Tiny But Mighty, The Smallest State Park In Oregon Is A Hidden Gem Worth Exploring

The Oregon State Parks department is celebrating its 100th year in 2022. It's grown a lot from its humble beginnings a century ago. Today, the department oversees 259 different and amazing properties around the state. Oregon has some fantastic state parks, and it's likely that you've been to more than a few. However, you might not know the name or location of the smallest state park in Oregon. Read on to find out what it is.

Florence is a lovely small city on the southern Oregon coast. Its population is just over 9,000.

This small and quiet town is where the Siuslaw River meets the Pacific Ocean. As a result, there are lots of sand dunes here. People come to Florence to enjoy them.

The beaches in Florence are quite lovely as well.

One especially interesting thing about Florence, though, is that it is home to Oregon's smallest state park. Prichard State Wayside is just half an acre in size, and this photo shows pretty much all of it.

It's just a pull-off, really. When you drive to the end of the short road, you can enjoy this view.

That's the Siuslaw River Bridge over there.

That's about it, really. This is the smallest state park in Oregon. You should go there, even though it's small, just to say you have been. Not many people have, when compared to other Oregon state parks. Also, there's a very good chance that you'll have the whole park to yourself.

Florence is a lovely town to visit for a number of reasons - this park is only one of them. Plan a trip there today and stop by Prichard State Wayside - you'll be glad that you did - even if you only stay a few minutes!

Once you've been to Oregon's smallest state park, you might as well go to the biggest one, too: Silver Falls State Park Is The Single Best State Park In Oregon And It’s Just Waiting To Be Explored