CAPE PERPEUTUA OVERLOOK

AND

THE WHISPERING SPRUCE TRAIL

(Click on picture for an enlarged or close-up view)

By Betty Langdon

Cape Perpetua Overlook is reported to be the highest point along the Oregon Coast. It can be reached by hiking the St. Perpetua Trail, or by driving up the designated road east of Highway 101 about one quarter of a mile south of the Visitors' Center. The trail is designated as difficult, with an elevation change of 600 feet in less than a mile. Hiking down the trail once convinced us that difficult did not adequately describe the steepness of the trail and we had no desire to hike back up to the Overlook. This day we drove.

We reached the viewpoint just as the fog was rolling in but before it had completely obliterated the surf and Highway 101. From our vantage point the cars below looked like matchbook toys.

The trail leads to an open structure built entirely of large stones by the Civilian Conservation Corp in the early thirties. During Word War II it was used to look out for enemy ships. One marvels at the effort it must have taken to get the stones to the top of the promontory. On a clear day there is a spectacular view of the Pacific and surrounding area from the structure, but on this day with the fog and the view shadowed by the stone walls the view was limited, yet interesting.

The one-quarter of a mile Whispering Spruce Trail winds around the top of Cape Perpetua where, on a clear day, one can see miles and miles of the Oregon Coastline. The Trail has most of the same trees, plants and quiet ambiance the longer Cape Perpetua trails which makes it an ideal place for those who cannot or do not wish to hike the more difficult trails to get a sample of the Coastal forest lands.

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