7 Bizarre Basalts of Oregon's North Coast: Lava Frozen in Time

Published 7/14/24 at 7:55 p.m.
By Andre' GW Hagestedt, Oregon Coast Beach Connection

(Oregon Coast) – Once upon a time, much of the northern half of this coastline was covered in lava. Rather, once upon numerous times: perhaps hundreds of these lava flows came over the proto-Oregon coastline from about 18 million years ago to around 14 million years. Back then, of course, just about all of this was under water and the shoreline was some 70 miles east of here (give or take a few dozen miles, depending on the epoch). (Above: Oceanside - all photos Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

All those gnarly rivers of fire came from a big hole in the Earth's crust at about where the Idaho border is now, and much of it came flowing down the top of what would one day be Oregon, thus being called the Columbia River Basalts. That frozen, cooled-off lava forms all the blackened rock you see in the Columbia Gorge, and then many of the landmarks here on the northern Oregon coast.

It's an ancient, freaky story – and a tad frightening. And it left behind scores of amazing, even bizarre structures along these beaches.

What about the south coast? That's a different story, an even more ancient one. Plus, there are no basalts down there. Here are a mere seven of examples of such basalt wonders, but far more are present in the virtual tour links found with each description. It's also where you'll find maps to these areas.

Oceanside's Star Trek Beach (Tunnel Beach)

This tiny village of Oceanside on the north Oregon coast is tucked away, practically out of site, but crammed with wonders. The most obvious is the tunnel going through Maxwell Point, where Tunnel Beach sits, sometimes called Star Trek Beach for the way parts of its surreal slabs resemble one episode or another of the famed series. A few caves lurk here, as do a host of starfish colonies. Hotels in Oceanside - Where to eat - Oceanside Maps and Virtual Tours

Cook's Chasm Near Yachats

Some natural steps also exist here (see the geologic article about this subject) at nearby places like Strawberry Hill and Neptune Beach. However, right at the boundary between Lincoln County and Lane County – a few miles south of Yachats – sits this jaw-dropping wonder. The spouting horn at Cook's Chasm fires water off into the air, created by the wave-compressing action of the basalt rock just beneath the surface. It makes a dramatic hissing noise as well.

Even more awe-inspiring is when the sunset hits it just right and the spouting wave gets gussied up in wild colors.

Here's a major twist, however: these basalts don't come from the Columbia Basalts. This is the story of Yachats' own volcano. Hotels in Yachats - Where to eat - Upper Lane County Maps and Virtual Tours

Noisy Secret Beneath Newport's Yaquina Head

Yaquina Head is a massive headland that forms all kinds of rocky things to play on, jutting at or making holes of sorts to play in.

Just below it is Cobble Beach, where the large, rounded rocks make funky noises when hit by the tides. Not to mention, the beach is a strange, large-grained black slope in spots. It's markedly different than the rest of the coastline. The color comes from all the black basalt around it, eroded into fine bits – but they're huge grains of sand by comparison and sizably ouchy to walk on. Hotels in Newport - Where to eat - Newport Maps and Virtual Tours

Steps at North Point

At the very northern tip of Depoe Bay, on the central Oregon coast, there lurks a kind of basement in the basalt with step-like structures leading down – all made by nature.

The spot is called North Point, found a ways behind Sunset Avenue (across from the gas station), and it's here that a hidden spot sits, fascinating in a wide variety of aspects. One of its most notable parts is a sort of sunken area in the basalt that feels a bit like a basement. Even more intriguing are the natural steps formed by this former lava flow.

Also of note: you can sometimes feel the waves rumble through the rocks at this place. It's full of amazing areas. Hotels in Depoe Bay - Where to eat - Depoe Bay Maps and Virtual Tours

Surreal Slabs Near Manzanita

It's a rather breathy hike to these spots at the southern tip of Oswald State Park, but some true surrealism in nature awaits you at the end of the path that begins from a small gravel parking lot near the big overlooks above Manzanita. [Manzanita Freaky Cliffs, Devil's Cauldron ]

One striking structure is a weird cove with a tube-like basalt structure at the top, called the Devil's Cauldron. It's like a hole in the cliffs that suddenly opens to the ocean floor a few hundred feet below. As if that weren't enough, you'll quickly spot two massive and freaky basalt features rising high above the ocean. The first is Cube Rock – partially seen from the highway – and the second is Pulpit Rock, lying just to the south of the viewpoint. Cube Rock is especially impressive, looking like a stone column carved by a race of giants. Hotels in Manzanita, Wheeler - Where to eat - Manzanita, Wheeler Maps and Virtual Tours

Silver Point Oddity at Cannon Beach

You'll have to walk a ways to get here: the closest path is a hard-to-find hidden access at the southern edge of Cannon Beach. But much is here to delight in, and luckily some of it can be seen from above.

One of the most engaging features at Silver Point – the beach just below the gravel overlook south of town – is where a large basalt blob sits. Given the right conditions, you see a chunk of the waves going sideways, rather than coming in. The rock here causes the waves to bounce back, then darting from north to south, looking a little like a strange creature rushing back and forth just under the water. Hotels in Cannon Beach - Where to eat - Cannon Beach Maps and Virtual Tours

Tillamook Rock Lighthouse Near Seaside and Cannon Beach

Over a mile out to sea sits one of the strangest and most striking features of the Oregon coast: the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse. Constructed in the mid 1800s, it was decommissioned in the 1950s, and since has become a lonely sentinel out at sea. See What is Tillamook Head Geologically? Deep Inside N. Oregon Coast Headland at Cannon Beach. While you cannot visit it, the history of the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse is remarkable. Seaside Virtual Tour, Map. - Hotels in Cannon Beach - Where to eat - Cannon Beach Maps and Virtual Tours

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