Tuesday, May 3, 2016

The lure of the sea: Where to find churning waves on the Oregon Coast

Churning seas at sunset
There is something exciting about crashing waves and churning seas. On the Oregon Coast you can get up close and personal with waves hitting the rocks and spraying water into the air. There are special places where you can see churning seas as the water meets the land.

Yachats Trail 804
Yachats, Oregon is located on the middle coast of Oregon. It is a popular destination for hiking, walking and whale watching. Just behind some beach cottages and sea view hotels, you'll find the often walked historic 804 Trail. There are several places along this trail where you can enjoy watching the seas and sea spray. One is behind The Fireside Motel.

Devil's Churn
This area is located at the Cape Perpetua Scenic area just south of Yachats. The pounding, exploding waters of Devils Churn are at their best during high tide and winter storms. At the Devils Churn you’ll find restrooms, an information station (summer only), coffee shop and wheelchair accessible viewpoint. You can view the churning waters from the highway or hike down and take a closer look.
As you watch the sun set, a golden glow tints the churning seas.

Safety Measures
Near the lookouts and rocks you'll often sea signs warning of "Sneaker Waves."  Sneaker waves can surprise you as you watch the ocean. They are unexpected wave surges that don't match the rhythm of the seas you are watching. They are known to sweep people into the water from rocks where they thought they were safe. Another time to stay way back from the sea is during storms. Waves can build and winds can cause the waters to churn and spray much farther inland than normal.


No comments:

Post a Comment