Quick Guide to Cape Kiwanda
Few places on the Oregon Coast have more wow factor than Pacific City’s Cape Kiwanda. It’s been called one of the most photogenic spots in the country. Once you get up close, it’s easy to understand why. Storms, waves, and wind have been chiseling away the cape for millions of years, carving sea caves, tunnels, and arches in the sandstone cliffs. This fragile headland is one of the most rapidly changing landscapes on the Oregon Coast. Its newest feature appeared in 2023, a large and expanding sinkhole. I visited just after it formed and again a couple of years later to check on its progress. Whether you’re interested in the tidepools, the beauty of the cliffs, or the geological curiosity that is the sinkhole, here’s everything you need to know about visiting Cape Kiwanda.
Intertidal area at Cape Kiwanda
Know before you go
Parking at Cape Kiwanda is $10/day. This fee is specific to Tillamook County and no annual state or national recreation passes are accepted. The pay stations next to the parking lot accept credit cards.
Cape Kiwanda is popular and the parking lot may fill up on summer weekends.
Leashed dogs are welcome at Cape Kiwanda.
Restrooms are next to the parking lot.
The sandstone cliffs of Cape Kiwanda are fragile and prone to crumbling without warning. Waves near the cliffs can also be unpredictable. Fences on the cape guide you through the safe areas of the park. Do not explore beyond the fences. It’s dangerous and people have died here.
The views from Cape Kiwanda are excellent regardless of the tide. The sandstone platform at the base of the cape has tidepools that you can explore at low tide when the ocean is calm.
A paved boat ramp leads from the day-use parking lot down to the beach. Vehicles aren’t allowed south of the boat ramp. You can drive on the beach from the ramp north to Cape Kiwanda if you’re launching a boat.
Cape Kiwanda
Hiking up Cape Kiwanda
Distance: 1 mile out and back
Elevation gain: 200 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Pass required: $10 day-use fee purchased on-site at the pay station.
Dog-friendly: Yes, but be sure to have your dog on a leash while near the cliffs and around the sinkhole.
ADA access: Not beyond the observation deck next to the boat ramp.
Basic directions: From Pacific City Beach, head north and take the sandy path up the south side of Cape Kiwanda. Follow the fences to explore the safe areas, including several excellent viewpoints. The sinkhole is at the northwest corner of the headland. You can’t miss it.
On the trail:
The trek across Cape Kiwanda isn’t so much a hike as an exploration of the cape from a series of safe vantage points. You’ll be walking on soft sand, which is surprisingly tiring. Most of the uphill walking happens at the beginning of the hike. From the parking lot, head to the wooden observation deck and take a moment to admire the views of Pacific City Beach, Cape Kiwanda, and the giant basalt sea stack, Haystack Rock. Chances are you’ll see surfers out in the water enjoying the waves. Then, head down the paved boat ramp to the beach.
Beach at Pacific City
Head north on the beach toward Cape Kiwanda and its huge dune, known as the Great Dune. Look for the path that leads from the beach up to the headland from the base of the Great Dune. Many footprints will help guide you.
Take the trail from the base of the Great Dune
You’ll soon reach the fence that marks the safe distance from the cliffs. Follow the fence border toward a short spur leading to the trail’s first viewpoint. On the way, look for a few patches of lupines blooming on the cape in spring.
Fences mark safe areas on Cape Kiwanda
Once you reach the viewpoint, you’ll see the westernmost point of Cape Kiwanda and Haystack Rock.
Viewpoint on Cape Kiwanda
Return on the spur and then continue north along the fence. You’ll soon reach a viewpoint for a picturesque cove, known as the Punchbowl, with gently sloping sandstone cliffs and a sea cave. The Punchbowl is known for being dangerous, but only because a foolhardy few climbed over the fence and got too close. You’ll be good as long as you keep your distance.
Haystack Rock behind the Punchbowl
Continue along the fence while you take in the views of the Pacific Ocean. Cape Lookout is to the north. Watch for seabirds flying overhead and resting on the rocks. Listen for the eerie whistling sound of the wind blowing through caves and crevices in the cliffs.
Before long, you’ll be at the sinkhole. Take your time admiring this deep and growing pit from behind the fence, which might be mostly covered by sand. Only the top railing was visible during my last visit. You’ll see a dramatic channel just to the north where erosion separated some sandstone from the headland to form a large sea stack. When you’re ready, return the way you came.
The return journey
Great Dune
If you have energy after returning to the beach, you might want to climb to the top of the Great Dune. It’s a bit of a slog, but the views are great. The safest way to reach the top of the Great Dune is to start from the beach and head up the south slope of the dune. Once you reach the top, look for McPhillips Beach, Tierra del Mar, and Cape Lookout to the north.
The Great Dune
Tidepools at Cape Kiwanda
The sandstone platform on the south end of Cape Kiwanda has excellent tidepools. Be aware of the tides and watch for unexpected waves while you’re there. It will be safest and most interesting at low tide, at or below zero on a tide chart is ideal. Look for sea stars, giant green anemones, aggregating anemones, crabs, barnacles, and mussels on the rocks below the cape. There’s also a cool sea arch you can walk through at low tide.
