Cascade Head Biosphere Region

Covering 102,110-acres, the diverse UNESCO Cascade Biosphere Region encompasses the Salmon River and its estuary, a sandy coastal spit, densely forested uplands, a two-mile basalt headland covered in native coastal prairie, a marine reserve stretching west into the waters of the Pacific Ocean, and a good portion of Lincoln City itself.

Designated globally, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) Biosphere Regions promote conservation and sustainability. There are 47 such regions in the U.S. and only one in Oregon, established in Lincoln City in 1976.

This unique connection of land and sea is protected and managed by a dynamic community of agencies, non-profits, businesses, and residents in the surrounding communities.

A Diverse Ecosystem

• Seven miles of Pacific Ocean coastline with a recently added marine reserve and major coastal prairie headlands jutting out to sea. A littoral sand spit, dune, and beach pine complex.
• The Salmon River, and its recently restored estuary, providing critical staging areas for upstream spawning migrations of anadromous fish and rearing areas for juveniles and smolts.
• A community of several thousand humans living in both rural and city environments.

Additional federal and state designations

• A Nature Conservancy preserve (entire headland)
• A federal Scenic Research Area (estuary and river)
• A National Forest under late-successional reserve management
• A State Marine Reserve
• State held Conservation easement (Westwind)

Prolific diversity of wildlife

Black bear, cougar, elk, osprey, bald eagle and peregrine falcon, five species of salmon, grey and humpback whales, as well as four federally listed endangered species: The spotted owl, marbled murrelet, coho salmon, and Oregon silverspot butterfly.

Visit the Cascade Head Biosphere Collaborative to learn more.

Cascade Head Biosphere Explorience

Check out the Cascade Head Biosphere Explorience for a 90-minute walking tour guiding visitors through Oregon's only UNESCO Biosphere Region, providing a 10,000 year snap-shot of the natural history of this remarkable place where land meets the sea. Led by a trained naturalist, visitors will learn about the unique flora, fauna and geology of the Biosphere Region, the revolutionary conservation efforts on the Salmon River, and the history of the Nechesne peoples, the first inhabitants of the land.