Bend, OR

Enter in through the gift shop, make your way along the path that sits above the coastline and provides for a magnificent view and ends at the elevator that will take you down into the ocean’s cavern, 200’ below. The path also has whale watching viewers and the whales are there and they are huge!

Once inside the elevator you will take the 50 second descent into the natural made cavern. Once the doors open prepare yourself for the cacophony of conversation among the sea lions. Inside the cave is unique itself simply because you know where you are at; technically below sea level, far back into the rocks, where the sea lions used to roam and probably still would if not for the fence. There are interpretive kiosks about a variety of subjects to include the skeletal remains of a sea lion, still lying where it was found.

As you venture further into the cave you can go left or right, left taking you to the lions den or right, up the stairs to a spectacular view of the lighthouse, beach and waterfall. The lions den is huge and at the time that I was there, there must have been close to 500 sea lions. Of course there is a chain link fence that separates you from them but nonetheless the lions are right there at the fence line. Despite the fencing this is as close one may ever get to the complete nature of the wild and untameable sea as well as the magnificent and ferocious beasts that have tamed the sea.

Being a nature lover and loving what comes naturally to a person or animal there isn’t much equanimity except wild abandon. These lions are in their total natural habitat, no man has put them asunder and it was the great ocean that helped form this cavern by many years of erosion.

After I talked with the lions for awhile and resisted my urge to find away into the actual den I wandered upstairs expecting just a small platform with maybe a few more kiosks but I was quite surprised to find the view that I did. It was a serenely beautiful view and the only place to get this view is from the platform. Driving by the Sea Lion caves, you would never know of the amount of lions or the view that you are missing.

The Sea Lion Caves are located 11 miles North of Florence, OR and 38 miles South of Newport. The cave is famous for the fact that this is the world’s largest sea cave. If you visit nothing else, make sure to stop here as you will be amazed at the size of the cave, you will probably find yourself talking to the sea lions as I did and the view of the lighthouse and waterfall are one not to be missed. The cave & gift shop are handicap accessible.  The entrance fee into the caves themselves are $7.00.