camping: Oregon Coast – Beverly Beach & Devils Punchbowl
On this camping trip, we spent two nights at Beverly Beach State Park near Newport, Oregon, and explored the Devils Punchbowl area at sunset.
Trip planning
Reservations are required to camp at Beverly Beach State Park, which is open year round. This is a large campground with tent, RV, and yurt campsites. Beach access is via a short trail that goes under a scenic bridge on Highway 101.
Beverly Beach
In cold weather, my friends and I camp in our vehicles instead of in tents. We have canopies that attach to our vehicles, and inside we have bed platforms and cushy mattresses for staying warm and dry while camping.
» Learn more about my Honda CR-V camper setup
Sunrises and sunsets can be spectacular at the coast in the fall and winter months, and you don’t need to get up super early or stay up late to see them. In the morning, we took a short trail to the beach for sunrise views.
access to the beach under a bridge on Highway 101
view south towards Yaquina Head Lighthouse
At low tide, Beverly Beach has a lot of interesting exposed rock.
sunrise at Beverly Beach
interesting rock formations at low tide
view towards Devils Punchbowl
Devils Punchbowl
We planned to be at Devils Punchbowl at sunset, so we scouted the area early in the day and then went back later in the afternoon. It is possible to walk along the beach for 1.5 miles to reach Devils Punchbowl, but it was high tide and we weren’t sure the beach would be fully accessible, so we drove to the parking area near the community of Otter Rock instead.
This area is very popular with surfers. We took the stairs down to the beach on the south side of Devils Punchbowl and watched them ride the waves while we enjoyed the warm sun.
Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area
looking into Devils Punchbowl at high tide
view towards Beverly Beach
surfers at Beverly Beach
We headed back to camp, had a late lunch and then drove back to Devils Punchbowl for sunset. This time, we accessed the beach and Marine Gardens area on the north side of the park. I walked the entire length of the beach here and was able to see Cape Foulweather to the north, and the high rock walls of Otter Crest to the south.
Otter Crest
Cape Foulweather
view looking south towards Devils Punchbowl
sunset lit up the sky with bright yellow, orange and red colors
At low tide, we were able to walk on the beach and across a slippery rocky section to reach the inside of Devils Punchbowl, with views of the sunset looking out of the sea cave openings.
We spent a couple of hours taking in the colorful night sky before heading back to camp for the night.
swirly patterns in the clouds over Gull Rock
