Yachats On the Central Oregon Coast

On a clear day the view from the headlands at the Sea Lions Cave visitors center is outstanding. But step too close to the edge and you'll get the woozies, maybe the wobblies, as you gaze down at fields of wavy green grass that plunge 300 feet to the blue Pacific churning and sloshing back-and-forth in a perpetual rolling ballet. Look south to Florence eleven miles distant and watch the wide, empty beach recede into a misty horizon. Look north two miles and there, perched high on a bluff, is the beautiful Heceta Head Lighthouse, the most photographed and arguably most beautiful lighthouse on the Oregon Coast, though I'm not sure how that's measured. Then step in the elevator and plunge 208 feet down into the bowels of mother earth for the experience of a lifetime. Really. For a reasonable price of admission you'll be treated to the world's largest sea cave. It's not a gimmick or a circus trick, just nature hard at work carving out basalt rock one salty wave at a time. And yes, those are sea lions down there lounging about, rubbing blubber, yelping and multiplying, and stinking up the place.

Come to think of it, maybe that was sweaty Teddy from Toledo I smelled, standing just a wee bit too close that afternoon elbowing his way to the front of the pack for a closer look. It's been a while since I made that memorable trip down the hole. Imagine the Superdome on a reduced scale, as long as a football field and twelve stories tall with the green ocean pouring through the cave's entrance. Sea lions' echoes ricochet off cavern walls decorated with algae and lichen stained in random mosaics of green, red and shades of purple. Outside the cave perched on rocky ledges are guillemots and black cormorants, and over there, gulls galore swirl and twirl and nest and screech and paint the surrounding cliffs guano white. And not far from shore, often within sight and always a delight, are spouting gray whales plowing north or south, to Alaska or Mexico, depending on the season. Although my photos are long gone, I remember my first encounter with the mother-of-all-sea-caves like it was 1984. Back then the underground observation platform was small and a chain-linked fence separated us from 90 Stellar sea lions in repose fifty feet below us on the rocks. It was a crowded mass of pinniped mayhem that autumn; a reddish-brown herd of Eumetopias jubatuses; young males that can weigh a literal ton each, and paunchy cows in their respective harems looking coy and for some action, and the little ones, yearlings, just hanging out and lounging about causing a ruckus. If you've got binoculars, bring them.

---

Gorgeous and 56 feet high, Heceta Head Lighthouse was built in 1894, sits on a 150-foot-high bluff and has been lauded as the most visited and beloved lighthouse in America. That very well might be. Despite the lighthouse undergoing significant renovations through 2012, which might make a lighthouse tour problematic, it shines a long, sweeping beam of light visible 21 miles out to sea and is regarded as the strongest light on the Oregon Coast. According to old black-and-white photos from the turn of the century, the surrounding headlands were devoid of the dense evergreen forest one finds today because a fire leveled the hillside back then rendering it a barren charcoal wasteland. Recovered now, it's rich and lush green which is understandable given the drenching the Oregon Coast suffers during winter and spring. Blessed with a spectacular setting and romantic ambiance, the refurbished assistant lighthouse keeper's house, big, white and two-stories tall, is now a classy bed-and-breakfast and extremely popular. So plan ahead if its on your to-do list as there can be a long waiting list to contend with. It can handle 14 guests at a time, has six queen beds and six bathrooms, plus a fully-equipped guest kitchen. A bit pricey for some, the cost is mitigated by a renowned seven-course gourmet breakfast. The accompanying 192-page cookbook, packed with colorful photographs and delicious recipes, must be purchased separately. Cape Perpetua, another immense forested headland that juts out into the Pacific and rises to a respectable 800 feet above sea level (paved road access and parking available up top) is another must-stop on your drive up the coast. From strategically placed viewpoints you can see many miles out to sea and up and down the coast. Southward are cascading mountain shoulders in silhouette plunging through fog into the burly ocean below. Looking north through breaks in the spruce are miles of flat beach and the tiny, delightful ocean-side village of Yachats ("yah-hots") situated near the mouth of a river of the same name and pronunciation. Though dominating the landscape, the cape isn't the only attraction in the U.S. Forest Service's Cape Perpetua Scenic Area which includes 2,700 acres of old-growth Douglas fir, spruce and western hemlock. The scenic area also claims bragging rights to a giant, 600-year-old Sitka spruce that towers 185 feet high and boasts a 40-foot circumference near its base. Do not cut this tree down for firewood. It's protected by law and in 2007 was recognized as an official "Heritage Tree," a guilt offering no doubt on account of the rabid clear-cutting that's pretty much decimated the vast majority of Oregon's coastal mountains. Looking sadly up at the Silent Sentinel of the Siuslaw, sniff, it's hard to imagine what the Coast Range must have looked like 200 years ago before it was gifted away to the powers and mowed to the nub. It was all I could do to keep from wrapping my arms around that big, beautiful chunk of wood. But that would give me away, wouldn't it? Back in the 60s the Forest Service constructed a visitors center, vibrant now and chock full of information and activities, cultural and natural history exhibits, a theater showcasing nature-themed films, and an interactive children's science area. It's not your average visitors center. Those yearning for a hike will love the 26 miles of trails that wend through old growth and out onto biologically rich, other-worldly tidepools near the ocean's edge. But be careful; occasionally copious amounts of salt water squirt through the air, water trapped in geologic anomalies like the Devil's Churn - a big crack that fills up and explodes like Old Faithful when competing waves collide. And don't forget to visit Cook's Chasm and the Spouting Horn. Meaning to fear-monger, I'm here to remind you that the ocean is not to be trifled with. Plenty of dead people would testify, if they could, to the potential dangers here and elsewhere along the coast, like the state parks at Yachats up the road a short way. The danger is especially acute during winter storms and at high tide. Turn your back at the wrong time while you're engaged with the pretty starfish and you risk being overrun by a sneaky two-story wave that will crush you against the rocks, pulverize your skull to mush and drag your limp body out to sea. It happens. I've said it before and I'll say it again: The most scenic stretch of the coast begin at Yachats two miles north of Cape Perpetua and ends near Brookings on the California border - the southern Oregon Coast. And of all the quaint little villages along the way, unpretentious Yachats definitely makes my A-list. With a population of around 800, its diminutive size doesn't accurately reflect the rich lifestyle, beauty and restful nature this gem serves up. Retirees and second-home owners aren't the only ones drawn to Yachats; the young have been lured here as well, artists and romantics inspired by basaltic headlands, towering green mountains, miles of empty sand beaches and tidepools waiting to be explored, crashing white surf on the ragged edge of town, and a beautiful meandering river full of life. Casual visitors in-the-know take the time to stop and explore this laid-back little secret, this outdoor-lover's delight. Its popularity is attested to by 20-plus lodges, cottages, inns, motels, hotels and cabins, not to mention numerous vacation rentals, many with spectacular ocean views. Clean, orderly and quaint are understatements. The small town provides fine dining, on a modest scale, art galleries, bistros and specialty shops. There are miles of public beach to explore, walking and bike paths to amble along, three state parks within the village proper, and an expensive supermarket for those who don't have the time to run to the big city of Newport (another attraction to the area) twenty-five miles up the coast. We always swing through coastal-themed Yachats on our many drives down the 101, a mandatory stop. It's some of the best Oregon has to offer due in part to its relative isolation, tucked at the foot of the coastal mountains. Yachats is special for those longing for peace and quiet, invigorating scenery, a friendly atmosphere and a welcoming community, all within a vibrant natural setting that will have you coming back year after year.