Cape Perpetua - Oregon
Posted by: 
silverquill
N 44° 17.238 W 124° 06.618
10T E 411413 N 4904382
The headland of Cape Perpetua, rising some 800 feet is the highest point on the Oregon Coast. It is accessible by trail and by car. The vistas from here are some of the most stunning in the world.
Waymark Code: WMB9QB
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 04/24/2011
Views: 7
Standing on the summit of Cape Perpetua one can see for miles to the north and to the south. The southern view of the coastline below is particularly breathtaking. Arrive early in the day and one can see the fog bank stretching up into valleys below, and the receded as if sucked out by a giant vacuum cleaner. Arrive in the evening and view a sunset like no other.
Just a few miles south of the small town of Yachats, U.S. Hwy. 101, winds around the base of the cape where there is a scenic area overlooking Devil'S Churn, then past the Cape Perpetua Camp Ground on the south and the small beach at the mouth of Cape Creek, and then the new Cape Perpetua Visitor's Center which has a complete guide to the Siuslaw National Forest Cape Perpetua Scenic Area.
There is a network of trails both along the coast with its rocks, driftwood and tide pools, and up around to the summit of the cape and beyond. While a stop at the visitor's center is informative, and the drive, or hike, to the summit is a prime stop on a trip along the scenic Oregon Coast Highway, and extended stay will provide days of exploration and discovery, and times of peace and relaxation.
The Cape Creek beach at the foot of the cape is small, but one can walk over the rocks to the south all the way to Cook's Chasm, stopping at the rocky inlets to hunt for agates or exploring the tide pools. To the north the trails lead to Devil's Churn past giant tide pools, and the spray of breakers crashing on the lava rocks.
In 1933 there was a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp here and many roads and trails were built including the
West Shelter Observation Point which is on the National Register of Historic Places. During World War II this was an important observation station and for a time there was an artillery installation here. From here there are several trails including one that leads to an
Oregon Heritage Tree - a giant sitka spruce that is estimated to be 600 years old.
Though several early explorers passed this way, it was Captain Cook who named it on March 7, 1778, in honor of a Christian Saint who was martyed in Carthage in that day in the year 203. See: Hiking Around Cape Perpetua by Pat Snider