Devils Punchbowl Oregon: A secret sea cave hike near Depoe Bay, OR

Oregon’s coastline is remarkable for so many reasons: All 363 miles of beaches, from north to south, are public. All the offshore islands and rocks are recognized as wildlife refuges. Thousands of gray whales migrate past the Oregon Coast twice a year. And—equally amazing but little-known—you can hike into the Devils Punchbowl at low tide.

Devils Punchbowl naturally formed in the rock beside the Pacific Ocean. The cavern’s ceiling collapsed ages ago, leaving this breathtaking site open to the sky. You feel as if you’re walking into an enormous bowl when you explore inside.

Most visitors see this formation only from the top. The Devils Punchbowl Natural Area includes an easy-to-access viewpoint where you can watch waves crashing into the open-air cavern. Fewer people, though, time their visit to hike into Devils Punchbowl. In fact, not many people realize it’s even possible!

Consider yourself in the know. Below, I share how to hike into Devils Punchbowl, how to get there and what you’ll find.

How to get to Devils Punchbowl Natural Area + hike

Devils Punchbowl Natural Area is located on a piece of land that juts into the Pacific Ocean. The natural area lies between Depoe Bay and Newport. (It’s also a ten-minute drive from the famous Yaquina Head Lighthouse.) What’s more, Devils Punchbowl is a terrific stop if you’re on an Oregon Coast road trip along Highway 101.

To get there, turn off Highway 101 onto Otter Crest Loop. The road is well marked—look for a sign that announces Devils Punchbowl and the Inn at Otter Crest.

Follow the road to the end of 1st Street, where there’s plenty of parking and a public restroom. Most people just head to the viewpoint overlooking Devils Punchbowl. But here’s how to get to the hike.

From the parking area, walk north on C Avenue. Halfway between 3rd St. and the dead end. you’ll see a path on your left (marked by a star on the map above). Simply follow the path to the beach.

You’ll have to climb a bit to get to the beach from the path, as the tides have thwarted attempts to maintain the end of the trail. That means this beach access point is difficult for people with mobility limitations, and it’s not stroller-friendly.

Walking Otter Crest Beach

Otter Crest Beach stretches between the cliffs at Otter Crest to the north and Devils Punchbowl to the south.

This isn’t a long stretch of beach but it is diverse. At low tide. you can walk along the flat sand alongside tall cliffs. And low tide reveals shelves of rock you can (carefully) explore.

Tide pools here shelter critters most people see only in aquariums (like the nearby Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport). Look for sea anemones, sea stars, barnacles, limpets, little fish and crabs.

Level 10 travel tip: The best way to see wildlife in a tide pool is to wait patiently. Stay still and you’ll see a bump you thought was just sand reveal itself as a fish, or watch as a crab wanders around looking for a snack.

The rocks here are covered in seaweed, which makes footing slippery in places. Be extremely careful and help little ones maneuver the rocks.

Hike to Devils Punchbowl

From the beach access trail, turn left to walk south along Otter Crest Beach. I call this a hike, but it’s more of a quarter-mile stroll. You’ll need to clamber over rocks and carefully step your way toward the entrance to the Devils Punchbowl cave.

As you walk, watch for smaller caves and hidey holes in the cliff. Kids love exploring these naturally occurring caves! They also make terrific photo spots.

A two-story arch marks the entrance to the cave of Devils Punchbowl. (Look in the horizontal cracks at about knee level to spy crabs and sea stars here!)

Exploring inside Devils Punchbowl, Oregon

Low tide reveals hundreds of rocks and boulders on the floor of Devils Punchbowl. A second archway leads to the ocean, where waves crash even during calm seas. The most dramatic feature of Devils Punchbowl, though, is the overhead opening.

Carefully climb over rocks to explore this enormous, hollow rock formation. The opening at the top is narrower than the base of the bowl, so it feels as if you’re gazing up out of a crater.

Geologists suspect that this was once a cave open only to the ocean, not from above. The roof of the cave likely collapsed years and years ago, leaving the bowl formation behind. Since then, waves continue to shape the cave little by little.

Devils Punchbowl is made of both basalt and sandstone. Basalt, a hard, volcanic rock, erodes much more slowly than sandstone. So over the years, the tide and the elements wore down the sandstone more quickly than the basalt. That’s why grotto-like undercuts ring the base of Devils Punchbowl.

The force of waves also moves rocks and debris around in the cave so it’s different every time you visit. On our most recent trip, we found a jaw bone! At first we thought it might be from a sea lion, but texting with a marine biologist friend revealed we were way off. Turns out it was the jaw bone of a deer.

While you’re inside Devils Punchbowl, look through the second, smaller arch that leads to the ocean. You’ll see waves crash on the rocks surrounding the cave. Water rushes a little way into the cave, too, which gives you an inkling of what happens as the tide rises.

When I recently visited, we spent about a half-hour inside the cavern. That’s plenty of time to explore the area.

Must-know details of Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area

Remember that hiking into Devils Punchbowl is only safe at low tide. Always keep an eye on the tide, time and waves. If the water rose when you weren’t paying attention, you’d be stuck inside the punchbowl and drown.

**Link to low tide times for Devils Punchbowl**

If you hike inside Devils Punchbowl, wear sturdy shoes. Flip flops will slide off your feed and you’re likely to twist an ankle.

This area is public and free; there is no access fee.

Cliffside Coffee & Sweets and the Flying Dutchman Winery are right next to several of the parking areas. As of the time of publication, these spots are open for to-go orders only. Picnic tables overlooking the Pacific make terrific lunch spots!

So tell me: After reading this, are you as excited to check out this unique thing to do on the Oregon Coast as I am? Keep your eye on the tide chart and plan your visit now!