Attractions
Cape Perpetua Scenic Area
Address: 2400 U.S. 101, Yachats, OR, USA .Cape Perpetua is a large forested headland projecting into the Pacific Ocean on the central Oregon Coast in Lincoln County, Oregon. The land is managed by the United States Forest Service as part of the Siuslaw National Forest. Wikipedia
Cape Perpetua Scenic Area is a must see for anyone that is wanting breath taking views of the Pacific Ocean. One of the highest accessible points on the central Oregon coast the view is simply amazing.
Thor's Well
Address: Hwy 101 Cape Perpetua area .Also known as the drainpipe of the Pacific, the well is actually a hole in the rock that only appears to drain water from the ocean. According to some researchers, the Well probably started out as a sea cave dug out by the waves, before the roof eventually collapsed and created openings at the bottom and top through which the ocean sprays. The huge hole is likely only around 20 feet deep, but it still manages to produce amazing sights. (Not for the faint of heart, however!)
Amanda's Trail
Address: Oregon Coast Highway, Yachats, OR, U.S. .This historic trail descends steeply through from the top of Cape Perpetua Day Use down the north side toward Highway 101 through lush coastal woodland to a grotto with a concrete statue. The statue and trail are dedicated in memory of Amanda, a woman of the Coos Tribe who was forcibly marched to the Alsea Sub-agency camp in the 1860s.
The Amanda Trail is jointly maintained by the Siuslaw National Forest, City of Yachats, Oregon State Parks, Oregon Department of Transportation, and a private landowner.
- 2.9 miles
- Moderate to difficult
Devils's Churn
Address: Hwy 101 N, Yachats, OR, U.S. .Devils Churn is a narrow inlet of the Pacific Ocean in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States, south of Yachats. It is located in the Siuslaw National Forest and is accessible via the Restless Waters trail[1] from the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area visitor's center or the U.S. Route 101 overlook. Access to the trail requires a United States Forest Service pass.
The inlet developed over many thousands of years as wave action carved into the basalt shoreline, first forming a deep sea cave whose roof eventually collapsed. As the tide comes in it can throw spray several hundred feet into the air when the waves reach the end of the churn. Visitors are urged to be cautious when visiting the churn as it can be dangerous.[2]
Sea Lion Caves
Address: 91560 Oregon Coast Highway, Florence, OR, USA .Sea Lion Caves is a privately owned wildlife preserve and bird sanctuary (since 1932) centrally located just 11 miles north of Florence on the beautiful and rugged Oregon Coast. Sea Lion Caves is proud to be part of the Oregon/Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve helping to protect the local marine animals and marine environment. Sea Lion Caves is America's largest sea cave and the year-round home of the Steller sea lion, but sea lions are not always in the Cave. They are wild animals and we are not a zoo so these protected animals come and go as they please, as is their nature. Winter months will usually find hundreds of sea lions in the Cave and when spring arrives, breeding and birthing time, the sea lions will move from the Cave to the rookery areas (the rock ledges out in front of the Cave) and will remain there through the summer.
Cape Perpetua Stone Shelter
Address: 2400 U.S. 101, Yachats, OR, USA .The CCC-constructed West Shelter sits atop the 45 million-year-old oceanic shield volcano of Cape Perpetua. On a clear day, the shelter offers a 70-mile view up and down the central Oregon coast and the horizon sits 40 miles out on the Pacific Ocean. With binoculars, you can experience gray whale migrations in season and the meadows at the top of the Cape offer a dazzling variety of wildflowers in spring and early summer.
The Civilian Conservation Corps established a camp at Cape Perpetua in 1933: this was in the area of the current Visitors Center. The West Shelter was used as an observation post during World War II and a coastal defense gun was installed here. The shelter is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
Visitors can drive to the top of Cape Perpetua. The shelter can also be reached from the Visitors Center and campground via the St. Perpetua and Whispering Spruce Trails.
More Links
C & M Stables
Address: 90241 Oregon Coast Highway, Florence, OR 97439, USA .C&M Stables opened in the spring of 1981. We are located on the Oregon coast just north of Florence, west of Eugene, and southwest of Portland.
Over the years, there have been several hundred wonderful horses that have called C&M Stables home. We have approximately 60 horses on site today.
Our horses range in ages, from young and spunky to older and reliable. We can match most rider experience levels, and try to make sure everyone has the most enjoyable and memorable experience possible.
Today, horse-riding enthusiasts enjoy breathtaking scenic adventures along the beach and through portions of pristine forest service land.
