Forty miles of wind-sculpted sands…

It seems unfathomable that this magnificent Lawrence of Arabia experience awaits just off Highway 101. Here’s your paw-by-paw guide to the dog-friendly Oregon Dunes…

We pulled into the shady carpark and followed the signs guiding us along a wooden walkway, glimpsing lush forest and wildflowers…

Suddenly the scene opened out and revealed this evergreen-trimmed marshland, complete with free-form lily pond.

Back on the trail it seemed unlikely that anything remotely beachy lay ahead…

But then trees gave way to swishy grasses and sand. So much sand…

The dunes reach heights of 500m above sea level and welcome off-road vehicles, hikers, horseback riders and campers but this day there wasn’t a soul around so I released Bodie, who looked like he was going to take off and never be seen again!

But then he curved back round towards me…

Pounding gleefully – breathless and grinning!

I whipped him into such a playful frenzy then called ‘Chase me!’ which was when he brought me down, chomping through the denim on my thigh! (You can read more about that farrago in Dog Travel Disasters!)

If you keep on trekking you can make it all the way to the ocean. We wished we had planned to spend the entire day here, it feels so good to be filled with wonder and entirely free from every day concerns.

We returned to marvel further when Bodie was a little older, now more interested in burrowing than bounding. As the sun began to set he seemed particularly wistful…

And then curled up in his sand pit and went to sleep, as if this was our new home…

IN CONCLUSION: The Oregon Dunes truly are one of the great dog-friendly wonders of the United States. Pack a picnic in a backpack and feel like one of the great explorers as you and your pup roam this sandy wonderland.

Dog-friendly Oregon Dunes run from Florence, OR to Coos Bay, OR. Google map.

You can get more information here: Oregon Dunes Website