Adventures with Holly & Bryan

“We’ll just have to come back,” I said.

Bryan nodded. We watched, mesmerized, as the sun ball fell at last behind the ocean horizon. It cast the high bluffs of Cape Perpetua in a final golden glow.

Then all was dark, and we had to hike back down the headland in the thin light from our cell phone flashlights. But that was fine. We were still filled with the warmth of that incredible sunset.

We were on a week-long road trip down the Oregon coast that day. About midway down the coast, we’d gotten…sidetracked in a way, here around the town of Florence, Oregon. Here there were beautiful things like ocean sunsets and misty forests filled with enormous old-growth spruce trees. There were also downright weird things—a bog filled with giant carnivorous plants, a park named for a dead whale that actually exploded fifty years ago…and what appeared to be a sinkhole in the ocean that continually filled and emptied with each incoming and receding wave.

Needless to say, we did go back and explore more of this weird and wonderful place. In today’s post, I’ll share what we found in this set of 10 best things to do in Florence, Oregon.

1. Sea Lion Caves

Right on the side of Highway 101, 15 minutes’ drive north of Florence, a strangely circus-like plastic sign materializes: Sea Lion Caves.

“I don’t know,” said Bryan as we pulled into the parking lot. “It looks cheesy.”

That’s true, but don’t let the sign turn you away from the Sea Lion Caves. This is a special natural wonder and easily one of the top things to do near Florence.

A caveat is that you need to go to the Sea Lion Caves in the winter. If you do, the cave will be filled with the raucous calls of hundreds of sea lions flopping about on the rocks. In other months, the sea lions are out to sea or on the cliffs outside the cave, and you’re not likely to see them.

For more details to plan your trip to the Sea Lion Caves, see our Sea Lion Caves blog post or our video below.

2. Heceta Head Lighthouse

If you walk to the back of the exhibit area in the Sea Lion Caves, you’ll find an opening in the cave wall where you can catch a view of the Heceta Head Lighthouse in the distance.

I’d also recommend driving three minutes down the road from the Sea Lion Caves to see the Heceta Head Lighthouse up close. A short trail takes you right up to the lighthouse and the historic lighthouse keeper’s house.

If you’re feeling like a splurge, the lighthouse keeper’s house is actually a bed & breakfast now, so you can stay right there at the lighthouse cottage. Since it’s hundreds of dollars per night, we opted to instead walk around the grounds and picture what it must have been like for the lighthouse keepers and their families to live in this strikingly beautiful and isolated place.

3. Thor’s Well and the Spouting Horn

30 minutes north of Florence is another weird and wonderful natural roadside attraction: Thor’s Well and the Spouting Horn. From a Highway 101 pullout, a very short path winds down the hillside to an overlook.

The Spouting Horn will likely catch your eye first. As waves crash against the rocky coast, some of them funnel through a hole in a cracked sea cave, forming what looks like a geyser in the ocean.

To your right as you watch the Spouting Horn, the even more intriguing Thor’s Well materializes among an expanse of black lava rock. As waves come in and recede, sea water continually surges from this sinkhole-like natural well and then drains back into the hole.

Be careful around Thor’s Well—it’s a very cool sight to see, but take care not to fall into the well or to get caught by a wave as you try to get a closer look.

4. Cape Perpetua Lookout

Just a one-minute drive north from Thor’s Well is the Cape Perpetua visitor center. This visitor center anchors one of the most scenic parts of Oregon’s Siuslaw National Forest: the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area.

Several standout hikes begin from the Cape Perpetua visitor center. My top two recommendations are Cape Perpetua Lookout and the Gwynn Creek hike (covered below).

Cape Perpetua Lookout is an overlook on a high headland above the ocean. A stone wall viewpoint and an old stone shelter built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the Great Depression provide some of the best views on the whole Oregon coast.

The hike to the Cape Perpetua Lookout is 2.7 miles roundtrip from the visitor center. You can drive to the lookout directly, but I’d recommend the hike if you have time (and if a hike that’s mostly uphill on the way in and downhill on the way back is workable for your group). The trail passes through a lush spruce forest before opening onto the high meadows. Emerging from the forest to see the vast ocean materialize before you feels like being in a scene from an epic movie.

