Yachats · Siuslaw National Forest · Coastal headland and tide-pool shoreline
Cape Perpetua Scenic Area
Surf channels at Devil’s Churn and Thor’s Well, and an 800-foot overlook with about 70 miles of coastline in view, just south of Yachats.
Opens the Forest Service’s Cape Perpetua Visitor Center page with the $5 day-use fee, accepted passes and current hours.
Details checked October 2026
Type
National forest scenic area
About 2,700 acres of rainforest, headland and rocky shore
Admission
$5 per vehicle per day
Northwest Forest Pass and interagency passes accepted
Hours
Visitor center Tue–Sun 10–4 (winter) · Trails dawn–dusk
Center open daily in summer; closed federal holidays and in severe weather
Time needed
1 hour or more
A Tripadvisor reviewer’s estimate; no official figure
Parking
Day-use lots
Pay at the visitor center, by card machine or online
Overlook height
800 ft
Highest viewpoint you can drive to on the Oregon Coast
What you’ll see
Where the Pacific hits volcanic rock
Cape Perpetua packs surf-carved rock, an 800-foot overlook and old spruce forest into a few miles of US-101.
Photo: Joe Mabel on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Start here
Walk the Trail of Restless Waters
From the Devil’s Churn day-use area, a paved loop leads down to the churn, a narrow channel where incoming waves slam into the volcanic terraces. The Forest Service calls it a wild place to watch winter surf explode onto the rock. Keep well back from the edge: each wave hits differently, and the spray can soak you without warning.
RV tip: Unhitch at camp and come in the tow vehicle. If the visitor center is closed when you arrive, the automated fee machine at Devil’s Churn takes cards only, so have one handy for the $5 day pass.
More to see
- Spouting Horn at Cook’s ChasmFrom the Captain Cook Trail below the visitor center, watch Spouting Horn shoot spray out of the rock. The Forest Service notes it performs at high tide, so check a tide table before you go.
- Thor’s WellThis sinkhole in the rock shelf near Cook’s Chasm fills and drains with each surge, earning it the nickname “drainpipe of the Pacific.” Use real caution on the rocks at high tide.
- The overlook and West ShelterDrive the winding road to the top of the headland, about 800 feet up. The stone West Shelter was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933 and served briefly as a World War II Coast Guard lookout.
- Visitor center and spruce trailsThe visitor center has a small museum and an accessible ocean-view deck. From there, the Giant Spruce Trail runs about 2 miles to a Sitka spruce estimated at roughly 500 years old.
Why go
Why Cape Perpetua earns a stop on 101
Cape Perpetua is a 2,700-acre scenic area in the Siuslaw National Forest, set aside for its temperate rainforest and rugged shore. The Alsea people called the area Halaqaik. In the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps built its trails, campground and the stone West Shelter. Today a 26-mile trail network links the forest, the headland and the tide-pool shoreline.
Everything sits right on US-101, about 2 miles south of Yachats and 11 miles south of Waldport. The visitor center and Devil’s Churn lots are just off the highway, so a car or tow vehicle can hop between them quickly. The overlook is a separate climb on Forest Roads 55 and 5553, a narrow, winding drive to the top.
Winter storms make the surf at Devil’s Churn most dramatic, and Spouting Horn works best at high tide. Spring and fall bring migrating gray whales past the headland. Clear days are worth saving for the overlook, when you can see up to about 37 miles out to sea.
Photo: John Fowler on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Why it made our list
- Highest drive-up viewpoint on the Oregon Coast
- Devil’s Churn, Thor’s Well and Spouting Horn close together
- One $5 day pass covers the scenic area’s fee sites
- Northwest Forest and interagency passes accepted
- Whale watching in spring and fall migrations
For RVers
Taking the rig to Cape Perpetua
The practical stuff we wished someone had told us before we pulled in.
Bring the tow vehicle
The Forest Service does not post lot sizes or a vehicle length limit for the visitor center, Devil’s Churn or the overlook. The overlook road is described as a winding, wooded drive, and reviewers call it narrow, steep and windy. We could not confirm a posted trailer rule, so leave trailers and big rigs at camp and drive up in a car.
