the wandering chick
...Cape Perpetua Scenic Area
the highest point on Oregon's coast

Cape Perpetua is truly a remarkable forested headland on Oregon's Central Coast.

Visit the highest point on the Oregon coast here, at 800 feet above sea level and then, head down to the ocean rocks to view Thor's Well, Devil's Churn, Cook's Chasm and Spouting Horn, all features best seen - but also most dangerous - at high tide. A wonderful hike called Trail of the Restless Waters takes you down to sea level for the best viewing.

The St. Perpetua Trail will take you up to the overlook where you'll also find the West Shelter built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the mid-1930s. It's no wonder they chose such a site, where on a clear day nearly 70 miles of coastline can be seen.

. Another fun hike is the Giant Spruce Trail which ends at a Sitka Spruce that has a 40-foot circumference and stands more than 185 feet tall. Its age: 550 years old.

Cape Perpetua is located on 2700 acres of the Siuslaw National Forest just south of Yachats.

view of the coastline from Cape Perpetua Overlook
old-growth forest
A view of the Oregon coastline from the highest point on Oregon's coast at 800 feet.
Old-growth forest in the Siuslaw National Forest at Cape Perpetua
CCC West Shelter made of stone
Our view this day from the CCC's West Shelter was definitely not 70 miles. But what we were able to see was stunning.
the Spouting Horn
CCC's West Shelter
Trail from the CCC West Shelter
view from the top looking north at the coastline
The Spouting Horn can be seen at Cook's Chasm, down among the rocky trail called Trail of the Restless Waters. The Spouting Horn shoots out water from a small opening in the lava rock after the amount of water under the rock is too great.
man on cliff overlooking water
huge tree stump
A huge tree stump softened by the elements is on the Trail of the Restless Waters.
Thor's Well
thor's well filled
Of all the features on the Trail of the Restless Waters, I think Thor's Well was our favorite. Some may say it's just a hole in the rock, but it's truly much more than that if you view it at high tide. Watch the water fill over the hole, then sink down into the well like a waterfall. It then comes crashing up over the well, then slides back in again. It never stops.
In this photo, Thor's Well is completely full, but within a couple of seconds, it empties out in the form of a waterfall.
old forest growth on the trail to the giant sitka spruce
thor's well
old forest growth on the trail to the giant sitka spruce
the giant sitka spruce
old forest growth on the trail to the giant sitka spruce
old forest growth on the trail to the giant sitka spruce
The Giant Spruce Trail is an easy two-mile roundtrip hike through an old-growth forest that runs parallel with Cape Creek.
old forest growth on the trail to the giant sitka spruce
the Giant Sikta Spruce
The kids - and many adults - will enjoy walking through the roots of the giant sitka spruce.
the giant sitka spruce
This spruce was just a sapling when Christoper Columbus explored America. It had grown to 235 feet tall, but a 1963 windstorm broke off a good portion of the top.
along the Trail of the Restless Waters
Along the Trail of the Restless Waters
Overlooking Devil's Churn at a lower tide from the parking lot of the Visitors Center.
Along the Trail of the Restless Waters
a diseased starfish along the Trail of the Restless Waters
Sadly, a disease has taken a toll on the beautiful star fish along the Pacific Coast. This one is a victim as well having lost one of its legs to the disease which causes the limbs to slowly diminish.

To see more pictures of Oregon, please return to the Oregon home page.

 

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tree stump on trail