Some of the Most Riveting Oregon Coast Views Are Hardest to Find

Published 05/23/22 at 6:35 PM PST
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Oregon Coast) – Sometimes, the best Oregon coast views are the most difficult to find. They hide behind something else, they're off the beaten track, or they're hidden by sheer distance and occasionally even cloistered by time itself, like some sci-fi movie. (Anderson's Viewpoint near Oceanside - Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

Here's four examples of outstanding viewpoints along the beaches that you may not know.

Top of Humbug Mountain, Port Orford. Starting with the southern Oregon coast, the top of Humbug Mountain sits at the highest point above anything that's right up against the beaches in the region, clocking in at over 1700 feet high.

Humbug Mountain, courtesy Manuela Durson - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts

Up here, you're surrounded by striking flowers and other colorful plants that give it a look like Hawaii, and thus the place is a bit reminiscent of the show LOST. One of the main viewpoints looking down lets you see a vast expanse of beach below. From other viewpoints you can clearly see Port Orford itself.

It all takes a bit of work to get here, however: it's 5.5 miles of a round-trip on foot. - South Coast Hotels -

Above Hug Point. This one will remain secret, but it's worth it if you can find it. Here, you've got a bird's eye view of this multi-faceted beach near Cannon Beach from a bluff to the south of the park. From above, you can see the old road that was blasted out of the rock over a century ago, from an unusual angle that lets you see the layout of the state park.

In the distance, you can see all the sea stacks at Cannon Beach and south of it, creating a striking scene where they all sort of line up. It takes a bit to pinpoint Haystack Rock and its Needles, but they're there.

This hidden spot above the park also includes wild views of the north Oregon coast straight out to sea and southward, looking at Arch Cape. Hotels in Cannon Beach - Where to eat - Cannon Beach Maps and Virtual Tours

Cape Lookout State Park from Anderson's Viewpoint. It's not a well-known viewpoint near Oceanside, but it's a standard for hang gliders. It's called Anderson's Viewpoint and it's just a ways south of the Cape Lookout State Park entrance. From here, that long, elegant beach stretches out before you and the Netarts Spit drifts off behind it.

There's a lot that's fantastic here, including a spot elevated enough to catch sight of lots of whales if they're in the area. It's also a non-stop eye-popper if you're looking to watch some stars or meteors on the Oregon coast on a clear night. Hotels in Oceanside - Where to eat - Oceanside Maps and Virtual Tours

Devil's Punchbowl Suddenly Opens. It's a bit of a rarity (although it can be fairly open on and off for weeks during the summer), but finding the Devil's Punchbowl near Depoe Bay at a low enough tide to be open for exploration is a bit mind-blowing.

The thing is, usually it's not a low tide that allows this: it's really high sand levels. A lot of times, summer sand levels rise so high they keep the tides at bay, acting like a faux low tide situation. It doesn't mean this is any less dangerous, however. These tides can come back in on a dime, so don't spend long inside here.

That being said, it's one of the more unforgettable experiences you can have. Here, you can wander over the wave-polished boulders and examine the walls scoured and torn by the tide, and the weird colors that have been uncovered over centuries. Hotels in Depoe Bay - Where to eat - Depoe Bay Maps and Virtual Tours

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