Natural Bridges Oregon: Guide For First Time Visitors

Natural Bridges is one of the most iconic and photographed areas on the Oregon Coast and having been there several times, this post is going to show you everything you need to know before you visit it. 

Quick info:

• Name: Natural Bridges
• Location: Samuel H Boardman Scenic Corridor (Oregon)
• Visitor ratings: 5 out of 5. 
• Recommended? Yes! Although the most iconic part of this area is at the moment closed, you can still get a ton out of visiting this area and the nearby attractions.

Overview: 

Natural Bridges is a famous area on the Oregon Coast which features numerous sea caves and a very photogenic area to explore. It is very common to find photos and videos of this place on social media. This area is easy to miss if you don’t know the proper name of it and the parking lot to reach it is also small. But once you’re there, it’ll make for one of the most unforgettable experiences you’ll ever have exploring the Oregon Coast.

How to get there:

1. Input Natural Bridges into your GPS.
2. The parking lot is right off the 101 (fits about 5 cars).
3. Once you park there, you can explore the main overlook that’s about 50 feet from the parking area. Additional trails are available to explore more parts around the area which I’ll cover shortly.

Ways to explore Natural Bridges:

• The overlook is the main/easiest option and the one most recommended for visitors.
• South of the overlook is a trail that takes you to more great views of the Oregon Coast (1 mile in and out)
• North of the overlook area is a trail that takes you to a place called Thunder Rock Cove (1 mile in and out hike, moderate)
• There is also another unofficial path near the overlook which takes people over the actual Natural Bridge area itself which is where you see more of the photos. Unfortunately this path is not only dangerous, but upon my last visit is closed to the public. When it was still open, I created this map for it but again it is no longer allowed to go there:

Drone video of Natural Bridges:

When I first visited Natural Bridges in Oregon, there were no restrictions on getting to the most famous area of it. Plus I also checked with rangers before flying the drone and was notified that it was OK. Here’s that footage:

Now this footage was captured many years ago and I don’t know if the drone rules for this area have changed since. I would recommend you contact the management of Samuel H. Boardman scenic Corridor area to be sure.

Insider tips:

• You can kayak in this area (I’ve seen social media posts on this), but I would recommend extreme caution and only going with experienced people/groups. There are rental areas available near Brookings (30 minutes south of Natural Bridges). You can only really kayak here when the waters are calm (and most of the time they are not)
• The best times to go here are during sunset and cloudy days as the views of the area are best in my opinion.
• This place is quite popular year round, but if you come here around February or the end of the year it’s typically empty for the most part.
• A lot of people try to hike down to the actual bottom of Natural Bridges. I would NOT recommend doing that because it is very dangerous and deadly. Some people do rappelling around the area but that’s just to showcase how steep it is there (and slippery).

Photos:

Overall this summarizes the most important things you need to know about Natural Bridges. Again for most people, just going to the overlook is enough, but remember the best spot that most people visit is (currently) closed off (there’s a sign that says it’s not allowed anymore). Do note that anything you need there beyond the main hikes/overlook seeing is risky so please be careful and follow the rules.