Save this hike for sunset. It’s the most striking sunset view I’ve ever experienced. To see the sunset in action, check out our video on Cape Perpetua Lookout below.

5. Gwynn Creek Hike

The longer (6.4-mile) Cook’s Ridge and Gwynn Creek hike likewise begins at the Cape Perpetua visitor center. This hike showcases the Oregon coast’s old-growth forest at its best. Huge trees, primeval ferns, and mushrooms that look straight out of a fairytale line this enchanting forest path.

On a sunny day, the light catches the ocean mist that hangs in the forest, creating a mystical effect. You can watch glowing mist rising from a mossy stump or a stream of sunbeams filtering through the tree branches.

We’ve seen hardly anyone else on this hike, so if you’re looking for a true escape into nature, this is it.

6. Darlingtonia Wayside

Back near Florence itself (just 7 minutes north of town), make sure to stop at the Darlingtonia State Natural Site. A trail from this unassuming wayside leads to a boardwalk over a natural bog that’s filled with…carnivorous pitcher plants, Darlingtonia Californica (cobra lily).

I’ve seen pitcher plants in botanical gardens, but seeing them in nature—right here in Oregon–-is something else. If you go in spring, you may catch the Darlingtonia plants blooming, but definitely stop by no matter the season. The rest of the plant is weird enough without flowers.

7. Exploding Whale Memorial Park

More than 50 years ago, a dead whale washed up on the beach in Florence, Oregon. This may not immediately seem like a big deal, but apparently dead whales smell really bad. Highway Division officials eventually landed on a disposal method of choice: dynamite.

It turns out that blowing up a dead whale with dynamite sends massive amounts of blubber into the air, including one chunk that smashed a nearby car. I don’t envy the officials who had to sort that one out…

You can check out the exploding whale footage here. When you’re in town, not far from old town Florence is the Exploding Whale Memorial Park—a city park dedicated to the memory of this pivotal event in the town’s history.

The Exploding Whale Memorial Park itself curiously doesn’t have any signage explaining its intriguing history, but you can sit in the giant sun chair and look out at the water and picture what it must have been like to witness the exploding whale of Florence fifty years ago.

8. Downtown Florence, Oregon

Downtown Florence, Oregon is quaint and walkable. Small shops line the sidewalks, and delicious smells waft out of storefronts selling baked goods and coffees. A small park overlooks the Siuslaw River and provides views of the historic bridge that crosses the river, leading out of town to the south. The park’s gazebo is a great place for a picnic on a warm day.

I’d recommend including a stop in old town Florence on any trip to the area, particularly to get a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants.

9. Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area

So far my recommendations for things to do in Florence, Oregon have focused on Florence itself and the sights just north of town. Now we’ll journey instead south of town.

30 minutes south of Florence, just past the town of Reedsport, you’ll find one of the best places to see elk on the Oregon coast: the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area.

These meadows along the Umpqua River are an ideal habitat for Roosevelt Elk, which are the largest kind of elk in North America. You’ll nearly always find elk grazing in the meadows or bedded down in the grass. A large roadside pullout includes a viewing shelter with signs that explain more about these fascinating animals.

Occasionally we’ve encountered elk while hiking on the coast, but if you really want to see elk, the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area is the place to go.

10. Hike in the Dunes

When you first set out south of Florence, you’ll notice a striking change in the landscape. The rocky coastline gives way to miles of sand dunes. The dunes near Florence were actually the inspiration for the novel Dune!

I love the rocky headlands and dramatic cliffs and sea stacks that characterize much of the Oregon and Washington coast, but the dunes are beautiful in their own right. I’d recommend taking a hike to get out into the dunes, where you’ll find yourself in a bizarre sand-world that indeed feels like stepping into a science fiction novel.

A great option is the Hall Lake loop trail, which begins about 40 minutes’ drive south of Florence. This route packs in forest, a waterfall, a lake, and sand dunes all in one short (1.6-mile) hike.

Other Adventures in the Pacific Northwest

Thanks for exploring the 10 best things to do in Florence, Oregon! For more travel ideas in the Pacific Northwest, check out our PNW Trip Planner. You can find adventures near you and filter by season and difficulty level. There are weird and wonderful things to explore any time of year. The trip planner links to blog posts to help you plan your next adventure.

Happy exploring!