Casing Oregon: June 2026

We considered not sharing this one. Not because it's not worth visiting, but because we would like to keep this quiet, tucked-away little place to ourselves.

Traffic tends to speed up between the very popular Honeyman/Siltcoos and Takhenitch Lake areas. Located between Florence and Reedsport on the central coast, these destination areas draw speedboats, fishing boats, sailboats, OHVs, RVs, and toy haulers. Families gather and memories are made. We can appreciate the fast, shiny gear and the fun that people are having, but we tend to watch it all go by from the slow lane. We bring kayaks. Or a canoe. A worn, faithful brown tent and our cozy, lumpy old sleeping bags. We look for the small waters and the no-frills campgrounds. We don't even need a boat ramp.

The small lakes that dot this stretch of Highway 101 are often passed by; indeed, some seem to have been forgotten completely. Several of them can be easily glimpsed from the slow lane; Carter Lake is especially noticeable, as it is a long, thin finger of water running alongside the highway. Don't be fooled by its narrow girth, though; this slim waterway is actually 30 feet deep in some areas and is a popular fishing lake. Angling is mostly for stocked rainbow trout, but there are rumors of largemouth bass and yellow perch, as well. The Carter Lake Boat Ramp is open year-round and offers a paved boat ramp as well as bank fishing. The parking area is partially shaded. Be aware that there is no restroom at this site. At this writing there are no fees at the boat ramp, but that, as always, is subject to change.

Carter Lake Campground is nestled into the forest along the northwest edge of the lake. This is a simple campground; there is the lake to paddle in, a small swimming beach, and trails to wander. There is a strong family vibe here. Kids come to get wet and sand-covered. Adults hang out and talk or toss a casual line into the water. The highway is definitely within earshot and OHVs grumble in the distance, but the main sounds here are laughing children and the local ospreys. You will also hear a variety of songbirds, especially wrentits, chestnut-backed chickadees, and olive-sided flycatchers. Ravens and Stellar's jays add their raucous voices to the mix.

The campground is open May 1-September 30 and is available by online reservation only. This could present a problem, as there is little to no cell service here; it's definitely best to reserve ahead of time if possible. That being said, the campground is lightly used midweek and even weekend sites can be sometimes be found without too much advance planning, which is rare for a coastal campground in the summertime. There are a few sites on the lake bank; most of these are reached by short pathways and have room for one tent. The sites in the middle part of the loop are generally secluded in the trees and offer room for a small RV. The western sites are open and roomy and are best for families, full-sized RVs, and groups. These are also the most protected from the coastal north winds, which can definitely be a factor on summer afternoons.

Look for a small, day-use parking lot at the west side of the campground loop that marks the start of the Carter Dunes Trail. This 0.7 mile trail leads you through an odd mix of dense coastal rainforest and blinding white dunes before bringing you to a wide, sandy beach (snowy plover restrictions are posted, and dogs are not allowed on this stretch of beach from March 15 - September 15). For a slightly longer trek, look to Taylor Dunes Trail, which begins closer to the highway and wanders past Taylor Lake and a dunes overlook before joining up with the Carter Dunes Trail. Another chance to see the dunes lies to the south at the Oregon Dunes Overlook, which provides accessible viewpoints out over the dunes, as well as more hiking trails (this site requires a Forest Service parking pass, as do many sites in this area). Whichever route you take, do keep your wits about you: while the trails are relatively well-worn and marked by periodic posts in the sand, it is easy to become disoriented in the dunes (and surprisingly difficult to get a GPS reading).

Elbow Lake

For those who are curious about the other lakes they can glimpse from 101, here is a brief listing. Erhart Lake (also known as Loon Lake) lies just south of the Siltcoos Recreation Area turnoff. This was once a well-stocked little trout lake with an access road off of the Siltcoos road, but now the road is closed and access to the brushy bank is pretty much limited to a fisherman's path from a pullout on 101. To our knowledge, this lake has not been stocked in a while. The aforementioned Taylor Lake lies to the north of Carter Lake. This is another fishing lake that has been left to return to nature. Access to the bank is limited; however, a low viewing platform offers a great spot for bird watching, and ospreys and eagles still fish here. Four-acre Perkins Lake is a pretty little lake which does offer trout and bass, but much of the land around it is private and parking is limited to the shoulder of 101. The best lake along this stretch is Elbow Lake, about seven miles north of Reedsport. At 12 acres and with a 25-foot depth, this lake is easily accessed from a pullout on the highway. A short, bumpy dirt road leads down to a shaded parking area by the lakeshore for those who want to hand-launch a small boat from the unimproved bank. This is a pretty lake to paddle; brushy, heavily wooded shores make Elbow look more like a mountain lake than a pond in the dunes. Fishing is mostly for stocked trout, although there are reports of largemouth bass and perch.

There is so much to do on the central-south coast that it's easy to fly right by some beautiful places. Next time you're on your way from somewhere to somewhere else, consider spending a little time in the slow lane. Discover the smaller waters, the less-trodden trails, and the rainforest thickets where the birds sing. Perhaps we will be there in our old, brown tent.