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| Exploring the marine garden (center, in image above) at Otter Crest Loop is but one of the attractions of the area. Others include surfing - and sipping, at the Flying Dutchman Winery. |
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| A family explores the Devil's Punchbowl at Otter Rock. ONLY attempt to explore this area at times of extremely low tide. OCT photo by Niki Price.. |
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The scene is green at Otter Crest Loop
[Posted April 23, 2008]
By Niki Price
Oregon Coast Today
As you walk down the path, through the shore pines, on your way to the intertidal zone near the community of Otter Rock, you may be asking yourself one question: why is it called a “marine garden”? If it’s low tide, you’ll know the answer the moment you emerge from the woods: it’s teeming with green.
The landscape at other popular tidepool destinations, like those at Yaquina Head or Roads End, is dominated by black and gray. The rocks are mostly black basalt covered with dark mussels and light gray barnacles, with sparks of color from vivid orange sea stars, purple urchins and the like. Because the lava rock is so tough, the growth of large, leafy vegetation is limited.
Not so at Otter Rock, where the sandstone shelves provide a softer anchor for both plants and animals. Low tide reveals a wide terrace, crossed north to south by faults, covered in a wild collection of every color in the organic rainbow: deep green, vivid green, brown-purple, light pink and many others. Peek under the vegetation, and you’ll find an amazingly diverse collection of animals, from anemone and crab to tube worms and chiton. It’s easy to see why the state considers it a protected area. It’s illegal to collect any marine invertebrate (except mussels for bait) from the Otter Rock Marine Garden; the pools are set aside for educational and research purposes. During the minus tides season, now through June, it’s a veritable garden party just off the scenic drive called the Otter Crest Loop.
But green as they are, the gardens are not the loop’s only attraction. The meandering road will take you to a geologic wonder, two state parks, a favorite surfing spot, an ocean-view winery and the western outpost of the Mo’s chowder empire. All this and heaven, too: plenty of parking, picnic tables and public rest rooms, without a day use fee.
Getting there
The Otter Crest Loop is actually the original Hwy. 101, replaced by a wider, stronger version cut through the mountain above in 1955. The loop’s northern end splits from modern-day Hwy. 101 about five miles south of Depoe Bay, between mileposts 129 and 130, then meanders about four miles before rejoining 101. There are two other spur roads that allow access to the loop; just watch for the signs marked “Otter Rock” and “Devils Punchbowl.”
The names can get a bit confusing, so let’s start from the beginning: offshore from Cape Foulweather are three large volcanic rocks, which are called (from north to south) Gull Rock, Otter Rock and Whale Back Rock. Some sources say that Otter Rock is where the last native Oregon sea otter was killed, in 1906. The vacation community that grew up here, and had its own post office from 1913 until 2006, is named Otter Rock, too.
Otter Crest, on the other hand, refers to the sandstone cliffs that stretch from the base of Cape Foulweather south toward Yaquina Head. This feature lends its name to the road, which will take you to the Otter Crest State Scenic Overlook, 500 feet above the ocean, and the Inn at Otter Crest, a condo resort hotel and restaurant.
Then there’s Devils Punchbowl, which is a notable geologic feature adjacent to the community of Otter Rock. The area just east of the punchbowl, with the parking, rest rooms, paths and access to the marine gardens and surfing area, is the state’s Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area. Don’t worry if you’re having trouble with all these otters and devils. It’s a relatively small area, so it’s difficult to get lost.
A powerful punch
Oregon geology lovers should start at the westernmost tip of the Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area, on First Street just off the loop road.
There they’ll find the “punchbowl,” which experts think was formed by the collapse of two sandstone sea caves, and then further carved by the relentless wave action. At high tide, the powerful waves wear down the soft walls while you watch, and occasionally send sprays and mist up to the interpretive signs. This state park offers a grassy recreation area with paths, picnic tables and scenic viewpoints.
Just a few steps away, visitors can find chowder, sandwiches and coffee at Mo’s West, an eight-table café open from May through October each year. One of the six Mo’s restaurants on the Oregon coast, this friendly eatery is housed in Otter Rock’s first post office, built around 1912. They have a children’s menu, memorabilia from the sadly-defunct Otter Rock longboard contest, beer, and more.
Next door is the Flying Dutchman Winery, which has been using salt-air fermentation to make syrah, cabernet and pinot noir since 1997. The Flying Dutchman offers tastings and gifts, barrel room tours and a cliff-top picnic deck with a view of Cape Foulweather and the marine garden. They only make 2,400 gallons a year, so these wines are available only through this tasting room or via their web site, dutchmanwinery.com.
In this neighborhood, it’s common to see wetsuits drying over porch rails and longboards strapped to the roof rack. To see what the surfers are up to, look down at the waves just around the corner, to the south of the Devils Punchbowl. If you’d like to see Otter Rock Beach for yourself, find the wooden staircase across First Street from the park facilities. It heads straight down about 300 feet to the wide beach below.
And, if you’re there around a low tide, the garden will be open. The entrance to the Otter Rock Marine Gardens is found on “C” Avenue; from the public rest rooms, head north and look to the west for the trailhead sign.
Take the path out toward the sea, and wait for the view to hit you: this scene is green.
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| Inside the Punchbowl. OCT photo. |
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| Exploring the marine garden. |
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