Monday, June 28, 2010

Spouting off

There are a number of spouting horns along the Oregon coast, but this one a few miles south of Waldport is among the best. There's a pullout right on Hwy. 101 and a short trail that leads down to the rocks. This view is from the top of the cape looking south. The best displays are during high tide, so time your visit accordingly. Here's the link to a tide table for Alsea Bay.

While you're visiting the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, consider taking one of several trails that snake along rocky cliffs and sandy beaches, or ascend into old-growth cedar and spruce forests. The trail through Cummins Creek Wilderness is especially serene. Watch for the spotted owls and marbled murrelets that nest here. There are traces of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp that existed near what is now the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center and that was then an utterly remote stretch of coastline. Among the projects completed by the CCC was the stone shelter from which this photo was taken--the highest precipice along the entire Oregon coast.