On our third day exploring the Oregon Coast, we headed south from the Columbia River, checking out the old roadway along the beach at Hug Point, the great views from Ecola Point, and the stunning overlook at the Devil’s Cauldron, after which we camped near the beach at Nehalem Bay State Park.
We woke up that morning still in Washington, camped just north of the Columbia River. After two nights in the same place, we vowed that we would never return, as nice as this place was. Our primary goal was the Oregon Coast, not the Washington Coast, after all. We got up early, hoping to get the jump on things. We had a lot planned for the day. If you call a general desire to see every single thing that looked interesting along Highway 101 a plan. But it was the only plan we had. Within an hour of waking up, we were already crossing the big river into Oregon.
Hug Point was our first main stopping point. We had read about this place in a book about the Oregon Coast Trail, a three hundred mile hiking trail along the coastline. We weren’t feeling strong enough to do the hike itself, but we found quite a few cool spots to check out by car. Hug Point was one of them.
Back in the early days of Oregon, there weren’t many roads. The rain forest was thick and the canyons were deep. Most of the coastal towns were in small harbors, serviced by boat. Land travel was often confined to the beach, and only at low tide. Hug Point was a tough spot, so they carved out a road just below the cliffs. And even then it was only useful at low tide. But that was better than nothing. The road was used for many years, until Highway 101 came into existence. And we wanted to check this out.
We walked the old road to the north side of Hug Point, and looked up the beach. It was a drizzly morning, with low clouds and occasional misty fog. A typical day on the Oregon Coast, in other words. The road was wet and covered in bits of clinging seaweed There was an interesting band of color along the vertical wall of the cliff, mostly due to different species of algae and weed. The footing wasn’t particularly slippery, thanks to the steps of tourists like ourselves and the sloshing of the sea at high tide. On the way back I took a long GoPro video, which I had to cut in half to post on my Flickr page. Oh well. Watch it if you’re exceptionally bored.
Although I didn’t show it yet, there was a large sea cave on the southern side of the point, formed by the undercutting action of the surf. Vicki crawled inside and scrambled around a bit, while I stayed standing near its mouth. We met a backpacker doing the Oregon Coast Trail, and I spent a while talking to him. Backpackers get along well with each other.
There was also a small waterfall nearby. Vicki and I always love to check out waterfalls, so I took a few more photos and videos than I probably should have. But that’s just me.
We walked back to the car and continued down the coast on 101. Soon we arrived at Ecola State Park. We had purchased a five-day state park pass yesterday, so entry was easy. They don’t bother with toll booths, and simply expect you to buy a day pass at a machine or display the long term pass you already have on your dashboard. Very mellow.
Ecola Point was quite beautiful, with the rugged coastal scenery we were hoping to see on this trip. We love walking on beaches, but Southern California doesn’t have those rocky islands along the shore. Up here in the PNW they call them Sea Stacks. They are great for sea birds to nest on, and seals to rest on. And even better for amateur photographers to focus on.
After eating lunch at the park, we continued south. The Oregon coast varies considerably, sometimes flat and sandy, with long lonely beaches, and oftentimes cliffy, so that the road had to climb up and over jutting points of land. There was even a tunnel, and of course it was raining when we went through it. It was that kind of day.
Our next stop was one of the prettiest spots we saw along the entire coast: The Devil’s Cauldron Overlook. The waves weren’t exactly huge that day, but we imagined what the cauldron would be like when the sea was angry. A frightening spot in a small boat. Treasure Cove, to the north, was also very beautiful. We hiked along the trail, perched on the edge of a cliff hundreds of feet high. It was exhilarating. Not recommended for those with a fear of heights. I took far too many photos and videos while up on that lofty eminence. Finally, we arrived back at the car, where we stopped a short distance later at a view down south toward the long sandy beach at Nehalem Bay.
Driving further south, there were more good views along the way. We pulled over whenever it looked interesting, which was basically every single time there was a sign or a pullout. We were in Full Tourist Mode.
We checked the map, and it mentioned a campground at Nehalem Bay State Park. It was still midafternoon, so we hoped to get a spot before they were all gone. And we lucked out! There was only one spot left, from someone who had recently cancelled their reservation. It was a bit pricier than the National Forest spots, plus it was a state park and we weren’t state residents, but we didn’t care. It was cheaper than a motel and we would be camping right next to the beach! Excellent.
We parked the car and decided to take a hike right away. We had been driving too much anyway. Back home in San Diego, we hike on the beach all the time. This was perfect for us, to stretch our legs and simply listen to the sound of the surf. Plus smell the briny odors of the sea. Ahhh.. This was the life!
The campground was crowded with people, and it wasn’t set up for privacy. But we didn’t care. We camped in the back of our car, so noisy neighbors were less noisy than they would have been from a flimsy tent, which offered no soundproofing whatsoever. There were happy kids riding bicycles, and people barbequing burgers and hot dogs, which smelled great. It was like being within a giant party. Luckily for us, the party ended just after sunset, and quiet reigned within the campground. We went to sleep happy in the knowledge that we were well and truly heading south along the coast of Oregon. We’d worry about tomorrow’s campsite tomorrow. Today had been a good day.
For a topographic map of the hike see my CalTopo Page
For LOTS more photos of the trek see my Flickr Page
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