Adventurous Places to Explore with Kids in Florence, Oregon

The Oregon Coast is a memorable destination for families who live in the Pacific Northwest. For our family, it’s about an 8 hour drive from our home in North Idaho. We’ve visited Florence, Oregon for a weekend getaway several times with our kids. The best thing about family adventures is that you can change up your experience each time. On one trip, we stayed in a cozy Oregon Coast vacation rental through Airbnb. Another trip we brought our RV and experienced camping near the sand dunes. Here are some of the fun family activities we’ve enjoyed near the Oregon Coast!

Go Camping

You can find plenty of scenic camping spots near Florence, Oregon. The weather is often nice in the spring and summer, so you can easily go tent camping or even sleep in a hammock. If you plan to sleep outdoors, just check the weather forecast ahead of time.

On one of our spring Oregon Coast trips, we brought our RV. We stayed at the Woahink Lake RV Resort near the Florence sand dunes. It was a beautiful location, and so fun to get out and go on adventures with our kids, and sleep in beds at night. Near our camp site, we discovered sandy trails to go on family walks and paths to walk down to the beach.

Some of my favorite memories are of simple outdoor fun with our kids. We brought towels and sunscreen, and spent an hour at a time walking along the sand and looking for shells. Occasionally we found a partially broken sand dollar or a broken crab shell. Our kids also had fun running down the sandy slopes near the beach.

Take the Kids Off-Roading at the Sand Dunes

Our RV camp site was pretty close to a wide swath of sand dunes. Many people bring their off-road vehicles to the Florence Dunes, so it was a pretty busy place. Where there are sand dunes, you can often rent an off-road vehicle to drive for the afternoon, if you don’t own one.

My husband, Andy, brought our RZR off-road vehicle, which fits into the garage area of our RV. He outfitted our RZR with an extra seat and harnesses so our whole family can strap in and go along for a ride. Andy had fun taking us all out to the sand dunes and zipping down the sandy beach. My husband is a great driver and good at problem solving, which is very helpful for going on off-road adventures.

Visit Heceta Head Lighthouse

Another afternoon, we took a short drive to visit Heceta Head Lighthouse. This historical building is maintained by volunteer lighthouse keepers from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. We walked up to the site of the lighthouse, where we had a full view of the coastline and surrounding bluffs and tide pools. We also went on a tour of the lighthouse and learned a little bit about its history.

Explore the Tide Pools

Additionally, many of the areas along the Oregon Coast near Florence offer spots for short family walks and tide pool exploration. Our young kids were eager to carefully walk around the rocks, in search of tide pool creatures. Although much of the coast is impacted by strong waves and surf, occasionally we saw a sea anemone or a small crab. My kids thought it was a fun discovery to see tide pool creatures out in the wild.

Go On a Family Hike

Finally, of my favorite things about going to the Oregon Coast is all the scenic walking paths you can explore and enjoy. The Florence, Oregon area has lots of paved and gravel trail systems that run along the coastal bluffs and down to the ocean. We often spend a few afternoons with our kids walking along these trails when we visit the Oregon Coast.

The next time your family visits the Oregon Coast, it’s worth experiencing some of these outdoor activities. Hit the sand dunes, walk along the beach, and stop by Heceta Head Lighthouse for a tour. Go on a family walk along the coastal trails and explore the natural tide pools. Our family always enjoys our outdoor adventures near Florence, Oregon.