Preserve Lighthouse Beach Access

On October 7, 2026, following a five year effort to restore a historic public access trail at Lighthouse Beach in Coos Bay, Oregon, the final documents were filed deeding the trail to Oregon State Parks to be used for public access in perpetuity!

When Surfrider members were met with barbed wire blocking their only access to one of the most beloved beaches in their community in early 2021, they were shocked and dismayed. Surfrider members and recreational users have used the footpath at Lighthouse Beach, year round, to get to this special beach for decades, and broader members of the public have been using the trail for generations. More than just a unique place to surf, Lighthouse beach is steeped in rich cultural, recreational and even scientific uses unparalleled to other locations. Surfrider members have used this specific pathway to get to Lighthouse Beach not only for surfing and recreation, but also as stewards of the beach and community. Our Coos Bay Chapter has hosted many beach cleanups here, including an extensive months-long cleanup when a large dock and millions of bits of foam from it washed up on Lighthouse Beach. When a house was threatened by oceanfront erosion here, the chapter jumped into a strategy to support the homeowner to move the home back, saving the house and the beach from disaster. Additionally, Coos Bay Surfrider has conducted our Blue Water Task Force water quality testing program at Lighthouse Beach for nearly 20 years and used this very path for these testing activities. As part of the campaign, the Coos Bay chapter launched a comprehensive recreational use study to further document how the community used this beach and access trail.

Upon finding the trail blocked, the community swiftly took action, rallying behind the call to “Free Lighthouse Beach” - a message you could see on yard signs, stickers, and shirts throughout town. Thanks to the incredible grassroots efforts of the Coos Bay chapter and their many supporters and members, we were able to raise over $75,000 which enabled Surfrider to file a lawsuit in 2022 seeking to restore access. As a result of that lawsuit, we negotiated with the property owner who later agreed to donate a portion of their property, along a new trail route, to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (“OPRD”) for public access purposes. In late 2023, the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission voted to conditionally allow the State Parks and Recreation Department to accept this donation of property. Following additional necessary legal steps, the State has now done so, and Surfrider is pleased that OPRD will continue to steward this trail for future generations, with support from Coos County, who has agreed to manage the property.

The O’Leary family completed the new trail alignment and construction in 2025, but several additional legal steps were required to create the new trail parcel which the O’Learys donated to the State for public use. Surfrider has diligently worked with the landowner, our legal and local teams, and Coos County throughout the lengthy legal process required to separate the new trail property from the remaining private property and establish the “forever” public access in perpetuity. We applaud Coos County for their commitment to seeing this process through, and for their willingness to maintain the trail property so that it can be enjoyed by all.

We’re excited to once again be able to access Lighthouse Beach, and we encourage all who use the trail to do so in a respectful manner. Always leave the trail and beach better than you found it by packing out your trash, respecting the neighbors, and maintaining the quiet, peaceful nature of the neighborhood.

Surfrider would like to thank the O’Leary family for their generosity in donating this land to all Oregonians, and their willingness to work toward common ground to restore this beloved trail to an equally beloved beach.

A huge thank you to our outside attorneys Karl G Anuta, Mike Sargetakis, and the Crag Law Center for their legal support throughout this years-long effort. Their guidance and expertise have been invaluable as we’ve navigated the many turns of this campaign.

And finally, our deepest gratitude to our local activists and supporters of the Coos Bay chapter. You are the first line of defense for our beaches, and vital public access to Lighthouse Beach would not be restored were it not for your tireless organizing. Thank you.

“This donation of land is a gift to our community, and to everyone who supports public lands. In Oregon, the 1967 Beach Bill ensures that all 362 miles of our ocean shoreline is open for all to enjoy. Today, the spirit of that bill is carried on with this collaborative effort to protect access and enjoyment of our ocean, beaches, and waves.”

-Carmen Matthews, Campaign Lead and co-founder of the Surfrider Coos Bay chapter.

UPDATE - JUNE 6, 2022

Today, the Surfrider Foundation, on behalf of its Coos Bay Chapter, has filed a lawsuit seeking to restore decades-long public access to Lighthouse Beach in Coos Bay, Oregon. Specifically, the lawsuit seeks to reopen and have a court judicially affirm the public’s right to use a specific footpath, located near the southwest end of Lighthouse Way, that leads to Lighthouse Beach.

Surfrider also reached out on multiple occasions to the owner of the property upon which the path sits, in an attempt to reach an amicable solution without resorting to litigation. However, the property owner was unwilling to discuss any meaningful restoration of public access and instead tore out the steps at the bottom of the path where it descends to the beach.

To find out more, read the blog post about the lawsuit. 

UPDATE - November 2, 2022

Trial dates have been set by the Coos Circuit Court for April 25-28, starting at 9:30 am each day. The trial will be open to the public. Those in the courtroom are required to follow courtroom etiquette including being quiet and respectful (more info here).

UPDATE - April 14. 2023

We have a conceptual agreement with the property owner to restore access. We are working on the details. In light of that agreement, Surfrider does not need to go to Trial at this time. More information here.

UPDATE - November 15, 2023

The Surfrider Foundation is pleased that the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission voted today in favor of accepting a donation of property that will restore a public access path to Lighthouse Beach.  This milestone comes as part of Surfrider and the O’Leary family’s continued efforts to restore public access to Lighthouse Beach in perpetuity. Parks’ vote is an exciting step towards eventually restoring access, but the Lighthouse Beach Path is still on private property for now, while the details are finalized - more info. here.