The 11 capes of the Oregon coast, with breathtaking views, fascinating histories (2024)

Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A hiker rests atop Cape Falcon in Oswald West State Park.

You might know them as spots for nice views, or places to get in a good hike. However you experience them, capes are among the most important features on the Oregon coast.

A cape is a large headland that extends out into a body of water, usually representing a marked difference in the coastline. Along the varied Oregon coast, there are many sizable headlands – Cascade Head and Tillamook Head are great examples – but only 11 features that are specifically called capes.

Most were named by the Spanish and British explorers who sailed along the Pacific coast during 17th and 18th century expeditions. In the south you see more Spanish and Portuguese names – Sebastian, Ferrelo, Blanco – and in the north there are more names in English – Meares, Foulweather, Lookout.

Exploring the capes offers a good lesson in the history of exploration and eventual white settlement, but the prominent headlands also give some of the very best views on the coast. Whether skies are clear or stormy, there are few better places to find yourself than high up on an Oregon cape, staring out at the endless ocean beyond.

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CAPE ARAGO

Known as an awesome storm watching spot, and a haven for seals and sea lions that lounge on a reef just offshore, Cape Arago is the outermost point of a stretch of rocky coastline that is managed as three separate state parks: Shore Acres, Sunset Bay and Cape Arago. British explorer James Cook initially named it Cape Gregory in 1778, but in 1850 it was renamed in honor of French physicist and geographer Dominque Francois Jean Arago.

Wikimedia Commons/Coltera

ARCH CAPE

Arch Cape is a small headland, named for the natural arch in the rocks at its base. It's found between Cannon Beach and Manzanita at a small community that goes by the same name, and is technically a part of Oswald West State Park. Unlike other, larger capes, the headland is inaccessible to hikers. Instead, it's perhaps best known for the tunnel that allows traffic on U.S. Route 101 to pass through.

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CAPE BLANCO

The westernmost point on the Oregon coast, Cape Blanco is home to a stately lighthouse and known for the battering storms that roll in off the Pacific. The cape was thought to be named in 1603 by Spanish explorer Martin de Aguilar (who died on the journey), but it might also have been in use before then. The word is Spanish for "white," likely chosen for the cape's light-colored rock.

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CAPE FALCON

Cape Falcon is a stunning formation on the northern Oregon coast, managed as part of Oswald West State Park. The jagged cape juts out into the ocean, its two main arms straddling a small cove. Hikers can access the point via a hiking trail that begins at the popular Short Sand Beach in the park. The point was named by Spanish explorer Bruno de Heceta in honor of Saint Clare of Montefalco.

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CAPE FERRELO

The southernmost cape on the Oregon coast, Cape Ferrelo is part of the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, offering sweeping views of the ocean. A loop trail runs around the cape, accessible from either the north or the south. It's named for Bartolome Ferrelo, a Portuguese pilot who was part of an expedition that sailed up the Pacific coast in 1542, though Ferrelo himself doesn't appear to have ever seen the cape, nor did he discover much at all on his trip.

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CAPE FOULWEATHER

Found between Depoe Bay and Newport, Cape Foulweather was named by British explorer James Cook, who ran into some particularly bad weather there on March 7, 1778. Of course, Oregonians know that if you stop by in late spring or summer, you'll likely be treated to a much nicer day at the cape. You can get a great view from a stop along Otter Crest Loop, which also leads to Devils Punchbowl to the south.

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CAPE KIWANDA

One of the most unique capes on the Oregon coast, Cape Kiwanda is made primarily of sandstone and is therefore prone to erosion. A large sand dune allows hikers to reach the top, though the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department fenced off most of the area on the edge of the cape after several people fell to their death. Originally called Sand Cape, the name Kiwanda was later adopted, thought to be the name of a Nestucca Indian chief.

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CAPE LOOKOUT

Cape Lookout might be the most prominent cape in Oregon, jutting a mile and a half out into the ocean. It's a popular spot among hikers as well as campers, who fill the campground just below. The name was originally given by Irish explorer John Meares to a different cape about 10 miles north, but was reassigned by mistake in the 1850s. Instead of correcting the error, officials just renamed the northern headland Cape Meares.

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CAPE MEARES

A beautiful spot on the northern coastline, Cape Meares is the northern point of the Three Capes Scenic Route, which also includes Cape Lookout and Cape Kiwanda. It's home to a small lighthouse and the famed Octopus Tree, with spectacular ocean views in all directions. It was first called Cape Lookout by Irish explorer John Meares in 1788, but the name was mistakenly reassigned to a cape to the south. Instead of correcting the error, officials just renamed it Cape Meares.

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CAPE PERPETUA

Cape Perpetua is a towering headland on the central Oregon coast, popular for its stone shelter perched on a cliff at the top, and the fascinating intertidal features found below (including Thor's Well and Cook's Chasm). British explorer James Cook sailed to the spot on St. Perpetua's Day – March 7, 1778 – and named the feature after Vibia Perpetua, a Christian martyr who died on March 7, 203.

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CAPE SEBASTIAN

A tall headland that rises to a height of about 700 feet, Cape Sebastian offers great views of the southern coastline just south of Gold Beach. The name stems from a discovery made by Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino in 1603, who spotted a white bluff and named it for the saint of that day, San Sebastian. Due to Vizcaino's inaccurate records, it's hard to tell what feature he was talking about, so in 1869, an official simply applied it to this headland.

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NORTHWEST TRAVEL GUIDES

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--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB

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