Spend an afternoon communing with blue herons, bald eagles, sea otters and ducks that live in the habitats of this rich marine reserve.
Channel your inner naturalist and visit the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, south of Coos Bay. Within the reserve’s 4,771 estuarine acres (1,931 hectares), you’ll find open water, salt marshes, conifer forests, streams and tidal flats. Migrating ducks, oysters, crabs, salmon, great blue herons, bald eagles and even elk make their homes here.
Join a workshop and learn about the area’s natural and cultural history, as well as its coastal ecology. Hike or paddle through the reserve. Visitors come to appreciate the important and diverse landscapes offered by the reserve and learn why estuaries are one of the world’s most productive ecosystems.
Within the reserve, explore acres of forest, salt marshes, mudflats and channels. The forest has the area’s bigger animals including elk, black bear and bobcats. Salmon spawn in the streams, while the mudflats are patrolled by wandering birds and mammals in search of food. Deep channels that hold water in both low and high tide provide habitats for river otters, beavers, birds and fish.
Explore the reserve via several well-maintained trails, most starting from the Interpretive Center. Quick options include the Ten-Minute Loop Trail, the Middle Creek Trail, the North Creek Spur, the wheelchair-accessible Big Cedar Trail, the Railroad Trail, the Tunnel Trail, the Sloughside Spur and the Marshside Spur. The longest trail is the 1.5-mile (2.4-kilometer) North Creek Trail, which offers wildlife viewing along the Sloughside Marsh.
In the South Reserve, both the Wasson Creek and Fredrickson Marsh loop trails follow the forest and marsh areas. If you prefer to venture out on the water, launch a kayak or canoe at Hinch Bridge or in Charleston. Pick up a paddler’s brochure and check the tides and weather at the Interpretive Center before setting out.
Drive about 20 minutes south of Coos Bay to reach the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve Interpretive Center in Charleston. The center is open Tuesday through Saturday year round. The trails are open every day during daylight hours.
