Devils Churn & Cape Cove

A short point-to-point hike near Devils Churn in Cape Perpetua Scenic Area.

Devils Churn

Start: Devils Churn Trailhead 44.28378, -124.10969

End: 44.28131, -124.10933

Access: Trail

Distance: 0.46 miles (point-to-point)

Elevation Range: 20' to 149'

Ascent/Descent: +66ft/-137ft

Trails: Restless Waters Trail & Cape Cove Trail #1364.1

Route Type: Point-to-point

Outing Type: Day hike

Permits/Fees: Devils Churn Trailhead parking area is a fee use area with either a daily fee or a NW forest pass.

Notes: There are many different ways to do the trails that differ from how I did them. I'll link some AllTrail routes under resources that give a good idea of shorter and longer routes.

Also, as of Dec 2024 there is a trail closure which is where we stopped. The forest service has map showing the closed section.

Location: Near Cape Perpetua along Hwy 101 in Siuslaw National Forest, Oregon, U.S.A.

Administration: Siuslaw National Forest

Ranger District: Central Coast Ranger District

Area: Cape Perpetua Scenic Area

Date Accessed: December 15, 2024

I feel like I need to add a few disclaimers around this hike. First of, I am still recovering from a sprained ankle and this was my first attempt at a hike since I sprained it. I did my best to take it easy, so I didn't do the steps down to Devils Churn but got to see it from the viewpoints along the trail. (Plus it was a king tide so I had no desire to get super close to the water lol.) The trail ended up being a point-to=point for me because my ankle wasn't holding up which was only possible due to my mom being with me and offering to go back and get the car and then pick me up.

Well, now that that's out of the way. My mom and I were driving the Oregon Coast from Tillamook to Florence and back. It was a King Tide so there wasn't really sand areas on the beaches with how far the tide came up, regardless it wasn't super safe. I wanted to try a hike so found one above sea level.

We started from the Devils Churn Trailhead. The parking area was almost full, but we were able to get a spot. It's a fee area so it's either a $5 day use fee or using one of the accepted passes. We didn't have our NW Forest Pass, but if we did, we could have used it here. The trail was paved and had a few switch backs before it continued straight. We hiked until we reached the stairs going down to Devils Churn. I was still having to be gentle with my sprained ankle and decided stairs were a no-go. There were a few "viewpoint" spots along the trail where we could see Devils Churn so I didn't really feel like I was missing out on much.

So we continued along the trail towards the south which slowly declined in elevation. It wrapped around until we came to a spot that went down to the rocks on the north side of Cape Cove. There was a wooden bench beside the trail we sat on and watched the waves for a little while. The Restless Waters trail continued through the forest towards the east.

View of Cape Cove from bench

We came to a split in the trail, continue to the left would continue along the Restless Waters Trail and loop us back to the parking lot, the trail to the right was the Cape Cove Trail #1364.1 and continued around cape cove and climbed up to Hwy 101. We took the Cape Cove Trail since I wasn't ready to head back yet. There was a culvert with water flowing through creating a little man made waterfall along the side of the trail. There were stairs build into the trail when it ascended up towards Hwy 101.

My ankle really started bothering me at this point. We reached Hwy 101 at a pull-off/wide shoulder area. The trail supposedly continued along side the highway for a couple hundred feet before it continued into the forest again further up the road, but the "trail" along the road was blocked off due to heavy erosion, there was no trail. We could have walked the shoulder of the road, but my ankle was hurting bad enough I decided I needed to stop. My mom offered to go back and get the car and come pick me up. I wanted to be stubborn and just hike back, but knew if I did I could seriously set back my recovery. So I stayed while she went and got the car. I took some photos and video of Cape Cove from the trail.

Even though this hike didn't end up being route-wise what I was hoping I might be able to accomplish. I really enjoyed the section I was able to do. It was all very beautiful. All of the Resting Water Trail is paved while the Cape Cove trail wasn't entirely and had "stairs."

Some other ways to hike this would be just doing the Restless Waters Trail loop, hiking to where I ended then hiking back to the parking lot like my mom did making it an in and out hike, and another option would be hiking the section I did and continuing along the shoulder of Hwy 101 to continue to the trails further down the road making for a longer hike. Under resources I list a few of the route options I was able to find on AllTrails.

Resources

• Forest Service - Devils Churn Day Use

• Forest Service - Cape Cove Trailhead

• Forest Service - Cape Cove Trail #1364.1

• Forest Service - Cape Perpetua Scenic Area Flyer

• OregonHikers - Devils Churn

Other Route Options:

• AllTrails - Devil's Churn, Trail of the Restless Way and Captain Cook Loop (1.8 miles rt)

• AllTrails - Restless Waters Trail (0.4 miles rt)

• AllTrails - Cape Cove Trail (1 mile rt)

• AllTrails - Captain Cook Trail & Thor's Well (0.6 miles rt)

Coordinates

How to get there

Map

My Wild Adventure is not responsible for your safety, any possible injury, or anything that happens if you choose to follow anything on this website. Maps are not intended to be used for navigational purposes, but to give an overview of the route taken. By going outdoors you are solely responsible to know your strengths and limitations, be aware of current conditions and proceed with the appropriate caution. My Wild Adventure is not responsible for your choices and the outcome. Reference my disclaimer for more information on being responsible outdoors.