Best Tidepools along the Oregon Coast

Beyond some amazing shorelines and photogenic landscapes, the tidepools along the Oregon Coast were some of my favorite stops during our 2,800 mile couple’s road trip. Sea life is flourishing in these shallow tidepools and can amaze kids for hours on end. Crabs, mussels, anemones, snails, hermit crabs, starfish and more. It’s like a living scavenger hunt that people of all ages can enjoy.

While exploring these tidepools along the Oregon Coast, please be respectful of the life in these pools. I saw young kids with buckets scooping up as much sea life as they could find. I’m sure the crabs, starfish and other life ended up dying from being taken out of their homes. So let’s do everyone a favor and observe, not capture.

We started in the south near Bandon, Oregon, and worked our way north along the coast. As a result, I’ve outlined eight tidepools you should plan to check out along the Oregon coast. They’re listed from south to north.

Tidepool Basics – Best Times to Explore Them

Tidepooling can be fun. But there is also a danger to it. It’s important to know when it’s high tide and low tide. Many of the Oregon State Parks and even businesses can provide you a tidetable brochure. It lets you know when high and low tide are based on the day. There are also apps you can download on your device. We enjoyed the Tide Charts – Free app.

The best time to visit tidepools is 1-2 hours before low tide. That allows you adequate time to explore the tidepools, but not get taken by surprise when the tide starts coming back in. You don’t want to end up trapped on a rock or caught off guard by a wave. Be safe.

While there are some beautiful things in tidepools, I found some great advice: The only thing you should take are photos. Don’t take hermit crabs, starfish or other tidepool life away from the tidepool. That’s their home. Removing them from their home will kill them, leaving nothing in the tidepool for future visitors.

I enjoyed my underwater camera so I could get some fun photos of the creatures living in the tidepools.

As for shoes – I wore water shoes. They allowed me enough grip on the rocks, and the protection I felt I would like to have from the sea creatures. I wouldn’t recommend going barefoot. But that’s just me.

Cape Arago State Park

Cape Arago State Park allows for multiple activities. We started with tidepools. From the north parking area, we headed north along a little paved trail. We turned right and headed down to the shoreline. From there, we ventured out to our first tidepool of the trip.

We saw lots of movement in the water – mostly crabs, hermit crabs and little fish. I was hoping to see a starfish, but we didn’t come across any. We did see some sea snails, mussels and several sea anemones. I took a few underwater photos as we ventured around. After about 20 minutes of exploring, we headed back to the parking area.

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While there, we saw some people congregating at a viewpoint just south of where we parked. We wandered over and were told there were two gray whales swimming just off shore. Sure enough, we saw a mom and her baby coming up for air and shooting a spurt of water into the air. That’s the first time I’d ever seen whales in the wild.

I also learned that whale watching is common along the Oregon coast.

Sunset Bay State Park

Sunset Bay State Park had a few primary activities available – swimming in the bay, kayaking, flying a kite or exploring the tidepools. We headed over to the northern side of the bay and met a couple of kids who were exploring tidepools with their grandma.

They showed us a few things they had found, which included a clear gel blob. Maybe a jellyfish? We’d seen those blobs on the beach and didn’t dare touch them. But these kids were fearless, and since the jellyfish were dead and had no tentacles, they were harmless. Maybe?

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I was a little worried that the sea life those kids had found would end up dead. But I didn’t feel like I could lecture them since I wasn’t their parent. But I did encourage them to look at what we saw and not capture them.

The tidepools were plentiful in this area as well. We found a lot of the same creatures as we had at the last spot. We did encounter more mud around these tidepools, so be mindful of that.

Heceta Head Lighthouse

The best access point for the tidepools at Heceta Head Lighthouse are from the Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint area. A parking lot can accommodate 50-60 cars, with a beach area down below.

The bay area offers a great view of the lighthouse, and the tidepools can be done on either side of that bay – although the north side of it seems to have the most options. If you want some beach time, this spot will allow you to do some of that, too.

