look - everybody's a comedian with the raspberries!

Powers - River Fun & Relaxing

FYI: Powers is teeny tiny with a small market. If you want to stock up on food & gas before heading to Powers, Winston is your best bet. Also, wildlife usually avoid the main roads & campgrounds, but they've been spotted many times within this vast wilderness area.

The Coquille River runs thru Powers and offers up cool waters and a few sandbars to unwind & relax on a hot day. There's also several great trails if you'd like to hike before lounging. Personally, if the trail has a waterfall..... I'm there! Next section below.

• Both times we visited, we drove south along Powers South Rd and found little driveways on the right leading to small sandbars & parking for a few cars on the S. Fork Coquille River. Sorry, they're not marked.

• The Coquille Myrtle Grove Natural Area is 8 miles north of Powers with a great beach & swim area. Several camp- grounds are scattered south of Powers for river & sandbar access. FYI: don't forget your water shoes, they help walking over river rocks.

• Orchard Park is the only spot I know for cliff diving - if you like serious fun. It's off 219/Powers South Rd, about 2 miles south of Powers. The trail starts to the right of the picnic pavilion. Head down to the beach, and on the way you'll see the diving board. The water is usually deep at this spot - so great for swimming, tubing, or kayaking. Water levels fluctuate if there's been minimal rain and/or if you visit late summer.

• Fishing - salmon, trout, and bass. Check with the Dept. of Fish & Wildlife regarding location & licensing.

Location = Coquille River Falls trailhead. From Powers, drive south on County Rd 219/Powers South Rd which turns into NF 33. Go left on NF 3348 and drive 1.6 miles to the trailhead on the right. The trail is 1.1 miles roundtrip. Best time to visit Coquille River Falls & Elk Creek Falls below is spring to summer - the water flow is much heavier.

Coquille River Falls at the top drops 50 feet with another 65 feet drop to the lower falls. The trail begins with switchbacks which are mildly steep. After the footbridge you'll see a sign at the next switchback - cross Drowned Out Creek to get to the upper falls. If you continue down the switchbacks, you'll reach the bottom of the falls.

Elk Creek Falls

Location = Elk Creek Falls trailhead. The Elk Creek Falls trailhead is 6.5 miles south of Powers on the left side of Country Rd 219/Powers South Rd. This road eventually becomes (National Forest Rd) NF-33. It's a short .4 mile roundtrip with easy access to the falls. Elk Creek Falls is MUCH more impressive in spring & summer when the water flow is heavier.

The trailhead literally starts off NF-33. About halfway to the falls you'll come to a trail marker. Go left to continue to Elk Creek Falls, or right to Big Tree Trail. Big Tree Trail is about 2.2 miles roundtrip with 800 ft. elevation gain. It's pretty amazing because living here is the world's largest Cedar tree - it's 12 feet thick and 220 feet tall.

FYI: the bottom rock ledge area is always wet, mossy, and slippery. We went late November before the winter rains come, so the waterfalls were not at full gushing force. It's a little crisp up here - Brrr, snow on the trail. Careful, the roads get a little slickery too.

Coos Bay

See my Blog: Oregon Coast, Pt 2.

The Oregon coast is rugged and mostly undeveloped. The dark rock formations against the blue ocean coastline make for next level spectacular scenery.

The towns are small & charming, and nature stretches on forever, including a 40 mile stretch of sand dunes beginning in North Bend just north of Coos Bay and continue north to Winchester Bay and beyond.

Riding the dunes is definitely a bucket list must, plus it's a unique and gorgeous ride with views of the ocean. Rentals are in North Bend, Winchester, and further north by Florence. Be prepared for an exhilarating adventure over the hilly coastal terrain. From Coos Bay, head north to Reedsport to OR Hwy 38 on the right. Then drive east to Scottsburg for some blueberry picking.

Location = Estill Organic Blueberry Farm . 32527 OR-Hwy 38 Elkton, OR. Although the address is in Elkton, it's located just east of Scottsburg. Elkton is about 17 miles further east of Estill Blueberry Farm.

This farm is organic - and has the biggest blueberries I've ever seen. There's a few different varieties, and each one is plump, sweet, and ginormous. Since I lived in Oregon for many years, I've been to several blueberry farms, and these guys are the best.