Anemones at Cape Kiwanda
Geology of Cape Kiwanda
Cape Kiwanda is one of a kind. While most headlands on the Oregon Coast are made of erosion-resistant basalt from ancient lava flows, Cape Kiwanda is mostly sandstone with just a sprinkling of basalt at its southern end. The cape is in the ballpark of 20 million years old, raising the question of how it has persisted long after other sandstone cliffs of a similar age eroded to form sandy beaches. Geologists attribute the persistence of Cape Kiwanda to the protection it receives from the basaltic monolith, Haystack Rock.
Haystack Rock
As soon as you reach Pacific City Beach, you’ll see the large and conical Haystack Rock about a mile offshore. It probably sounds familiar. Pacific City’s monolith shares its name with the famous Haystack Rock of Cannon Beach and, I’m afraid, a third Haystack Rock on the southern Oregon Coast near Bandon. While Pacific City’s Haystack Rock is the tallest at about 340 feet, it’s farther offshore than the Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach, making it harder to appreciate the size.
Haystack Rock and Cape Kiwanda
Geologists believe that the sandstone of Cape Kiwanda once extended out to Haystack Rock. The sturdy basalt tip helped to shield the weaker sandstone from the elements and slowed its erosion. Although the cape no longer connects to Haystack Rock, it likely still receives some degree of protection. While most geologic changes take place over thousands or even millions of years, Cape Kiwanda is evolving almost before our eyes. The cliffs have eroded dramatically over the last few decades and old pictures look strikingly different from the cape of today.
The Sinkhole
Cape Kiwanda’s sinkhole in 2023
Cape Kiwanda’s newest geological feature is a giant sinkhole. Before it appeared, I’ll admit that I avoided visiting Pacific City because of its parking fee, which is the highest on the coast and doesn’t accept any of my many annual recreation passes. A matter of principle in other words. The sinkhole changed things. I could no longer resist. I needed to see that big ol’ Sarlaac-looking pit no matter the parking fee.
After visiting, I feel a bit sheepish about my stubbornness. Cape Kiwanda is incredible even without a new and growing sinkhole. I get so interested in Oregon’s volcanic stories that I forget how vibrant and colorful sandstone can be. The warm yellow, orange, and buff-colored cliffs make a perfect foreground for the blue of the ocean. Waves eroding the rock create elegant curves, intriguing sea caves, and, now, a sinkhole.
The first time I visited the sinkhole was about two weeks after it was first reported to park staff on Jan 23, 2023. It was already noticeably larger than the first photos of it in the news. I was lucky enough to visit while the park manager and district manager were there. They kindly answered my 50 or so sinkhole-related questions and confirmed that the hole appeared to be growing. Although the processes forming the sinkhole aren’t yet completely understood, a recent GIS survey suggested a connection to a sea cave that runs under Cape Kiwanda, which is not visible to visitors. While I wondered if a second Devil’s Punchbowl might form, it sounded like a new channel, similar to the one just north of the sinkhole, is a more likely scenario.
The sinkhole may become a channel like this one someday
Revisiting the sinkhole in 2025, I could see it had grown. Rather than a nice neat circular pit, it’s more of a crumbling region. You can find the sinkhole at the northwestern end of Cape Kiwanda. If you follow the fences, you can’t miss it. Keep your distance. Sand covered the safety fence during my last visit, a hazard of being beneath a giant dune.
The sinkhole in 2025
Getting there
To reach Cape Kiwanda from Portland, take Highway 26 West for about 20 miles, then make a slight left onto Highway 6 West toward Tillamook. Once you reach Tillamook, follow the signs for Highway 101 South. Take Highway 101 South for 9 miles, then turn right onto Sandlake Rd. After 4 miles, take a left to stay on Sandlake Rd. Sandlake Rd will become McPhillips Dr. Follow McPhillips Dr until you reach the parking lot for Cape Kiwanda, which will be on your right. The parking lot is to the right of Pelican Brewing Company. The drive from Portland will take about 2 hours.
Enjoy your trip to Cape Kiwanda!
With love,
Emma
Explore nearby
Patio at Pelican Brewing
Pelican Brewing Company has the best views in town, looking onto Pacific City Beach and Cape Kiwanda. Note that the food is on the pricier side (around $25-35 for an entree) and there may be long waits during popular times.
Try out the famed Three Capes Scenic Drive, a 40-mile drive along a coastal byway that includes Cape Meares, Cape Lookout, and Cape Kiwanda.
Head up the street and explore the north end of Cape Kiwanda at McPhillips Beach. This beach has a separate entrance about 1.5 miles from the day-use area at Cape Kiwanda. It is quieter than the well-known Cape Kiwanda and has some incredible rock formations if you walk or drive about a mile south on the beach.
Check out the sights around Oceanside, Oregon, including the tunnel that connects Oceanside Beach and Tunnel Beach, the twisting limbs of the Octopus Tree, and the waterfall on secluded Short Beach.
Visit the beautiful and uncrowded Sitka Sedge State Natural Area.
Visit the Neskowin Ghost Forest where the preserved stumps of 2,000-year-old Sitka Spruce trees appear at low tide.
Reference:
Lund, E. H. “Coastal Landforms between Roads End and Tillamook Bay, Oregon.” The ORE Bin, vol. 36, no. 11, Nov. 1974, pp. 173–195.
