The field guide
Lighthouses, viewpoints, and the drives worth slowing down for.
Places in the guide
16 entries
Sea Lion Caves
The largest sea cave in the country, with an elevator down to the Steller sea lions.
Highway 101, north of Florence
Cape Perpetua Scenic Area
The highest drive-up viewpoint on the Oregon coast, with tidepools below at Cook’s Chasm.
Highway 101 south of Yachats
Devil's Churn
A narrow inlet that throws spray over the rocks when the swell runs high.
Cape Perpetua · Pin pending review
Heceta Head viewpoint
The postcard angle on the lighthouse, from the beach at the mouth of Cape Creek.
Highway 101 at Cape Creek
Muriel O. Ponsler Viewpoint
A quiet pullout with a trail down to a pocket beach.
Highway 101, north of Florence
Stonefield Beach
A gravel beach where Tenmile Creek meets the surf.
Highway 101 south of Yachats
Tokatee Klootchman
A small natural site with a short path to a rocky shore.
Highway 101 south of Yachats
Smelt Sands
A paved mile along the rocks, and where the town dips for smelt in summer.
Yachats, west end of Fourth Street
Neptune State Scenic Viewpoint
Three coves, the mouth of Cummins Creek, and a low-tide beach walk.
Highway 101 south of Yachats
Yachats Ocean Road
A short loop above the surge channel at the mouth of the Yachats River.
Yachats
Carl G. Washburne State Park
Spruce forest, a campground, and a trail out to the beach through the dunes.
Highway 101, north of Heceta Head
North Spit
The long sand spit across the river, reached by the jetty road.
North Jetty Road, across from Florence
Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Offshore rocks closed to landing, crowded with murres, guillemots, and sea lions.
Sea stacks along Highway 101
Old Town Florence
The riverfront blocks of galleries, chowder houses, and the boardwalk on the Siuslaw.
Bay Street, Florence
Cleft of the Rock Light
A private light on a rock below the highway, visible from the pullouts.
Cape Perpetua, seen from Highway 101
Oregon Dunes Overlook
A paved viewpoint over the open sand, with a trail down into it.
Highway 101, south of Florence
Longer entries
In-depth notes from the same ground.
When the Salmon Come Home
Each autumn, salmon return from the Pacific to the Siuslaw watershed, carrying the ocean’s nutrients inland. Their journey reveals how closely the region’s streams, forests, wetlands, and communities depend on one another.
Wild Neighbors of Siuslaw Country
The animals that call Siuslaw Country home, and the pleasure of learning to notice them.
The Art Around the Corner
Painted sea lions, outdoor sculpture, and artist-run galleries offer a different way to explore Siuslaw Country—one that rewards a closer look.
Take the Scenic Route: Sightseeing in Siuslaw Country
Historic waterfronts, a lighthouse above the Pacific, towering dunes, and carnivorous plants tucked into a coastal wetland—around Florence, an ordinary drive can become a day of discovery.