Oregon Coast/Lincoln City to Florence

This summer we headed to the Oregon Coast for a couple of days before spending some time outside Portland near the Columbia River Gorge at Edgefield. It was the first time we had been to the coast in years, and it was my daughter's first time there. The route from Portland to Lincoln City through Pinot Noir country is a slow road interrupted by many small towns with stop and go traffic. Not my favorite. My impulse choice of a Van Halen greatest hits CD wasn't helping any. It always amazes me though, how much things change once you reach the coast. We arrived at Beverly Beach State Park around 4 pm, which was later than we had expected. There is a well established campground a few hundred yards from the beach which proved to be comfortable and convenient. We had long turned off Van Halen and were soon sleeping in a glade near a river next to the Pacific.  

It was much cooler here than even Lincoln City just to the north. This is typical for the Oregon Coast but still took me by surprise. When the sun comes out on the coast, you'll see sunbathers. When the sun is blocked, people are wearing layers as if it is a winter day. Take a bend in the road and you might need your shorts, another bend and then a sweater. It's hard to overestimate how variable the weather is, and both nights we stayed at Beverly Beach, it rained a little bit. Not enough to require reconfiguring our tent, but enough to make us aware of it. But just because it can be misty, foggy, even rainy at times, it is always interesting and often breathtaking. 

Beverly Beach is away from the bustle. Although the whole Oregon Coast is interesting, the stretch from Lincoln City to Florence is my favorite. The area from Bandon to Crescent City California is also incredible, but less accessible without a long drive through the dunes which was beyond the scope of our trip.

Bridge at Beverly Beach

Yaquina Lighhouse is definitely worth a stop, just before you reach Florence. Although we were not able to see the inside of the Lighthouse, we did see glimpses of the gray whales who call the area home, as well as an incredible beach of polished black lava stones. The sound of the waves raking through the stones was loud and unforgettable. 

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

It was fairly brisk at Yaquina Head.

There are many churns in this area of the coast, which are areas where the coast goes inland slightly, like a small bay. Waves enter the churn and make unpredictable, dramatic landfall as well as a roiling motion around the rim of rock. This one is called Devils Churn, and is one of my favorites. I like how the white splashes stand out from the black rock and orange mineral deposits. The weather cleared and we had a bit of sun for this entire stretch of 101.

Devil's Churn

Cape Perpetua is not far from Devil's Churn, just a few miles south, along one of the most twisty, dramatic sections of the coast. 

Cape Perpetua

There is a blowhole here very similar to the ones I've seen on O'ahu. This one is at the inside of another churn. Waves enter the churn and are pushed through lava rock, pressurized by the force and sent out as mist through a hole in the top at a rate of around 3 per minute. Although it looks like steam, it's actually just cold salt water. The waves can get pretty big making landfall just under the bridge!

This is surely one of my favorite areas of the coast, this little bridge with the coastal road snaking along the outlet of Big Creek. It's just a couple of miles before you reach Heceta Head Lighthouse. The distinctive bluffs of Cape Creek, upon which the lighthouse sits, can be seen in the center right of this picture. After the next set of bluffs, the coast flattens out and the dunes begin. Big sand dunes for miles and miles. 

Heceta Head Lighthouse