Five Astounding Parts of Depoe Bay to Get Away from Crowds, Central Oregon Coast

Updated Periodically
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Depoe Bay, Oregon) – Depoe Bay, on the central Oregon coast, is an engaging mix of paradoxes. It’s crammed full of traffic and travelers buzzing through, and its main downtown area can be packed beyond sardine conditions. Yet many of its natural attractions lie tucked away just out of sight, and are often bereft of other human beings and feel quite isolated – yet they’re largely in full view. It’s busy but it’s not; it’s well known but much of it isn’t. (Above: Otter Crest Loop Road).

Depoe Bay is tiny but there’s so much to it you could never explore it all in a day. Here’s five experiences awaiting you that you had no clue about.

South Point. Hidden spots are a dime a dozen on the Oregon coast, and often it’s a matter of perspective. This one, lying at the end of South Point Street just south of Depoe Bay, really has a clandestine element to it. It doesn’t hurt that Google Maps erroneously displays it with a name involving “viewpoint” and “Cliff Street.” You can’t get there via Cliff Street.

Gobs of green sea goo cover the magnificent blackened rock cliffs, which makes it somewhat dangerous to tread on. It’s easy to slip on those patches and maybe even tumble into the surf.

It’s that surf, by the way, that’s the big attraction: always rolling and rollicking in dramatic fashion. See the Depoe Bay Virtual Tour for full info.

Rodea Point. A constant rush of waves and oceanic drama is the standard at this rather secretive little spot just south of Depoe Bay. It’s hiding in plain sight, actually: a simple gravel pullout with almost no signage declaring it an official viewpoint, and thus it sits quite underutilized. Yet this place is where you’ll find the most wild wave action in just about any condition, no matter the weather or tidal mood. Except in the calmest of tides, this place batters the black basalts in a stunning manner.

When there are even slight stormy conditions, Rodea Point can go absolutely nuts. Don’t be surprised to see waves firing 30 feet into the air, then slamming back down on the rocks with a mighty slap. See the Depoe Bay Virtual Tour for full info.

Depoe Bay Scenic View Park. This may indeed be the smallest park on the entirety of the Oregon coast, clocking in around 20 feet by 20 feet. Park near the Depoe Bay Chamber and then walk yourself down the block, behind the chamber building to the ocean. You’ll first encounter another unnamed little viewpoint that’s simply a bench – but that’s a bonus. You’re on Coast Avenue now – keep walking south about two blocks. You’ll soon see the little sign leading you down a brief path trail to this understated yet stunning opening in the brush.

It’s tiny but it’s gorgeous. See the Depoe Bay Virtual Tour for full info.

Inside the Bay – Down Shell St. A little bit after the southern edge of the bridge, look for Shell St. on the east side of Highway 101. There, take the road down to the bay itself: a host of docks, catch-cutting facilities, fascinating boats, and that lapping water. It’s peaceful and calming, especially at night. After dark, the entire tiny Oregon coast bay has a glow to it. If the stars are out, it’s twice as engaging. See the Depoe Bay Virtual Tour for full info.

Otter Crest Loop Road. Sometimes one area of the Oregon coast is so compacted full of fun you won’t know where to start. Such is almost the case with Otter Crest Loop Road, which is a wild scenic spot hidden in full sight. With so many jaw-dropping aspects that it’s impossible to know what to do, luckily you have only one place you can begin exploration.

It’s about two miles of road, winding along sheer, dramatic cliffs and a bevy of clandestine spots in a mostly single lane-only stretch. So you can only start at the northern end, where Highway 101 suddenly forks off to the aforementioned Rodea Point. From there, there's a little run of two lanes until it suddenly becomes just one (the product of numerous landslides over the decades that finally lopped off the western half of the street in the early 2000s).

Along the way you’ll encounter the engaging Ben Jones Bridge and its viewpoint, a host of blob-like forested hills with massive vistas of ocean in between, and even a primitive trail or two tucked away out of sight from everyone else, which lead to even more thrilling glimpses of the sea. See the Depoe Bay Virtual Tour for full info.

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

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