Devil's Churn Almost Dry? What's Happening to the Oregon Coast Landmark

Published 08/24/2026 at 8:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Yachats, Oregon) – So, is the Devil's Churn near Yachats drying up? (Photos Jamie Bourbon)

Low tides don't explain this - they do not create this kind of look at the Churn.

Something is amiss at the central Oregon coast landmark. As in, the water seems to be missing. The ocean is usually a crazed constant chaos here, with the 36-million-year-old rock here compressing wave action into some wild action. It's high enough to toss logs all the way to the back of the thing. Even in calmer conditions, this one is not safe to bounce around.

Now?

Central Oregon coast resident Jamie Bourbon caught this irregular and unusual moment: the Churn is not so Churn-y. Not so devilish, either. It seems to be drained.

She snapped this late last week, showing the water timidly lapping at the outer edges of the basalt chasm, and not roaring inward and all bonkers as usual.

“I was pleasantly surprised to see dry sand there,” she told Oregon Coast Beach Connection.

The Churn's usual look (Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

So, who pulled the plug?

Well, not so fast. Summer's high sand levels do some kooky things. Sands build up and suddenly one beach that's normally pretty small is extended outward, sometimes by hundreds of feet.

In winter, all that wave action scours out sand. That's when you get cool stuff like ancient ghost forests showing up or hidden shipwrecks.

Photo Bourbon

Summer's calm waves allow sand to pile up, and the result is a higher berm – the sandy section of beach between the vegetation line and the tide line. If sand piles up high enough, it begins to form a kind of sand bar that grows outward until it literally pushes the tide much farther out than usual, giving that area an effect like a constant state of extreme low tide event.

Some spots get more affected than others. Devil's Churn is one that is notoriously steadfast in its chaos factor: it stays rather filled up in summer. This current state of the tides being far out there is fairly unusual.

See more Cool to Kooky Things That Sand Levels Can Do to Oregon Coast in Summer -

Part of this was low tide, plain and simple. But low tide normally just calms down the Churn, not empties it.

Bourbon caught something maybe even a bit historic. It's fairly rare.

A cropped version of Bourbon's photo shows a dry back end of the Churn.

Other areas on the Oregon coast and Washington coast will be quite extended now as well, though maybe not so wildly so as the Devil's Churn.

During summer, Oceanside can be so wide you don't need the tunnel. Arch Cape may let you walk around the big sea stacks to the other side. A lot of rocky shelves with sands normally covered up by waves around Yachats can suddenly be fairly wide open. Bandon can be super accessible around those rocky spires. And beaches like Manzanita – already quite wide - can extended by hundreds of feet.

Always know the tide tables (links to individual areas at the Oregon Coast Weather page).

Some areas are wide open enough to explore for a bit. Hopping down into the Churn when it's like this is not going to be safe under any circumstances.

Oregon Coast Hotels for this event - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours

 

Oregon Coast Warm 'n Fuzzies: Manzanita's Ocean Inn Launches Winter Deals
20 Oct 2026 at 9:22pm
Nifty special to get your bones warmed on those chilly to windy winter beach days. Ocean Inn, Manzanita hotel specials, Manzania reviews

5 Astounding Balcony Views on Oregon Coast
Exceptional views and finds around Cannon Beach, Lincoln City, Newport. Cannon Beach hotel reviews, Manzanita hotel reviews, Lincoln City hotels, Newport hotel reviews. Tolovana Inn, Shearwater Inn, Inn at Nye Beach, Keystone Vacation Rentals

The Seashore Inn, Seaside
14 Jun 2026 at 4:12am
Specials vary: click to see. Seaside, Oregon hotel reviews. Best rooms for Tillamook Head hiking

What's Old Is New Again: N. Oregon Coast's Tolovana Inn Redecorates, Winter B...
New decor at the hotel hotspot, winter brings drama below. Cannon Beach hotel reviews

More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....

Washington Coast / Oregon Coast Articles (stories are random: hit reload to see different articles)

Waves Up To 28 Feet Sunday: Various Surf, Wind Alerts Oregon and Washington Coast
6 Nov 2026 at 10:57pm
This bodes well for places like Shore Acres or Cape Disappointment. Weather. La Push, Raymond, Ocean Shores, Westport, Long Beach, Astoria, Seaside, Cannon Beach, Manzanita, Nehalem, Wheeler, Rockaway, Garibaldi, Tillamook, Oceanside, Pacific City, Lincoln City, Depoe Bay, Newport, Waldport, Yachats, Florence, Reedsport, Winchester Bay, Coos Bay, Bandon, Gold Beach, Brookings

South Oregon Coast: Elk River, 1 Mile from Paradise Point and a Handful
6 Oct 2026 at 5:49pm
Near Port Orford, Cape Blanco, Sixes, Tseriadun and Garrison Lake

Integral to Oregon Coast's Art Scene, Cannon Beach Arts Association & Gallery Celebrates 40 Years
1 Nov 2026 at 8:37pm
Three-day series of events Nov. 12-14. Cannon Beach events

Newport Seafood 'n Wine Tix Just Went On Sale: Oregon Coast Gets Yummy
8 Oct 2026 at 9:37am
50th year when it returns February 25 ? 28. Newport events

Best Rooms for Ocean Views in Cannon Beach
7 Oct 2026 at 9:15am
Right in the Tolovana area, and a quick drive to Ecola State Park. Cannon Beach reviews

Artemis II Moon Pioneer Christina Koch Moves to Management
14 Oct 2026 at 2:56am
She concludes more than 35 years with NASA on Oct. 21. Astronomy

Lincoln City's NW 15th St. Ramp, Oregon Coast Access #44: To Drive or Not to Drive
29 Oct 2026 at 9:21pm
Rules about driving on the beach; odd science of the access. D River access, Roads End. Part of the Lincoln City, Oregon Coast Virtual Tour, Inland 101, Neskowin

Finding the Fine Feathered Friends: Birds Right Now on Oregon Coast
6 Oct 2026 at 5:49pm
For fall: herons, egrets, bald eagles, jaegers, petrels, many others. Marine sciences, south Oregon coast, Bandon, Seaside, Warrenton

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection
All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright © Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted