Southern Coast

'The Rugged Side of the Oregon Coast'

Includes some or all of the following:

Depoe Bay (whale watching; boat charters, Boiler Bay, Devil's Punchbowl SP; Fogarty Creek SP; Otter Crest Viewpoint, Rocky Creek SP overlooking Whale Cove and Deadhorse Creek; and Cape Foulweather named by Captain Cook in 1778 ) He writes, "The land appeared to be of moderate height, diversified with hill and Valley and almost everywhere covered with wood. There was nothing remarkable about it except one hill…At the northern extreme the land formed a point which I called Cape Foulweather from the very bad weather we soon after met with."
Newport (Historic Bayfront & Nye Beach, world-class Oregon Coast Aquarium)
Yaquina Head lighthouse, Cobble Beach
Waldport-Yachats (pronounced "YAH-hots")
Cape Perpetua National Scenic Area, Visitor's Center & West Shelter Observation Point & the Captain Cook trail (tide pools, spouting Horn, Thor's Well, Cook's Chasm & Devil's Churn).
Heceta Head Lighthouse (the most scenic lighthouse in the world!)
Historic Florence (Old town; the world's largest sea cave—the Sea Lion Caves, an experience of a lifetime.) In 1991, an area we will try to visit is near the former post office location in PAWN Oregon was set aside for recreation and hiking, including a three-quarter-mile trail called the “PAWN Old Growth Trail.”
MAP

Details:
Depoe Bay is like a postcard, from the fishing boats heading out of the world's smallest harbor to the crashing waves of Whale Cove. This town is known as the whale watching capital of the Oregon coast thanks to a resident pod of gray whales that makes its home offshore from March through December. There's several whale watching options at Depoe Bay, either from the new Whale Watch Center, the many shore observation spots or alternatively from a charter boat. A huge sea wall runs the length of the downtown area, enabling visitors to shop or dine always within view of the ocean. View the whales from the shore; (see the VIDEO) or add a 1-2 hour whale watching cruise for a nominal charge*. Boiler Bay is a miraculous and rugged, basalt-rimmed bay, Boiler Bay is a great place to watch wild surf action on the rocky spurs. This splendid panoramic viewpoint presents a good opportunity to see gray whales year round. Take your binoculars -- this is one of the best sites in Oregon to see ocean-going birds (like shearwaters, jaegers, albatrosses, grebes, pelicans, loons, oystercatchers and murrelets). In 1910, an explosion sank the J. Marhoffer, and you can see the ship's boiler at low-tide. Another great stop near Depoe Bay is Devils Punchbowl SP and Cape Foulweather (pictured right)
Heading further south, we'll visit the Yaquina Head lighthouse, historic Nye Beach and the historic Newport Bayfront (Get a locally crafted brew or grab a bite to eat, shop the boutiques and check out the seals on the boardwalk and docks). You'll continue on a short walk away from the Bayfront to the Yaquina Bay lighthouse; it's a work of art where you'll visit the lighthouse museum, explore the tide pools at Quarry Cove or the hiking trails above. Observe the harbor seals, whales and flocks of seabirds visible from shore year-round or visit the interpretive center with its exhibits about the local habitat.
We'll head to Yachats, Cape Perpetua (see below), the Heceta Head Lighthouse (the world's most scenic lighthouse) & Florence to the world's largest sea cave, Sea Lion Caves. These are just a few of the many stops on the coast. You can keep heading up north and see many more on a multi-day itinerary.
Cape Perpetua National Scenic Area, Visitor's Center, West Shelter Observation Point & the Captain Cook trail (tide pools, spouting Horn, Cook's Chasm, Thor's Well & Devil's Churn). Watch Video.

The rich and varied tide pool life takes a beating with every change of the tide, but it still thrives. Tide pools can be viewed at low tide only. Sturdy shoes and a walking stick are recommended tide pooling gear. We'll see a host of Anemones, sea stars, mussels, and urchins on rocks at the tide pools, pictured here & tide pool plants.
Cooks Chasm, Thor's Well and Spouting Horn
Spouting Horn puts on quite a show at Cooks Chasm and Thor's Well are salt water fountains driven by the ocean's power. The Horn & Thor's Well put on its best shows at one hour before or after high tide and during winter storms.
Devils Churn
Pulverizing and pounding. Crashing and smashing.
Endlessly, relentlessly, the Pacific Ocean careens into Devils Churn, until the crescendo of waves explodes in a riot of white froth . . .and then escapes back to the sea.
Showtime!
Devils Churn puts on its most dramatic shows during high tides and storms.
Devils Churn began as a small fracture -- a weak area in the ancient volcanic rock.
Thunderous waves have gnawed at the rock for eons, eroding it away grain by grain, enlarging the crack into a chasm.
As you approach, you’ll feel the power of the churn like thunder in your bones, and anticipate each collision of wave and rock like bursting fireworks! The pounding, exploding waters of Devils Churn are at their best during high tide and winter storms. At the Devils Churn you'll find restrooms, an information station (summer only), coffee shop and wheelchair accessible viewpoint. https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/wm1514_The_Power_of_Devils_Churn

Whale Watch - Whales Ho!
Robins are the harbingers of spring for some, but here in Oregon, our seasonal messengers are bigger, grayer and wetter. About 200 gray whales call Oregon home from July through November; however the odds of seeing one increases in December & March, when approximately 19,000 of these magnificent mammals make their way past the Oregon Coast on a 12,000-mile journey from Baja, Mexico, to their summer feeding grounds in the Bering Sea during the great gray whale migration. For 2 weeks (usually the last week of December & the last week of March), are the annual Whale Watching Weeks, sponsored by Oregon State Parks & Recreation Dept. and part of its Whale Watching Spoken Here program. It's the perfect time to learn about these large sea creatures.

Boiler Bay and the spectacular fiery 1910 shipwreck of the steam schooner J. Marhoffer
"Boiler Bay Oregon Coast" by Kirt Edblom is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0