Oregon’s Central Coast (Part 1)

Lincoln City, OR

Our adventure in Lincoln City begins with brunch at famous Otis Cafe. As you walk in there’s a sign that says… “The food is worth the weight” and they weren’t kidding. We did have a wait; but the food was so incredible that it was well worth it. We had the Cinnamon Roll French Toast and the Cowboy Benedict. Both were fantastic!

Drift Creek Falls Trail

Next we head east, inland, deep into the Suislaw National Forest to visit The Drift Creek Suspension Bridge and Waterfall. The road here is narrow and windy; but the scenery is so beautiful it’s well worth the drive.

The trail is moderately difficult (mainly due to the elevation gain); but leads us to the longest suspension bridge in Oregon (240 feet)…

Drift Creek Falls

…overlooking a stunning 66 foot tall waterfall.

Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge offers a diverse array of habitats including salt marsh, mudflats, sloughs and conifer-hardwood forests. This is one of the most photogenic estuary on the Oregon Coast. We weren’t able to photograph anything specific today; but the overall landscape was incredible to see.

Depoe Bay, OR

Whale Watching Center

Sitting on the edge of a seawall in the heart of town, this facility is designed to help spot whales while simultaneously teaching visitors about them. The facility was erected here because it’s the best place to spot whales along the Oregon coast as they come very close to shore at this location. We stayed here for quite a while watching the “Whale Watching” boats zip here and there and did see one whale dive. Unfortunately, we did not get it on camera.

Whale Cove

Our next stop was at Rocky Point State Scenic Viewpoint to get a look at Whale Cove. We saw some pretty intense waves crashing into shore at the entrance to Whale Cove; but no whales.

Otter Rock, OR

Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area

The leading theories are that the punchbowl was created when the roof over two sea caves collapsed. It has since been shaped by the constant wave action. We arrive a little later than planned, as the tide is coming in. Which prevents us from being able to take the trail down to the beach and potentially go inside the bowl to see the arches up close. So, we’re limited to pictures from the viewpoint above. You can see both arches from the foamy waves as they enter the cave; but it would probably be incredible from inside.

Regardless, we have a great time walking all around the viewpoint and watching the surfers riding the waves in the Otter Rock Marine Reserve to the south.

Newport, OR

Moolack Beach

This is a quick stop at the wayside viewpoint to get our first look at Yaquina Head Lighthouse to the south before heading to camp for dinner. The fog is rolling in quickly, creating an almost eerie effect over the water. We’ll have to wait and see the lighthouse another day.

Yaquina Head

It’s cold, windy, and rainy this morning; but I think it actually adds to the mystique of this quiet sentinel and adds a level of realism to it’s story.

Lighthouse

The 93 foot lighthouse was built in 1872 and first lit in 1873, It was manned until 1966. The keepers quarters and other structures were removed in 1984; but the lighthouse itself remained and was lovingly restored in 2005.

Beaches & Coves

Yaquina Head offers a little bit of everything. Rock arches, beaches, and some of the best tide pools in the area.

Wildlife

Harbor seals are a common sight here and it’s one of Oregon’s largest nesting colonies of Common Murre’s. We’re also told that Brandt’s and Pelagic Cormorants, Pigeon Guillemots, Western Gulls, Tufted Puffins, Black Oystercatchers and the occasional Bald Eagle can also be found here. We are lucky enough to see a few of these today.

Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

Built in 1871, the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse was quickly replaced by the Yaquina Head Lighthouse and then decommissioned in 1874. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, this lighthouse is:

• believed to be the oldest structure in Newport
• the only existing Oregon lighthouse with the living quarters attached
• the only historic wooden Oregon lighthouse still standing

The lighthouse was restored and officially relit in 1996 to aid in navigation along the Yaquina River. It’s static white light stands 161 feet above sea level and shines continuously from dusk until dawn and occasionally during very dark days.

Yaquina Bay Bridge

This historic arch bridge was designed and built by Conde McCullough. Built in 1934, this bridge is ~3,261 feet.

Hatfield Marine Science Center

Associated with Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Center is a distinguished marine laboratory that excels in student research opportunities. They’ve been serving as research base for the past 55 years and just received funding to improve and expand their campus. We opted not to go in today; but we did take a walk along the estuary trail to see what we could find in the wild.

South Jetty

Located on the south side of the Yaquina River Inlet the South Jetty offers a vast array of opportunities to explore the beach and state park to the south as well as along the river all the way to Yaquina Bay.

South Beach State Park

This historic state park offers access to miles of white sand beaches, hiking trails, biking trials, a frisbee golf course and ease of access to a variety of local attractions.

Beach

Campground

We set up our home base in the South Beach Campground for this leg. We’d been warned by others prior to arriving about the constant fog horn; but even though it’s faint it’s ingrained into our subconscious at this point. It feels like we’ll be hearing it for weeks.

The campground is large; but the sites are very close together and offer little to no privacy. It’s a good thing we plan to spend very little time here and when we do, we’ll be out exploring what the park has to offer.

Cooper Ridge Nature Trail

This 2.3 mile easy loop takes us up along the ridge surrounding the campground. It winds it’s way through rhododendrons and spruces as well along a section of the campground.

Mike Miller County Park – Educational Trail

Mike Miller County Park is a forty five acre parcel of land with it’s main draw being the educational trail showing various mini eco-systems. The loop trail is approximately one mile long going through Sitka Spruce trees, Western Hemlock, Douglas Fir, and Coastal Pine trees with bridges, observation decks, and benches along the trail to sit and listen.

Next stop… Oregon’s Central Coast (Part 2)