Lots of visitors are traveling on the beach along the North Spit since word got out about the wooden vessel bow uncovered by relentless winter storms. Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 6, 2008, lots of flagged, four-wheel-drive trucks were parked on the beach while their occupants prowled around the shipwreck. - World Photo by Lou Sennick

Take it easy.

Stay off it.

That’s the word from Megan Harper about the mystery shipwreck on Coos Bay’s North Spit.

There have been hundreds of people who have trekked onto the North Spit this week to look at the weathered bow buried in the sand. The challenge now is preventing people from wrecking what’s left.

“We’ve been seeing people crawling on it and standing on the edge of it to take pictures,” Harper said Friday.

Just don’t do it.

Clambering aboard the remains breaks up the rotting wood. And it’s illegal. Under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979, it’s against the law to remove, damage or deface any archaeological resource found on public land.

“The less people are on it, the better. We don’t want to ruin our chances to learn more about it,” she said.

On Friday, BLM staff was considering putting up signs. They don’t plan to keep people away from the wreck, but they would like to warn people about shifting sand, rolling logs and high tides. It can be dangerous out there, especially with storms and high tides coming in.

For people planning to cruise out there on the New Carissa road, it requires 4-wheel drive, an all-terrain vehicle flag and an Oregon ATV permit. For those who plan to park at the Horsfall Beach parking lot in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and walk, there’s a $5 day-use fee.