Estill Blueberry Farms offers pre-picked and U-pick. I prefer picking my own since it's all part of the experience. I know a few people who ate a light breakfast before heading to Estill so they could "eat" and pick in alternating fashion.

Well.... I had a goal in mind so I got down to business. I literally picked enough blueberries to last until the following June. Picking season is end of June or early July and maybe into early August. Yes, I know - BLUEBERRY HOG. Best blueberries ever.

Butterfly Pavilion

Location = Butterfly Pavilion. 15850 OR-Hwy 38 to the ECEC, Elkton Community Education Center. The butterfly's are located in the building on the left, and they usually begin emerging late June to September.

The ECEC has a large garden area that attracts butterflies, a nursery, and produce stand. The Butterfly Pavilion is enclosed and it's where they raise Monarch & Painted Lady butterflies. As the butterflies break out of their cocoon's, they'll fly all around you in what's called the "flight room".

Then, the butterflies are released into the wild so that ECEC can study their flight patterns. I made a trip to Elkton to see these delicate beauties as they flew around me, landing on my arms and fingers.... or so I imagined. Sadly, they were still caterpillars - and I was too early.

But, it wasn't a wasted trip because I got to see these cute, plumpy little guys. It had to fight back the urge not to give them a gentle squishy squeeze. If you visit the Butterfly Pavilion and get to see these beauties hatch - I'd love it if you sent me a photo?

Location = Fort Umpqua. 25287 Elkton-Sutherlin Hwy, Elkton OR.

Fort Umpqua was owned by a French-Canadian company and was first built in 1832. In 1836 they relocated the fur trading post, moved the log cabin and rebuilt it where it stands today. A fire destroyed Fort Umpqua in 1851, and they shut it down permanently in 1856.

The purpose of Fort Umpqua was to serve as a shelter fur traders who trapped beaver, mink, deer, and rabbit along the Umpqua River corridor. This site also became a popular trail route from Oregon all the way south to California. Here's an interesting tidbit: top hats were made out of Beaver hides by cutting off the fur layer and processing the hide. Who knew! Not that we see top hats anymore, but I'll pay attention the next movie I see from that era.

FYI: Wine lovers: Elkton has 2 to choose from: Bradley Vineyards or River's Edge Winery. Both are rated well and offer different wines. Check to see if they have Cranberry or Blackberry wine - super delish if you're not into dry!

Drain - Yep, that's a town!

Drain is one of those blink twice and you'll miss it kind of towns, however it's a nice spot to let the dogs out.... again, before hitting Interstate 5 and on to another adventure.

I usually find that if I drive or walk around off the main streets, I'll find some kind of little treasure. As you can see - my search took only minutes and I stumbled upon these 2 colorful beauties.

The one on the right is my fave, and I would've loved an inside tour. The woodwork and details are just exquisite. Happy hunting to you.

Vacation Travel Tips

• Average temps high/low = Roseburg: Summer 87/55 degrees F. Winter 51/36. Summer can get rainy. Powers: slightly cooler. Coast: see Blog link at top.

• Backpack essentials - water, bug spray, sunscreen, whistle, flashlight, cell phone, pocket knife, camera, and a light jacket for summer.

• Winter Essentials - thermal blanket, waterproof hiking boots, and extra warm clothing.

• Hiking conditions - trails can be wet & slippery even in summer. Expect 2+ feet of snow in some lower elevations.

• Vehicle safety – Keep a spare blanket, boots, jacket, gloves, and snacks in the car. Winter roads can be icy & covered in snow - use “winter” tires. FYI: If you have "all season" tires, take snow chains.

• Wild animals - rarely seen on trails, but they're out there.

• Trash - Pack out what you pack in.

• Rivers/lakes – river shoes are a must. Heavy winter rains/snow means ice-cold, deep, & fast moving water.

• Poison Oak - it grows as a vine or a shrub, and has 3 or more leaves/group.

• Rattlesnakes - prefer dry/warm areas, not usually above 6,000 ft.

• Wilderness areas – take a buddy & tell someone your travel plans.

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