| Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area | |
|---|---|
 Dunes outside Reedsport | |
  | |
| Location | Oregon, United States |
| Nearest city | North Bend, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 43°43′27″N 124°10′39″W / 43.72417°N 124.17750°W |
| Area | 31,566 acres (127.74 km2)[1] |
| Established | March 23, 1972 |
| Visitors | roughly 1,500,000 (in 2005) |
| Governing body | United States Forest Service |
| Website | Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area |
The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is located on the Oregon Coast, stretching approximately 40 miles (64 km) north of the Coos River in North Bend to the Siuslaw River in Florence, and adjoining Honeyman State Park on the west. It is part of Siuslaw National Forest and is administered by the United States Forest Service.
The Oregon Dunes are a unique area of windswept sand. They are the largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in North America and one of the largest expanses of temperate coastal sand dunes in the world,[2] with some dunes reaching 500 feet (150 m) above sea level. They are the product of millions of years of erosion by wind and rain on the Oregon Coast. There are about 7,000 acres (28 km2) of sand dunes, about a fifth of the total area of the national recreation area. The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area provides numerous recreational activities, including off-highway vehicle (OHV) use, hiking, fishing, canoeing, horseback riding, and camping. The Carter Dunes Trail and Oregon Dunes Day Use provide forest access for the disabled.
Frank Herbert's science-fiction novel Dune was partly inspired by the author's research on and fascination with the area.[3]
- ^ "Land Areas of the National Forest System" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-04-22.
- ^ "Siuslaw National Forest - Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area". Fs.usda.gov. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
- ^ The Road to Dune (2005), p. 264, letter by Frank Herbert to his agent Lurton Blassingame outlining "They Stopped the Moving Sands."