About this city
Also known as: The Coastal Playground
Superbly positioned on the scenic central Oregon coast where the Siuslaw River empties into the Pacific Ocean, Florence is a historic maritime city located in Lane County. Established in the late 19th century and named after an early seafaring vessel, the town originally boomed around a massive commercial salmon canning and lumber fabrication industry, supported by a bustling shipping harbor. Florence achieved enduring fame as the northern anchor of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, a colossal 40-mile coastal geological expanse featuring some of the largest temperate coastal sand dunes on earth. Today, the city seamlessly coordinates its historic, weathered wood Old Town riverfront with high-energy dune buggy recreation, commercial crabbing, and eco-tourism.
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Practical Tourism Metadata
Suggested stay: 1–2 days
Ride high-speed dune buggies across the towering sand mountains at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Descend into the earth via elevator to view hundreds of wild Steller sea lions at the Sea Lion Caves. Stroll the historic wooden boardwalks and sample clam chowder in historic Old Town Florence.
