A long, slender park encompasses this ruggedly handsome stretch of Oregon coastline-the first dozen miles of what is known as the "fabulous fifty miles." Lush stands of Sitka spruce and Douglas fir spill down mountainsides to the rims of shoreline cliffs. About a dozen named viewpoints provide easy access to this dramatic salutation of land and sea. Perhaps the most scenic is Natural Bridge Cove, about 2mi south of the park's northern boundary. A minute's stroll down the trail that leads south from the parking lot sits a viewing platform that hangs over this azure cove and the eponymous rock bridge. When a mist slides through the tall conifers that jut from the cliffs and offshore monoliths you feel as if you've stepped into a traditional Japanese landscape painting. Visitors who enjoy vertiginous views should also stop about a mile south of Natural Bridge Cove and walk out onto the Thomas Creek Bridge-at 345ft, the highest in Oregon. The Oregon Coast Trail connects Boardman's viewpoints, allowing hikes of many different lengths and levels of difficulty.