Thor’s Well at Cape Perpetua Scenic Area

I’ve seen amazing photos of Thor’s Well. It’s located at Cape Perpetua Scenic Area along the Oregon coast. So we insisted on stopping there on our way north. I captured a few photos of the water draining into Thor’s Well while my wife captured some footage and cheered with delight as the water flowed in and out of the well.

After taking photos, we started to wander the area and explore the tidepools around Devil’s Churn. You do need to be careful as you explore these tidepools, because they are surrounded with drop offs. A rogue wave could easily take someone on the edge into the water. And once you’re in the water, you’ll be at the mercy of the waves crashing against the rocks. There’s no easy way out of the water in this area. So please be careful.

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Despite the dangers, we kept our distance from the edges and spotted our first starfish. We also found high concentrations of mussels, along with the typical crabs, hermit crabs and anemones. These tidepools were full of life.

Tidepools at Seal Rock

If you’re looking for something a little different with tidepooling, Seal Rock State Recreation Area offers that. A little ways off shore you can spot seals. Don’t swim out to them – just stick to tidepool exploration.

There are countless tidepools in the area – some even in the shape of a starfish. The sea life abounds in the tidepools throughout the area. Combine that with the beach and beauty of the area and you’ll likely find you don’t want to leave.

We weren’t able to take advantage of the ranger-led tours, but those are available – but not required. You can explore at your own pace and let kids frolic in the tidepools.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

Yaquina Head Lighthouse has two areas for tidepool exploration. There is an entrance fee to access the area – $7 for a 3-day single-vehicle pass. That gets you access to both tidepools, a interpretive center and the Yaquina Head Lighthouse – Oregon’s tallest lighthouse.

Quarry Cove is pictured above. You can park just uphill from the area and walk down a paved road to access the cove. There are large tidepools for swimming, and smaller ones for exploration.

Driver further into the park, past the interpretive center, and park at the lighthouse. The second tidepool at Cobble Beach is accessed via a stairway that takes you down to the shoreline. At high tide, there isn’t much beach – but at low tide, there will be plenty of exploring to do. Just be sure to know when the tide will be high and when it will be low so you can plan your visit accordingly.

Devil’s Punchbowl Arch

Maps will show you where the lookout point is for the Devil’s Punchbowl. Access the tidepools and hike into the punchbowl by heading north a little to a parking lot.

There were a lot of tidepools to explore along the shore. However, I didn’t notice as much sea life to photograph. There were a lot of plants and seaweed. Maybe the plants gave the sea life a lot of hiding spots. I did spot some fish and crabs. There were several crabs running around the dry rocks as we got closer to the punchbowl.

If you’re wanting to access the punchbowl, it’s safer to stay off the tidepools and rocks. I ventured along the rocks and even with my water shoes, I found myself slipping a little on the wet seaweed covering the rocks. So be careful – and be mindful of the rising tide so you don’t get trapped somewhere.

Arcadia Beach/Hug Point

My colleague recommended Hug Point as a great place to stop. We tried, but the small parking lot was full, so we had to continue north. We stopped at Arcadia Beach a little further up the road.

After hiking down a short trail to the waterline, we walked across the sandy beach to some large rocks. They provided the perfect habitat for lots of sea life. It’s where we saw our highest concentration of starfish. We counted at least four. So if you’re a starfish fan, this may be the spot for you!

Many of the rocks were covered with tiny mussels. You could see the anemones waiting patiently for the water to rise again and provide them the moisture they needed.

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On the north side of the large boulder there was a large pool kids could swim in. We saw a starfish on the wall of the rock, but I wasn’t prepared to go swimming, so I photographed it using my zoom lens. Several kids were playing in the water and splashing up a storm, but the sea life didn’t seem to mind too much.

Summary

There are many more spots to explore tidepools along the Oregon coast. The ones I listed above provide easier access and are known for great sea life. But I’m pretty sure you could stop at just about any spot along the coast to find some tidepools.

Remember, take only pictures. The sea life you take will simply die, leaving fewer things to amaze future explorers. If you came across a great tidepool on the Oregon coast, share it below to help out other travelers.

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