After a quiet, full night of sleep in the well-maintained campground of Umpqua, I start the vehicle and continue driving north on Highway 101.
I set out heading north and left the sand dunes area of the Oregon coast. It was very early in the morning, so all the places for renting ATVs or Polaris RZRs were closed. I have done a sand dune drive here in the past, but it's a shame I didn't get to do it this time around, another thing for next time.
The Sea Lion Caves and Heceta Head Lighthouse
Sea Lion Caves: Hearing the power of nature deep underground.
One of the most fascinating and unique stops along the central section of Highway 101 is the Sea Lion Caves.
This is not just another regular coastal viewpoint, but the largest natural sea cave in North America, and one of the largest in the entire world, which has become a permanent, natural habitat for hundreds of wild Steller sea lions.
The site has been privately owned and protected as a nature preserve since the 1930s. You enter a small building housing the gift shop, and from there you head out to viewpoints on the cliff above the sea. Further along, you descend in a special elevator carved deep into the basalt cliff. The elevator takes you about 200 feet down, straight into the belly of the earth.
The first thing that hits you is the sound. This massive cave, which reaches a height of over 15 stories, acts like a giant sounding board. The waves of the Pacific Ocean crash with immense force into the underground rock openings.
During the period I visited here, most of the sea lions were outside the cave, but I definitely remember my previous visit when hundreds of them were on the rocks inside. From the protected observation deck inside the dark cave, you look out toward the illuminated mouth of the cave facing the ocean.
In addition to the main cave chamber, there is a short foot path that goes out to a spectacular outdoor viewpoint above the cliffs. From here, you can see the colony even when they are sprawling outside on the rocks at the base of the cliff on sunny days, and the horizon offers a picture-postcard perfect view toward the iconic lighthouse.
This place grants a rare glimpse of wildlife in their completely natural environment, without barriers and without filters, reminding you once again how wild and unyielding the Oregon coast is.
There were also many sea birds right next to the viewing window. After the visit to this beautiful place, I drove a bit north and stopped for a few pictures at the lighthouse viewpoint on the bend of the road.
Cape Creek Bridge: Crossing a tunnel, immediately after which you pass over the historic and impressively designed bridge, located right below the lighthouse cliff.
Heceta Head Lighthouse and Trailhead:
Visiting one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world, and there are definitely good reasons for it.
The lighthouse stands on the edge of a cliff, and next to it are three small houses. You pull off the main highway that passes up above into the parking lot below the impressive bridge, and from there it is a walk on the trail from the lot to the lighthouse perched on a high cliff, along with a viewpoint from the Lighthouse and Sealion Beach Vantage Point.
After walking to the beach, the lighthouse, and the trail that continues above it, I returned to the car and continued north.
The Dramatic Natural Phenomena of Cape Perpetua
Thor's Well: A stop in front of one of the most famous natural phenomena on the coast, a deep basaltic rock sinkhole at the water's edge that looks as if it is swallowing the surging ocean water.
I spent a long time here; the tide and the waves were exactly the right size, flooding the area but still making it safe to get close to the opening of the hole.
Spouting Horn: Watching the basalt "horn" that sprays massive jets of water into the air driven by wave pressure.
Devils Churn: A narrow, deep basalt fissure into which the ocean waves penetrate with immense power, splashing everywhere when they hit the end.
After that, I made another stop in the area of Devil's Churn. From the parking lot, there is a walking trail that goes down to the rocky shore, where you can loop around the entire rock cliff and come up via the trail on the other side.
The whole area is very special and interesting, so there were many people out hiking despite the weather, which was starting to become stormy and rainy.
The Port Town of Newport
Oregon Coast Aquarium: Passing through the area of the famous Oregon coast aquarium. I didn't stop here, as I faced a long drive ahead.
Newport Historic Bayfront and Sea Lion Docks: A loop around the town's historic docks, where you can see and hear dozens of sea lions lounging on the wooden piers up close.
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse and Yaquina Bay Bridge: A brief stop at the viewpoint for the bridge and the historic wooden lighthouse of Yaquina Bay (from 1871), and crossing the town's famous arched bridge.
I stopped in the city at an auto parts store because I noticed the day before that one of the vehicle's headlight bulbs was burned out. I replaced the bulb and continued my way north.
Yaquina Head – Harbor Seals in the Rain Facing Oregon's Tallest Lighthouse
One of the most impressive and unique stops on the central part of the coast was at the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. This place is much more than a regular lighthouse; it is a narrow, long basalt headland, formed by an ancient lava flow millions of years ago, thrusting deep into the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
I started the visit at the Interpretation Center, the site's visitor center, which functions like a truly new, modern, and beautiful museum. The museum fascinatingly displays the history of the lighthouse, the lives of the past lighthouse keepers, and the rich marine nature of this region.
From the visitor center, I continued driving to the end of the road, where the lighthouse itself stands. Its structure is simply impressive; it towers to a height of 93 feet and is the tallest lighthouse in the state of Oregon, dominating the skyline and warning ships ever since 1873.
But what truly grabbed me at this site, beyond the historic structure, was the crazy wildlife all around. This headland is surrounded by cliffs and isolated rocky islands, like the famous Colony Rock, which serve as a nesting and breeding site for massive colonies of thousands of sea birds (like cormorants and strange-looking murres).
Alongside them, in the small coves at the foot of the cliff, lounge harbor seals. I stayed there a long time, simply standing against the wind and watching with my camera the many birds filling the skies and rocks.
From there, I decided to go down to the small, hidden cove called Quarry Cove.
