Courtesy of Robin Loznak

CAUTION: When the really big storms roll in, make sure to watch from a safe distance and height. Stay off of jetties and avoid low-lying areas like beaches and tide pools, and keep an eye out for sneaker waves.

While ski bums hold their collective breath for snow to fall on the mountains, beach bums wait for big storms to roll in over the Pacific.

Storm watching is among the best winter recreation on the Oregon coast, when the violent, churning ocean crashes dramatically against headlands and sea stacks, putting on a show that’s nothing short of awesome.

But if you want to see the biggest waves, you can’t just go anywhere. To find the best storm watching spots you have to find places with specific geology that allows waves to come into shore unhindered, with rock formations against which they can crash and spray. You also want to get to a spot with a viewpoint that’s far back enough to view the storms safely – bonus points if it’s warm and cozy.

Just as you’d run out to the coast on a nice day in summer, consider heading out there on a particularly nasty day this winter to enjoy the show as it blows into shore. It’s a little more dangerous than basking in the sun, but that thrill is exactly what makes it so appealing.

READ MORE: 30 reasons to love the Oregon coast in winter

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Courtesy of Robin Loznak

1. Shore Acres

Easily the best storm watching spot on the Oregon coast, Shore Acres State Park benefits from geology that seems tailor-made for big, dramatic waves. While the park's formal gardens are the main attraction in spring and summer, crowds pack the cliffs in fall and winter, where the ocean churns and crashes against the huge rocks.

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Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian

2. Cape Perpetua

Cape Perpetua a place of varied sights, and among them are some truly dramatic rock formations that are fascinating to watch when the water gets rough. Cook's Chasm is a narrow opening in the basalt, where waves are squeezed and sprayed up through a spouting horn. Thor's Well is notorious for its sucking effect, which seems to drain the ocean and push it back out again. The rocky shoreline is also generally a great place to see waves crashing in, and you can get a great, sweeping view of the ocean from the Cape Perpetua Overlook above.

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Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian

3. Boiler Bay

Boiler Bay is a great pull-off just north of Depoe Bay, used for a variety of purposes throughout the year. It's popular among bird watchers and whale watchers (the local pod of gray whales is known to feed just offshore), and during extreme low tides you can see the actual shipwrecked boiler the bay is named for. Come winter it's known as a dramatic place to see waves crash ashore, though once the wind and rain blow in you'll likely get soaked within seconds.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

4. Depoe Bay

Unlike beach towns built on sandy shores, Depoe Bay is perched atop the rocky cliffs of the north-central coastline, where waves spray through the town's famous spouting horn, and crash magnificently against (sometimes up and over) a towering sea wall in town. Be sure to dress in water-proof everything, or else be prepared to get wet.

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Courtesy of Brad LaChappelle

5. Ecola

With some of the most dramatic cliffside views of the Oregon coast, Ecola State Park is a natural place to watch storms roll in from the ocean, but what really makes it special is the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, which is known to host spectacular scenes of crashing waves.

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Dana Romanoff/The Oregonian

6. Oswald West

Oswald West State Park might have the greatest variety of storm watching spots of any other place on the coast. Hike to the top of Neahkahnie Mountain, walk up to the cliffs overlooking Devil's Cauldron, trek out to Cape Falcon or, better yet, watch the surfers tackle big waves at Short Sand Beach.

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John M. Vincent/The Oregonian

7. Fort Stevens

We named Fort Stevens the best state park in Oregon for many reasons, and storm watching happens to be one them. You can watch the ocean churn at the mouth of the Columbia River (nicknamed the "Graveyard of the Pacific"), or watch the weather come in over the Peter Iredale shipwreck, but one of the best spots to watch storms is from the platform overlooking the jetty on the Columbia.

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Flickr/Rick Obst

8. Heceta Head

Heceta Head is best known for its lighthouse, but the state park site is also home to a strong headland, sandy beach and a rock formation ominously known as Devils Elbow. You can watch storms from Heceta Head itself or see it from afar at the Sea Lion Caves just south.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

9. Whaleshead Beach

Part of the gorgeous Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, Whaleshead Beach is lorded over by many massive sea stacks just offshore, which can cause waves to crash dramatically in a storm. The two-pronged stop offers a viewpoint high above the rock, and separate area with a sandy beach down below.

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Wikimedia Commons/Thomas Shahan

10. Cape Kiwanda

Whether you walk up to the sandstone bluffs from the beach, hike up the towering dune to the top, or sit inside at nearby Pelican Brewing, Cape Kiwanda is always a great place to spend a stormy day. Just be sure to observe warning signs and don't venture out onto the cliffs, which are especially dangerous in bad weather.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

BONUS: Cape Disappointment

Found just across the Columbia River in Washington, Cape Disappointment is an excellent spot to watch waves cresting and crashing. It's also one of the most popular spots for storm watching, and gets crowded with photographers when a particularly big one rolls in.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

NORTHWEST TRAVEL GUIDES

Where to play on Mt. Hood: Whether you ski, snowshoe or skijore, here's where to do it on the slopes of Mount Hood.

Holiday travel guide: Road trips aren't just for summer. Head to these Pacific Northwest destinations for the holiday season.

Deluxe cabins in Oregon: Tents aren't for everyone, so for those who want more comfort, check out these deluxe cabins in Oregon state parks.



--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB

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