Our wranglers at C&M Stables try to make sure that every visitor has the ride of their lifetime. The beautiful beach, sand dune and ocean setting is one of the finest horseback operations on the Oregon Coast.
To book your ride today, give us a call at (541) 997-7540. Let’s ride!
Sandland Adventures Inc.
Address: 85366 U.S. 101, Florence, OR, USA .Sandland Adventures invites you to join us for a day of fun at the Oregon Dunes. View an impressive natural wonder of endless shifting sand, unique tree islands, various wildlife and the spectacular Siuslaw River. Choose an exhilarating dune ride on our Sandrails or a more relaxing tour on our Giant Dune Buggies. Our professional drivers will show you a great time while you travel across miles of dunes. Our one hour dune tour also includes traveling down our Pacific Ocean beach. Large or small groups can be accommodated on either tour. After your dune ride, you can have fun bumping and splashing on our Bumper Boats, race on our Grand Prix style Go-Kart track, play our Miniature Golf Course or take a ride on the Cloverline Railroad. We are located less than 1 mile south of Florence on the central Oregon Coast. Look for our sign on the west side of Hwy 101.
Heceta Head Lighthouse - viewpoint
Address: 92042 Oregon Coast Highway, Florence, OR, USA .Park History
Heceta Head is named for Bruno de Heceta, a Spanish navigator and explorer, who surveyed the Oregon coast in 1775. The lighthouse was constructed between 1892 and 1893 and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The head light keeper’s house was demolished and the lumber purchased for $10 in 1940 following the move from kerosene to electricity to power the lighthouse. The salvaged wood was used to construct the Alpha-Bit Café in nearby Mapleton. The state of Oregon was granted a license to use the lighthouse and surrounding property by the Coast Guard in 1963, the same year that the lighthouse became fully automated. The assistant lightkeeper’s house, which still stands, is now a bed and breakfast operated by concessionaires of the U.S. Forest Service. The already-existing Devil’s Elbow State Park, which included a cove south of the lighthouse, was enlarged to include the lighthouse and renamed Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint, connecting it with Washburne State Park to the north. The land for Devil’s Elbow State Park was acquired between 1930 and 1987 by purchase from private owners as well as gifts and exchanges with U.S. government agencies. In 1998, Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint was officially deeded to OPRD by ODOT. In 2001, the remaining Coast Guard property was transferred to OPRD.
Acreage: 548.89
804 Trail
Address: 615 Lemwick Ln, Yachats, OR 97498, USA .- Start point: Smelt Sands Trailhead
- End point: Starr Creek
- Trail log:
- Hike Type: In and out
- Distance: 1.7 miles (additions to this hike also described below)
- Elevation gain: 20 feet
- High Point: 25 feet
- Difficulty: Easy
- Seasons: Year round
- Family Friendly: Yes
- Backpackable: No
- Crowded: Yes
Hike Description
The Yachats 804 Trail takes advantage of some easements on the rocky shoreline at the northern end of Yachats. In the 1970s, local landowner had laid claim to this rocky shoreline (It didn't fit the description of a public 'beach'), preventing fishing access, but activists dug up the plans for a 19th century public road that was never built. The battle in the state courts took ten years, but the rocks ended up as part of a state park and now offer a picturesque promenade. The path is part of the Oregon Coast Trail and you can connect from here with the Yachats Community Park Wetland, Yachats State Recreation Area, Yachats Ocean Road State Natural Site and the Amanda's Trail Hike, which leads up to the Cape Perpetua Stone Shelter. You can also connect directly with a relatively new trail that enters the Siuslaw National Forest and passes through a private botanical preserve (See the Ya'Xaik Trail-Gerdemann Preserve Loop Hike). The tread is an ancient roadway, established by Native Americans and then used by horse and buggy traffic until the construction of Highway 101. Bird and sea life are abundant here, so keep your eyes open and take your time.
Yachats Ocean Road State Natural Site
Address: Yachats Ocean Road State Natural Site, Yachats Ocean Road, Yachats, OR, USA .Yachats Ocean Road makes a one-mile loop, exposing one of the most scenic viewpoints on the coast: the Yachats Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Limited parking along the loop provides access to this expansive beach made for sandcastles and frisbee games. Tucked below the quaint coastal town of Yachats, the Yachats River flows into the ocean here. Anglers enjoy casting from the rocks off the mouth of the river, hoping to hook a Chinook salmon or rockfish. Kiddos -- and pups -- will love splashing in the sandy, shallow river.
