SWITCHBACKMOTO
Get the app
The Atlas/Oregon/Devil's Churn

Devil's Churn

Devil's Churn is a narrow basalt sea channel at Cape Perpetua, carved by centuries of Pacific wave action into the rocky coastline along US-101 south of Yachats. At high tide or in swell, ocean waves surge into the slot and explode upward, creating a dramatic churn visible from the paved overlook directly off the highway. The site is managed by the Siuslaw National Forest; a Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful pass is required. The restless-waters viewpoint parking area is on the west side of US-101 at 2400 US-101, approximately 2.5 miles south of Yachats.

Oregon
Region
Viewpoint
Stop type
Standalone stop
Atlas
// Why riders stop

A two-minute stop off US-101 that punches well above its weight — the ocean batters a slot in the basalt cliff just steps from the parking area, a visceral contrast to the smooth coastal highway rhythm.

// Rider photos

Shot by the riders who've run it.

Riders upload photos to their profile and tag the road or stop — tagged shots show up here automatically.

0 rider submissions
Sign in to add a photoUpload & tag from your profile
// Nearby & related
StopOregon
Cloudcap Overlook
Oregon
Cloudcap Overlook is the highest point in Crater Lake National Park accessible to motor vehicles, sitting on the eastern rim at approximately 7,960 feet. The paved pull-off provides an elevated, unobstructed view across the deep-blue caldera to Wizard Island and the western ridgeline. It is reached via Rim Drive, the 33-mile loop road that encircles the lake, and sits roughly 17 miles northeast of Rim Village. The overlook is open only when Rim Drive is clear of snow — typically mid-July through October. Motorcycles pay a separate entry fee at park gates.
StopOregon
Dee Wright Observatory
Oregon
Dee Wright Observatory is a stone tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935, perched atop a vast black lava field at the 5,187-foot summit of McKenzie Pass on Oregon Route 242. Through the observatory's porthole windows, riders can sight named Cascade peaks — North Sister, Middle Sister, South Sister, Mount Washington, and Mount Jefferson — across miles of hardened lava. A quarter-mile paved lava trail circles the flow. OR-242 (Old McKenzie Highway) is closed to motor vehicles from November through early July due to snow; when open it is one of Oregon's premier motorcycle roads.
StopOregon
Hells Canyon Overlook
Oregon
Hells Canyon Overlook is a paved, accessible viewpoint at 5,400 feet elevation on Forest Road 490 off the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway, offering outstanding panoramic views of Hells Canyon — the deepest river gorge in North America at over 7,900 feet — along with McGraw Creek and the Seven Devils Mountains of Idaho across the Snake River. Interpretive signs, vault toilets, and picnic tables are on site. The overlook is reached from Halfway or Joseph, Oregon, and is typically snow-free from late May through October. The approach road is paved to the overlook.