Depoe Bay

Easy

2.5-mile loop

No elevation gain

Depoe Bay may not be the world’s smallest harbor, as the signs on Highway 101 suggest, but this lava-lined bay is astonishingly cute, hidden behind shops full of saltwater taffy and seashell kitsch.  Parking can be hectic along Highway 101 in Depoe Bay’s downtown.  Avoid the hassle by parking at a city park with a boat launch and a little-known trailhead.

When Lincoln County was an Indian reservation in the late 1800s, one native man spent so much time hanging around the railroad station in Toledo that soldiers there nicknamed him Depot Charley.  A later attempt at decorum upgraded the moniker to Charles DePoe.  Today, only small craft with daring captains dock in the treacherous bay of Charley’s home.  Every Memorial Day, boats parade through the channel in a “Fleet of Flowers” honoring sailors who died here.

To start the loop hike . . .

Other Options

Round out your day with a stop at Boiler Bay or Fogarty Beach . . .

This chapter is an excerpt from 100 Hikes : Oregon Coast