Paying the $5 day-use fee
The fee is $5 per vehicle per day. Buy a pass at the visitor center during business hours, online at Recreation.gov, or at the automated machines at Devil’s Churn and the overlook. The overlook machine takes credit or debit cards only. A Northwest Forest Pass, Oregon Pacific Coast Passport or interagency annual pass covers it.
Dogs on short leashes
Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet, or otherwise under physical control, within developed recreation sites. Keep them well back from the churn and the rock shelf around Thor’s Well, where waves break unpredictably. Horses and pack animals are not allowed at the visitor center or overlook.
Time it with the tide
Spouting Horn performs at high tide, and Thor’s Well and Devil’s Churn are most active as the tide comes in. Check a tide table before you leave camp. The visitor center opens 10 am to 4 pm, Tuesday through Sunday in winter, and the trails and viewpoints are day-use only.
What visitors say about Cape Perpetua Scenic Area
The visitor report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked October 29, 2026.
a lush and diverse temperate rainforest
USDA Forest Service, describing Cape Perpetua Scenic Area · fs.usda.gov
What visitors often mention
Recurring themes in Tripadvisor’s review mentions
Devil’s ChurnSpouting HornCrashing waves
Themes are from the popular mentions Tripadvisor shows for Cape Perpetua Scenic Area (visitor center, Spouting Horn, Devil’s Churn, high tide, crashing waves); Tripadvisor does not show counts for them.
How far it reaches
Coastline, sea view and trail-system miles come from the Forest Service scenic area page; the Giant Spruce Trail length comes from Travel Oregon.
Good to know
Day-use fee$5 per vehicle per day
Passes acceptedNW Forest, Coast Passport, interagency
Where to payCenter, card machine or online
Visitor centerNo separate admission closed federal holidays
Fees, passes and hours come from the Siuslaw National Forest’s Cape Perpetua Visitor Center and Overlook Day Use pages, checked October 29, 2026.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
Cape Perpetua Scenic Area
- Address2400 US-101, Yachats, OR 97498
- HoursVisitor center Tue–Sun 10–4 (winter) · Trails dawn–dusk
Center open daily in summer; closed federal holidays and in severe weather - Phone(541) 547-3289
- Fees$5 per vehicle per day; buy at the visitor center, on-site card machines, or Recreation.gov
- Getting thereTake US-101 about 2 miles south of Yachats (11 miles south of Waldport). For the overlook, turn east onto Forest Road 55, then north on Forest Road 5553 to the top.
- ParkingSeparate day-use lots at the visitor center, Devil’s Churn and the overlook. No lot sizes are posted, so plan on bringing a car rather than the rig.
Check the Forest Service page for closures and a tide table before you go; Spouting Horn needs a high tide.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near Cape Perpetua Scenic Area
These are the Central Coast parks we have written up. Darlings, south of Florence, is closest; all three are on or just off US-101.
Darlings Marina & RV Resort
Lakefront sites on Siltcoos Lake south of Florence, with a marina, boat rentals and a smokehouse.
Sea & Sand RV Park
Terraced oceanfront full-hookup sites on a bluff above the beach near Depoe Bay.
Winchester Bay RV Resort
County-owned marina resort at Salmon Harbor with 167 full-hookup sites and bay views.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.
Visitor center Tue–Sun 10 am–4 pm (winter)
Ready to watch the churn?
Check the tide, grab a $5 day pass or bring your forest pass, and drive the tow vehicle down from Yachats.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and this video. Please support them by giving their work a look. Photos: Joe Mabel (the cape; CC BY-SA 4.0), Joe Mabel (Thor’s Well emptying; CC BY-SA 4.0), Tony Webster (coast view; CC BY 2.0), Little Mountain 5 (stone shelter; CC BY-SA 4.0), Little Mountain 5 (view from the top; CC BY-SA 4.0) and John Fowler (Thor’s Well; CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons; the images were resized. Video: Matt.Cook.Oregon on YouTube (Thor’s Well). Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the places we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with Cape Perpetua Scenic Area unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including published materials from the USDA Forest Service, Siuslaw National Forest and other publicly available sources. Hours, pricing, rules and other details may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm all details directly at fs.usda.gov or (541) 547-3289. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
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