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At the bottom of this article is information about 10 hiking trails.

Cape Perpetua Scenic Area
Where the forest meets the sea!

Thinking about a trip to the coast? Why not take in the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area just south of Yachats. Rain or shine, with family or with friends, first time or fiftieth, the Cape has something for everyone. 

Ocean-lovers can walk the short trails to Devil’s Churn or the Spouting Horn. The inland trails offer a chance to hike through old growth and find a little more solitude.   With over 20 miles of trail, the overlooks, tide pools and interpretive center, you can easily fill up a day or two of activities.

The 2,700-acre Cape Perpetua Scenic Area was set aside by the Siuslaw National Forest in the early 1960's for its unique characteristics, a Sitka spruce rainforest with a transition to the sea. Sites within the Scenic Area include Devil's Churn, the Cape Perpetua Overlook (highest point along the Oregon Coast), the Cape Perpetua Campground, Cook's Chasm, and the Spouting Horn.

It has 23 miles of trails that include both seashore and forest settings. Most of the Scenic Area's shoreline is rock intertidal, with tide pools and crashing waves.  It is also a protected Marine Garden and so requires folks to take only pictures and none of the treasures they will see as they walk along the surf.  The forest trails stretch up to the ridge east of the Interpretive Center, and take the visitor through managed forests, undisturbed wilderness, meadows of wildflowers, and back down into old growth forest along the creeks. The most popular forest trail leads the visitor one mile to the Giant Spruce Tree - a massive tree that is over 500 years old.

Cape Perpetua Interpretive Center offers films, an incredible view, and temporary and permanent exhibits, which explain the cultural and natural history of the area. The Interpretive Center is the jumping off point for the 2,700 acre Scenic Area.

Coastal Rain Forests

Abundant moisture and a year-round growing season produce a lush rain forest on the Central Oregon Coast. Rotting logs, called "nurse logs", are nutrient rich beds where western hemlock, Douglas-fir and Sitka spruce seedlings start life. Twenty-three miles of hiking trails wind through the temperate rain forest of Cape Perpetua. Several old growth Sitka spruces can be viewed on the Giant Spruce Trail. Displays about the forest and maps of the trails are available at the Interpretive Center.

Tide pools have more life per square foot than dry land. You can explore the tide pools on your own, or join one of the guided walks available from the Interpretive Center.

Area Hiking Trails

1. Captain Cook Trail (to tide pools) - 0.6-mile loop from the Interpretive Center, under Highway 101, through wind-sculpted vegetation, past an old CCC camp, Indian shell middens and tide pools. At high tide the Spouting Horn can be observed across Cook's Chasm. Paved, easy walk.

2. Cape Cove Trail (to beach) - 0.3-mile trail past Cape Cove Beach connecting the Captain Cook Trail to the Trail of Restless Waters. Paved, easy walk.

3. Trail of Restless Waters (to Devil's Churn) 0.4-mile loop from the Devil's Churn parking area, past Devil's Churn along the lava rocks and tide pools to join the Cape Cove Trail 0.7-mile from the Interpretive Center. Watch for sneaker waves. Wheelchair accessible to ocean overlook. Paved, but steep trail.

4. Giant Spruce Trail - 2.0 miles round trip from the Interpretive Center to the 500 year-old "Giant Spruce". The trail parallels Cape Creek and goes through old growth forest with lush ferns, skunk cabbage, and the sound of birds. Easy walk.

5. St. Perpetua Trail (to the viewpoint) - 2.6 miles round trip from the Interpretive Center to the viewpoint. The switch-backed trail climbs the south face of Cape Perpetua and affords some excellent views of the Pacific Ocean. A 600-foot change in elevation occurs from the trails' lowest point to the top of the Cape. Moderate to difficult hike.

6. Whispering Spruce Trail - 0.25-mile loop from the Viewpoint Road (Rd. 5553) parking lot, which is a 2.25-mile drive from the Interpretive Center. Great ocean views from the highest point on the Oregon Coast. Trail goes to CCC-built stone promontory and West Shelter. Easy walk.

7. Oregon Coast Trail (ocean views) - 2.6 miles round trip from the Interpretive Center. This trail overlooks the rocky shoreline and ties into the Gwynn Creek and Cummins Creek Loop trails. Moderate walk.

8. Cook's Ridge/Gwynn Creek Loop Trail (old growth) - 6.4-mile loop opportunity from the Interpretive Center through old growth forest, and has several ocean views. The trail begins at the top of the upper parking lot and goes around the Discovery Loop. Moderate hike.

9. Discovery Loop Trail (dense forest) - 1.0-mile loop from the Interpretive Center on the Cook's Ridge Trail. Travels through a variety of forest stages. Moderate hike.

10. Cummins Creek Loop Trail (old growth) - 10-mile loop from the Interpretive Center up Cook's Ridge Trail to Cummins Creek Trail, down to the Oregon Coast Trail and back to the Interpretive Center. The trail has ocean views and goes through old growth and open meadows. Moderate to difficult hike.

The Cummins Creek Trail also loops back on itself to provide an alternative opportunity (6.25 miles) for mountain bikers and hikers.