Camping & Exploring at Cape Perpetua: Giant Spruce & Captain Cook Trails
During the first warm days of spring, I camped for two nights at Cape Perpetua, exploring its dramatic coastline – stopping for a beach walk at Seal Rock Wayside on my way home.
Trip planning resources
I’ve camped in this area several times to spend time exploring the dramatic rocky coastline and hike in some of the best remaining old-growth forest on the coast. On this trip, I was on my own and spent most of my time walking from the campground to the coastline as well as taking a short hike to an Oregon heritage tree – Giant Spruce.
The Cape Perpetua campground is small and quiet, located in a forested area next to Cape Creek. It had just opened for the season and there weren’t many people there. I had a large campsite right next to the creek near the end of the campground loop. Learn more about my Honda CR-V camper setup.
This bridge over Camp Creek is short distance from my campsite and leads to the Giant Spruce Trail.
Skunk cabbage smells just a bit like it sounds, but I love the bright green glossy leaves and large yellow flowers, plus I kinda like the scent. : ) Skunk cabbage loves water and is very common in the coastal forest, blooming in the spring.
After setting up camp, I took the trail that goes from the campground to the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center.
I always enjoy talking with rangers and getting info about the area I’m in. We talked about whale sightings, which are common here. The Visitors Center includes interpretive displays about the natural history of this area, and the deck on the back of the building is a great place to watch for whales.
Captain Cook Trail
From the Visitor Center, I headed to the coastline on the Captain Cook Trail, spending a lot of time walking over the rocks and looking for tide pools. Watching the waves crash against the coastline is mesmerizing.
This arch bridge design by Spouting Horn is similar to those designed by Conde McCullough – an engineer and professor known for his iconic bridge design work, especially on the Oregon Coast.
Giant Spruce Trail
While I’ve been to Cape Perpetua many times, I had never hiked on the Giant Spruce Trail, so I decided to check it out. The trail starts at the end of the campground, near my campsite. (2 miles, 235 ft. gain round trip)
The only people I saw on this trail were a family who offered to take my photo since I was by myself.
After checking out the Giant Sprice, I spent some time hanging out here by the creek. This area is so lovely! It’s a short and super easy hike, and definitely worth the time to visit.
Seal Rock State Wayside
On my way home, I stopped at Seal Rock for a walk on the beach. Located south of Newport, this wayside features large offshore rock formations that provide habitat for seals, sea lions, seabirds, and other marine life. The area offers excellent ocean views, a sandy beach, and tide pools to explore. A short trail leads to the beach, with some steep sections, and a viewpoint along the way provides a scenic overlook of the shoreline and tide pools.
