This botanical garden has become a traditional stop while traveling along highway 101. It's a…read moreperfect place to get out and stretch your legs or use the facilities. The walk to the Cobra Lilies, aka Pitcher Plants isn't long at all, maybe a quarter mile round trip. It's a beautiful walk through trees to a boardwalk through the Darlingtonia garden. We've never been when they're in bloom, but they are definitely something interesting to see any time of year. I would highly recommend!

If you are headed to Honeyman or Heceta, this reserve is just one minute off the side of Highway…read more101 between those two parks. Darlingtonia is the only Oregon State Park dedicated to protecting one single species: the Darlingtonia. The only plant in this species is the Cobra Lily, which is the only pitcher plant native to Oregon. (In other words, this state park exists to protect the cobra lilies that grow here.) The reserve is small, but definitely worth checking out. A short accessible boardwalk crosses a bog filled with several hundred, if not a few thousand, cobra lilies. The 'pitcher' part of the plant, which is the part that resembles a cobra, is visible year round. In spring, it puts up yellow and purple flowers. Many of these flowers dry in place, and are still somewhat visible in winter. Even without the flowers in bloom, the pitchers themselves are neat and pretty to look at. There is no fee to visit Darlingtonia. The small parking area only has room for about ten cars or so, but it takes less than fifteen minutes to walk through.

This place has it all! Dunes for OHV riding, Snowy Plovers nesting, what feels like endless wild…read moreand empty beach and clean bathrooms. Beach combing is great here too. A couple of campgrounds. Managed by the US Forest Service.

I've never seen so many starfish in one place - from bright orange ones to giant, dark purple…read moreones!! In one particular spot where the tide rushes in between two rock walls, I lost count at 12 all in a row!! And tons and tons of anemones too! The tide pools here are just incredible!! Bob Creek Wayside is one of four little beach pull offs inside the Neptune State Scenic Area along the 101 in Oregon's central coast. The beach is very small at low tide, and to get to it you have to navigate a large field full of small-to-large pebbles/rocks and large pieces of driftwood. At high tide I'm sure the beach disappears. But low tide is the best time here anyway bc the tide pools are what you want to see! Once you get past the rock field, off to the right you'll find Bob Creek rushing fast down from the cliffs and into the ocean. There are some tide pools around here but they're small and very slippery so be careful! And to the left you'll find a small waterfall flowing into another small creek leading to a maze of rock walls where you'll find the countless starfish and tide pools full of anemones, snails, and tons of other creatures. It's very rocky and can be slippery. And even at low tide, small waves are coming in and out - so I highly recommend decent, sturdy water shoes and roll your pant legs up if you want to find all the starfish. I got wet up to my knees at one point. At this pull off, there's a small to medium sized paved parking lot and information signs. There are a few picnic tables and benches. There are no bathrooms here - but lots of bathrooms very nearby at all the other stops and pull offs. The parking lot is handicap accessible- but not the beach or tide pools. The picnic tables and benches are in the grass just next to the parking lot.

I read online that Bob Creek was a great place to do some tide pooling, so my husband, son, and I…read morevisited last week. The hike down to the beach is short and easy. We were there a few hours before low tide, but there was still great tide pool viewing. We saw several anemones, a few orange starfish, a red rock crab, hermit crabs, and snails. Most of the rocks were dry and not slippery, but we were very cautious and did not go near the edge. The right side of the beach is where Bob Creek runs down onto the shore. There were several other people there viewing the wildlife, but there was plenty of parking. While we were there, we saw a sea lion come onto the shore. Unfortunately, he was skinny, and his ribs were visible. I reported seeing him to the wildlife rescue, I hope that they were able to help him. Rating from F to A+++, I give it an A+++.

What a great little village to stroll around. So many charming shops and lots to see…read more Even a character lowrider.

This park is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it space on Bay Street located between Kitchen Klutter and…read moreMilk & Cookies. I was walking and almost didn't see it, because it's tiny and there are some bushes that shield the gazebo and benches from view. It's a great place to take a moment to rest whilst wandering Bay Street, and in some instances it can allow for a nice bit of solitude. When I was there in December, there was almost no one else around, but it wasn't raining nor was it too cold that I skipped taking a few minutes at this secluded park for myself. If you walk past the gazebo, there's a deck overlooking the Siuslaw river, where at times you might see some of the various animals (birds, otters, etc.) that call the river home. Though I tried, I did not see any otters playing in the water (I'm not sure what their season is). This park is located on what was once the ferry landing, prior to the construction of the Siuslaw River Bridge. I think it's cool that they preserved this area as a park. There is a cool water fountain just outside the park that has three levels for drinking, which is clever and makes it easy for the little ones to have a sip! There's a plaque right by the fountain pointing out that the Oregon Dune Mushers' Mail Run went through here. (As an aside, this is a quirky race that once took place, in part to commemorate a time when the beaches were used as highways--in fact, the beach area between low- and high-tide marks is part of the Oregon highway system.) You can rent the place for various gatherings; special use permits are free, but a permit is required, and the deadline for submission varies based upon the number of attendees so plan accordingly.

