Cape Perpetua
Cape Stone shelter atop Perpetua
- Easy (to tidepools and Devils Churn)
- 1.8-mile loop
- 100 feet elevation gain
- Easy (to Giant Spruce)
- 2 miles round trip
- 100 feet elevation gain
- Moderate (to viewpoint at shelter)
- 3 miles round trip
- 700 feet elevation gain
Most tourists at Cape Perpetua merely pause at the parking pullouts and drive on. They’re missing a lot. Trails fan out from the visitor center toward old-growth forests, tidepools, and viewpoints you’ll never see from a car window. The three easy hikes described here are short enough that a sturdy hiker can cover them all in an afternoon. If you don’t already have a parking pass, expect a $5-per-car fee.
English explorer Captain Cook named the cape in 1778 while sailing into the teeth of a storm. Irritably, he noted in his journal that the same cape had loomed before him for five days straight. It was March 11, the holy day of St. Perpetua, and the faith-tested martyr’s name apparently struck a chord.
View of Cape Perpetua from the stone shelter
Cooks Chasm
Start by driving Highway 101 south …
For the next easiest hike from …
For the most difficult and most rewarding of the three short hikes described here, follow the …
This chapter taken from the book 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Oregon Coast & Coast Range.