Delights of Depoe Bay: So Much to Explore in Central Oregon Coast Burgh

Published 07/26/020 at 5:54 AM PDT
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Depoe Bay, Oregon) – So much Depoe Bay, so little time. There’s far more to the tiny central Oregon coast town than meets the eye, with about a dozen little nooks ‘n crannies hidden throughout the city limits and just either side of it. They take the form of astounding viewpoints that you can’t see unless you sneak up on them, clandestine cliff structures, curious little markers, and more. Add a couple of miles on either side and you have bundles of natural attractions you never new existed. Above: Fogarty Creek State Recreation Area.

Starting two miles or so north, Gleneden Beach is its own unsung wonder. Yes, there’s the state park but the tiny streets meandering around its northern end lead you to a gleeful array of beach accesses just out of view. Look for street names like Sijota or Easy Street (no joke) and you’ll find sometimes eye-popping petite accesses there. One has some interesting trouble with erosion and metallic steps come and go every few years, occasionally dredged out by tides.

Lincoln Beach is next, a cozy suburban stretch set against coarser-than-usual sands. A handful of accesses lurk between homes here, and the place is especially engaging at night (see Lincoln Beach at night).

Hiding behind a clump of trees is Fishing Rock State Recreation Site, where things get truly interesting. It’s here where the area morphs from sandy to rocky ledges this central Oregon coast town is known for.

Fogarty Creek State Recreation Area is the final dab of sandy spot, and the grains here are weirdly harsh. They’re huge. Look for wild, mysterious structures in the winter, and in summer you may get access to a hidden section directly north. There’s also a stretch of the Oregon Coast Trail that starts here which for some reason has been neglected by the state, running along thick forest and leading you to a tiny viewpoint where you can see Boiler Bay’s boiler closer than you usually can.

From here, Boiler Bay’s gravel parking lot gives way to the more easily-wandered headland and state park, and then it’s just feet from entering Depoe Bay proper.

One attention-grabbing beach spot to keep an eye out for is a hidden place known as Depoe Bay Scenic View Area (or North Point), sitting behind the northern part of Depoe Bay. Look for Vista St. along the northern part of town, and this will lead you to an amazing span of puffy, bubble-like basalt cliffs where the ocean below crashes with enough power to sometimes make this area shake.

Oddly enough, there are two parks called Depoe Bay Scenic View Area. The other is found behind the chamber building and south about a block or two.

The streets of downtown and those just behind have their pleasant mini surprises, as well as the bay. Simply go exploring there a bit and you’ll see. A walkway beneath the bridge also yields some amazing views.

From the bridge southward, the tiny yet big-on-fun finds become too many to mention: the secret viewpoint below the Mazatlan Restaurant, South Point, Rocky Creek State Scenic Viewpoint and Rodea Point. Then there’s the jaw-dropping scenic fireworks of Otter Crest Loop Road.

In all seriousness, there’s way more than you could ever explore in one day around these soaring, rugged parts. See the Depoe Bay Virtual Tour to get a good preview then consider spending two, three days just dinging around Depoe. Hotels in Depoe Bay - Where to eat - Depoe Bay Maps and Virtual Tours

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