Awesome place to park, have something to eat and watch the gorgeous view!…read more There are plenty of benches throughout this recreation area to sit and relax. Restrooms with flushing toilets available. No fee to use this 'day use only' recreation area. Plenty of parking with views throughout. Nice walking trail along the parking rim. Also stairs leading down to tide pools. A decent sized viewing platform to get overall view of ocean, beach and tide pools. Highly recommend!

Lovely local gem of a park - right on the edge of town in adorable Yachats. The park sits where the…read moreYachats River comes in from the ocean so it's a tidal area and changes greatly depending on the time of day. The views and wildlife are always great here. You'll find the trailhead for the awesome coastal 804 trail. This area is great for tide pooling (at low tide) and whale watching - and sunsets too! Fishing is allowed here within certain guidelines to protect local fish populations. They have a well maintained viewing platform with interesting info signs all around. You'll find lots of driftwood and fascinating natural rock formations created from the crashing waves like natural bridges and chasms- and even wildflowers in spring. They have lots of picnic tables and some restrooms. The parking lot is huge and wasn't crowded at peak season when I visited. It's close to all the shops and restaurants in Yachats - so easy to find and free to park/visit. Definitely a great stop if you're visiting the area.

I never heard of this cave until a friend wanted to visit. I thought it would be fun to see seal…read morelions in a cave since I have been in other caves to see unusual things. For people with mobility issues, it's best to stay in the gift shop area - when you exisit the elevators, there are steps, dark lighting, no seating and slippery walkways. There is an outside walkway but don't know how far it will take you. Handicap parking is limited but walkable in a paved parking lot. There is only one viewing area inside the cave to see the sea lions. It's blocked by a wire screen. You can see sea lions sitting on rocks while the waves come in and out of its opening. Inside the cave, there are panels with explanations of how the cave was built, what is a cave, etc. It has some interesting facts. Being from San Francisco, our Pier 39 is known for its seal lions - open waters vs. a cave. I expected to see much more of the sea lions. I do appreciate the hard work in building this cave for an attraction. It's a good stop if you are in the area - great ocean views. Admission is reasonable - no fee to enter the huge assortment of merchandise in the gift shop.

Driving the Hwy 101 in Oregon you will come across Sea Lion Caves. Stop in and check it out. There…read moreis an affordable entry fee. You have to take a walk to the elevator down then once you get down you take a short walk to the viewing area. There were about 30-40 Sea Lions when I visited. Really cool to see them just lounging. Nice gift shop.

What a pleasant surprise…read more As we were making our way down the Oregon Coast, we decided to stop here because it was extremely foggy. Foggy mornings equal great morning walks for me. What we didn't realize was that there was a large campground tucked behind the dunes, because in the dense fog, we couldn't see much of anything. We ended up walking the very secluded beach for several hours until the fog began to lift. The beach is open to everyone, even if you're not camping, and it stretches for miles in both directions with soft sand the entire way. Sometimes those random, unplanned stops end up being the best discoveries. If I ever decide to camp, this is absolutely a place I'd look into. The campground is literally right on the water. And if you're just exploring the beach, there's plenty of free parking all around and no admission fees required.

Only reason why I'm giving this cam site a 4 star is because you are literally next to a highway…read moreand the car noise is HORRIBLE. Anytime of day! Other than that the place is great. Clean bathrooms and showers, paved road for kids bikes and scooters! Super easy access to the beach

This place is beautiful and peaceful. Our cabin was clean and fully stocked on kitchen equipment,…read moreincluding wine glasses! The bed and bedding were like a cloud of happiness! I honestly never wanted to leave. The ONLY reason I'm not giving 5 stars is because of the phone service. I tried calling several times to ask some questions before booking. I even left a message and got no call back. The booking company was able to answer some things though. But when I tried calling from the kitchen of the cabin to ask about dishwasher detergent, I couldn't get an answer then either. I would definitely return!!

My partner and i rented Cabin #9 with our puppy and oh my goodness what a treat! All the…read morenecessities were provided and we were able to make a great home cooked meal with a view of the lake. We ended the evening in the hot tub and had a great nights sleep. Every person (and other dogs) we met were very sweet and down to earth! 10/10 would recommend!