Right when I reached the bottom, the skies opened up and heavy rain began to fall, stormy, cold weather of the kind only Oregon knows how to produce. Because of the heavy rain, all the other hikers fled to look for shelter, and the cove emptied out completely. I found myself standing there entirely alone, under my raincoat, but with a huge smile on my face. Partly because I thought about how lucky I was to buy a raincoat while I was still in the desert, and partly because of the raw experience.
Despite the heavy rain, I enjoyed every moment. In the small cove, there were several harbor seals that didn’t stop playing, diving, and fooling around among the small waves very close to me. The rain didn't bother them at all, probably because they are already in the water. This time spent inside nature, together with the storm around and the games of the harbor seals in the water, made the visit to Yaquina Head one of the strongest and most memorable experiences of this day.
Moving along north, time was moving and I wanted to get as far up as Cannon Beach before another long drive. The rain was falling constantly, so it was also less than ideal for outdoor excursions.
North Toward Tillamook and Cape Meares
Devils Punchbowl Arch: A unique rock formation on the coast that looks like a giant bowl carved into the rock by the waves, where the water churns violently.
Siletz Bay Vista Point: A calm, beautiful viewpoint over the bay with a few rock outcroppings topped with trees before entering the forested section of the axis.
Tillamook Creamery: Because of the time crunch, the rain, and the late afternoon hour, I didn't drive to the Octopus Tree and Cape Meares Lighthouse, places I visited 30 years ago where there is a short walk in the forest to see the famous Sitka spruce with the strange shape of an octopus, and a visit to the short, picturesque lighthouse of Cape Meares.
In this area, the main highway leaves the coastline and heads further inland, passing through several mountainous, forested areas.
In the town of Tillamook, it is highly recommended to visit Oregon's famous cheese and ice cream factory. When I arrived, the factory and visitor center were closed, but I remember it as a great place to stop; seeing the cheese production process and the ice cream parlor are well worth it.
I drove north aiming to make progress and manage to reach Cannon Beach before sunset, but then I spotted a steam train running on the side of the road in the town of Garibaldi and decided to stop and take photographs.
Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad - Garibaldi Station: Passing through the town of Garibaldi next to the historic steam train station that runs along the waterfront.
The Three Graces Rocks: A viewpoint of the three giant monolith rocks protruding from the water right on the side of the road in Tillamook Bay.
Cannon Beach – The Elk, the Bird Cloud, and the Perfect Sunset Storm
I arrived at Cannon Beach about an hour and a half before sunset, ready for one of the most famous and photographed sights on the entire West Coast.
The weather, which for the past few hours had "treated" me to continuous, heavy rain, suddenly started to clear up, and the precipitation stopped completely, as if by special order for the end of the day.
After searching for parking in the town, I went down to the beach. Stretched out before me was Haystack Rock, the iconic, giant monolith rock towering to a crazy height of 235 feet right out of the sand at the water's edge.
The sandy beach strip here is exceptionally wide, and the sea, which was relatively calm, acted like a giant mirror creating gorgeous reflections of the heavy rocks and the dramatic clouds in the sky. With the rain stopping, crowds of visitors emerged from all the hotels and lodges along the waterfront and came down to the beach to walk, breathe the salty air, and take pictures. There were also many people riding rented bicycles along the long beach strip, which extends for several miles in each direction.
When you stand at the water's edge, the scenery around is simply mesmerizing. Besides the large rocks standing right across from the city, a look north reveals the wild rock cliffs of Ecola State Park. Looking even further, deep out in the middle of the great ocean, you could discern the isolated Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, sitting surreallistically on the edge of a steep rock jutting out from the stormy waters.
But the most amazing surprise of the evening awaited me right on the sand line.
Crouching on the beach was a group of large, impressive Roosevelt elk. They were simply resting there on the soft sand, completely calm, and like me and the rest of the beachgoers, they looked as if they were intentionally waiting for the sunset according to a plan. It was a truly unique sight: these giant wild animals were resting a stone's throw from civilization and completely ignored, in an awe-inspiring way, all the people walking around and photographing them from all sides.
I continued to wait at the water's edge, and slowly the clouds on the horizon intensified, thickening and turning black, and it was clear to everyone standing there that the rain was about to return in a big way.
And then came the sunset. Despite the heavy clouds, the sun managed for one brief, precise moment to pierce through and illuminate powerfully beneath the blanket of clouds in the west.
In that short duration of the light bursting through, and immediately following the sunset, something amazing happened: tens of thousands of sea birds nesting on the giant rock of Haystack Rock left the cliff faces all at once, as one body, and flew together westward over the water. It looked like a massive, living black cloud moving in the sky, flying and receding toward the horizon, a breathtaking sight.
Immediately afterward, as if nature was just waiting for the show to end, the deluge opened up. A driving rain accompanied by strong, cold winds began to fall on the beach. Within a few short minutes, the sandy beach stripped completely bare, and most people fled running back to the warmth of the hotels.
I, semi-protected under my raincoat, chose to stay.
I stood there nearly alone, enjoying the wild power of the empty beach, the rain, and the wind, and I stayed to soak in this quiet until darkness fell completely. Only then, wet but insanely satisfied, I turned around and headed back to the vehicle. The seventh day closed with one of the strongest experiences of the coast!
I wanted to sleep in the Cannon Beach area, but I couldn't find a good spot, and in the surrounding parks, I couldn’t find campgrounds where you are allowed to sleep in a vehicle.
I saw that there was a place right nearby that also offers an RV park, so I drove there. I arrived at The Retreat at Cannon Beach. Of course, at 9:30 PM everything was closed, but I saw that there was an option to book a site online. After some effort, I managed to book a spot and pay. I found my campsite and got organized for dinner and sleep.
The seventh day of the trip along the central coast of Oregon was packed with driving, experiences, and spectacular coastal viewpoints.
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