On this three day camping trip, we stayed at the Beachside campground near Yachats and explored the Cape Perpetua area.

I’ve been recovering from a long bout of piriformis syndrome, so this was my first outing in over 2 months. While I’m not able to hike again quite yet, I had a great time camping and relaxing at the coast. Instead of camping in a tent, I slept in my Honda CR-V camper.

Campsites on the coast fill up fast, especially as the weather gets warmer. I reserved a site about two weeks before our trip: Beachside State Recreation Site. From the campground, it’s a quick 8 mile drive to the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area – an area with a lot to explore. At low tide, there are tidepools full of sea anemones, star fish and other sea creatures, and at high tide, waves crash on the rocky shoreline creating features like Devils Churn, Thor’s Well and Spouting Horn. In addition, Cape Perpetua has some of the best old-growth forest left on the Oregon Coast accessible via the Cooks Ridge and Gwynn Creek trails. See my previous trip report for Cape Perpetua for more info.

Beachside campground

I love my Honda CR-V camper!

the campground is right next to the beach

sunset on the beach at low tide

On the first night, we drove to Cape Perpetua and drove to the top of the cape for views down the coastline.

view through the trees

at the top of Cape Perpetua

Cape Perpetua stone shelter built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s

The next day, we returned to Cape Perpetua to explore the area at high tide. Spouting Horn and Thor’s Well were on fine display with the waves crashing onto the rocks.

I sat on a bench and watched the waves while my friends explored the area

crashing waves on the rocks are mesmerizing

Thor’s Well

Back at camp, I spent a couple of hours on the beach shooting photos at sunset. I followed the sea gulls around and captured two who were “cawing” to each other in courtship.

When I turned around to head back to camp, the full moon was rising. This was my first time capturing it in a photo!