Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor is a linear state park in southwestern Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

, U.S.. It is twelve miles (19 km) long and thickly forested along steep and rugged coastline with a few small sand beaches. It is named in honor of Samuel H. Boardman, the first Oregon Parks superintendent.

It is located from 3 miles (4.8 km) to 15 miles (24.1 km) north of Brookings, Oregon

Brookings, Oregon

Brookings is a city in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It was named after John E. Brookings, president of the Brookings Lumber and Box Company, which founded the city in 1908. As of the 2010 census the population was 6,336. The total population of the Brookings area is over 13,000, which...

, between the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

 and U.S. Route 101

U.S. Route 101

U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101, is an important north–south U.S. highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States...

. The north end abuts the Pistol River State Scenic Viewpoint

Pistol River State Scenic Viewpoint

Pistol River State Scenic Viewpoint is a state park in the U.S. state of Oregon, administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department....

. More than fourteen named creeks cross the corridor.

The Oregon Coast Trail

Oregon Coast Trail

The Oregon Coast Trail is a long-distance hiking route along the Pacific coast of Oregon in the United States. It follows the coast of Oregon from the mouth of the Columbia River to the California border south of Brookings....

 meanders for about 27 miles (43.5 km) through the park, among 300-year old sitka spruce

Sitka Spruce

Picea sitchensis, the Sitka Spruce, is a large coniferous evergreen tree growing to 50–70 m tall, exceptionally to 95 m tall, and with a trunk diameter of up to 5 m, exceptionally to 6–7 m diameter...

 trees, and several natural arches and bridges. There is beach access and there are some sand dunes.

The Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge

Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge

Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge is a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge off the southwestern Oregon Coast. It is one of six National Wildlife Refuges comprising the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex...

 and Oregon Islands Wilderness protect wildlife and habitat on all of the approximately 130 rocks and islands along the corridor's shore.

History

The area was used by Native Americans and, later, several abandoned mining operations still have visible ruins.

The first acquisition for the park was 121 acres (49 ha) purchased in May 1949. There were at least additional twelve purchases made by May 1957. The Oregon Parks commission received its first alien gift of 367 acres (149 ha) made in 1950 by Borax Consolidated, Ltd of London, which retains the right to mine underground minerals such as borax

Borax

Borax, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, is an important boron compound, a mineral, and a salt of boric acid. It is usually a white powder consisting of soft colorless crystals that dissolve easily in water.Borax has a wide variety of uses...

. The company acquired the land around 1880 for mining purposes.

There have never been overnight facilities.