1996 Map of Cape Blanco

About this map

The westernmost point of Oregon is dominated by the dramatic projection of Cape Blanco, where the U S Coast Guard Reservation and its prominent Lighthouse stand watch over the Pacific Ocean. This late-twentieth-century landscape reveals a specialized coastal economy, marked by extensive Cranberry Bogs inland from the rugged headlands. The terrain is characterized by complex river systems, including the Sixes River and Elk River, which meet the sea near numerous offshore rock formations like Castle Rock and Gull Rock. To the south, the northern edge of Port Orford borders the freshwater of Garrison Lake. Much of this coastline is preserved through the Cape Blanco State Park and the offshore sanctuary of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, protecting a shoreline that transitions from high bluffs at Squaw Bluff to the expansive sands of Garrison Beach State Wayside.