5 Cool Insanely Cool Details of Depoe Bay on Central Oregon Coast

Published 2/25/24 at 4:35 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Depoe Bay, Oregon) - One little town - dozens of wowing attractions and distractions. The wee place is big on crazy-cool finds, cramming so much more into one fairly small stretch than you can ever image (if you take the two miles on either side of the village). (Above: North Point - all photos Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

In some ways, Depoe Bay seems to go on forever – far beyond the mile or so worth of busy roadway and handful of blocks in its downtown. Many of them aren't so much hidden and secret hiding in plain sight. Here's only five of the intriguing finds (see a ton more at the Depoe Bay Virtual Tour).

Otter Loop Road. A couple miles worth of non-stop wonder, this little route is constantly hitting you in the face with scenery. Soaring cliffs (or dizzingly-diving slopes, depending on your perspective), wanton ocean action, and expansive vistas are just everyday things along Otter Loop Road.

It all starts just south of Depoe Bay just as the road begins to rise. Instead of heading south on 101, veer right and you'll first discover the wild waves of Rodea Point, which often puts on a show no matter how calm wave conditions are.

Drive a bit further and you'll quickly encounter the Ben Jones Bridge and its viewpoint, and shortly after this the road is a twisting one-way route (you can only drive southward so make sure you start at the north end). Along the way there's about a half dozen sheer cliffs and broiling, angry surf below them. Meanwhile, most of the time you're beneath a dreamy forest, and it all dead-ends at the mind-melting views of Cape Foulweather. Otter Crest Loop, Oregon Coast - Complete Guide, Hiking, History, Sights 

North Point / Depoe View Park. Known as both North Point and Depoe View Park, it causes Depoe Bay to become the only Oregon coast town with another park of the same name (the other sits hidden on Coast Ave near the viewpoint mentioned below). Look for Vista St. at the northern part of Depoe Bay and it will lead you there. North Point - Hidden Rocky Cliff at Depoe Bay

It's an amazing span of puffy, bubble-like basalt cliffs, where crevices large and small create a bunch of curious distractions. Craggy edges abound, and all this sits just 20 feet or so above the raging surf. There's a lot here for one rather small area.

The southern edge juts out into the ocean even more and gives you a unique view of the town from here. If it's calm enough conditions, you may spot a whale hovering close, and it often becomes fairly clear they're checking you out too. They are very curious.

Unnamed Viewpoint. Head to Coast Ave (which runs right behind the fire station) and you'll quickly spot a magnificent unnamed little viewpoint that’s simply a bench. It's quite the scenic surprise, and not a bad spot to watch for whales or check out rumbling Oregon coast storms on the rocks below.

Lincoln Beach. Less than a few miles north of Depoe Bay, just about right after the entrance to Fogarty Beach (a bit of a hidden delight in itself), you enter a section of four lanes and a smattering of businesses. Keep an eye out for the westward roads and Lincoln Beach. It appears to be part of Gleneden Beach, but it's sandwiched between that and Fogarty.

Lincoln Beach on Central Oregon Coast: Not to be Confused with Lincoln City

In Lincoln Beach, both the accesses are via the neighborhood streets, with only one that's really obvious. It's a singular delight, with rarely any others making the trek here. The steep bluffs of coarse sands at the tideline make for some interesting wave action. The waves come in crashing loudly, then dissipate in power fast because of the incline here.

Walkway Under Depoe Bay Bridge. Wandering the biz district of Depoe Bay is a lot of fun, but there's more – literally – beneath the town. At the northern edge of the bridge, you'll find a little walkway treading beneath it.

It's a better option for crossing the street since 101 here is usually a madhouse of car traffic, but it's also a pleasant walk which can yield plenty of scenic surprises. You're almost directly above the boat traffic through the channel, which is a kick. The Lil' Oregon Coast Bridge with a Kind of Secret Passage (That's Safer Than Above)

Hotels in Depoe Bay - Where to eat - Depoe Bay Maps and Virtual Tours

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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