In Azalea City Park you can walk among ancient native azaleas that were growing when Lewis and Clark wintered on the Oregon Coast in 1805-06. Follow the numerous trails through this 33-acre park past astonishing endangered azaleas, annuals, shrubs and through stands of enormous trees. The paths are originally part of a pack trail that was used by miners in the 1850s. This was an important segment of the coastal wagon route leading from California to the Umpqua and Willamette Valleys in Oregon. The park was dedicated in 1939, and the first Azalea Festival was held there. In recent years volunteers have revitalized the park and built walkways, a play area in the northwest corner of the park called “Kidtown” that provides younger children with a chance to play among forts, bridges, slides, tires and ropes, and a “Stage Under the Stars” band shell that hosts the annual American Music Festival, a free summer concert series. MORE INFO: 541-469-1103, www.Brookings.or.us
