Quick Guide to Sisters Rock State Park on the Oregon Coast
Sisters Rock State Park is one of the forgotten wonders of the Oregon Coast. It looks cool from the highway but won’t blow your mind until you start exploring up close. The park gets its name from the three monolithic peaks at the end of a peninsula. Two are connected to the mainland. The third stands just offshore. Within the largest peak is an enormous sea cave reminiscent of the famous Devils Punchbowl. On either side of the Sisters Rocks are gorgeous and unvisited beaches. It’s the ultimate road trip stop but be warned. It’s hard to leave once you get there. Here is everything you need to know about visiting Sisters Rock State Park.
Lupines bloom on Sisters Rock as late as August
Know before you go
It is free to visit Sisters Rock State Park. You don’t need a pass or permit to park.
Sisters Rock has two small parking areas: one for the North and one for the South Trailhead. Both are pullouts next to Highway 101. The two trails merge in about 0.1 miles, so go ahead and park wherever you find a spot. Few people visit this park and the small lots usually keep up with demand.
The park does not have restrooms or other amenities.
Dogs are welcome at Sisters Rock State Park.
There is no shade on the trails.
Do not climb up the Sisters past where the hiking trails end. I saw a couple of hikers get stuck while attempting it.
Views from Sisters Rock extend to Cape Blanco
On the trail to Sisters Rock
Distance: 1 mile out and back
Elevation gain: 200 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Pass required: None
Dog friendly: Yes
ADA access: No
Season: Any
The South Trailhead parking
The details:
The hike at Sisters Rock is an easy trek with incredible views from start to finish. Navigation is a breeze on this one. You’ll be able to see your destination the whole time. Starting from either the North or South Trailhead, follow the dirt trail for about 0.1 miles until the trails merge.
The trail from the South Trailhead
You’ll see wildflowers along the trail for much of the year. On my late summer hike, peas and Queen Anne’s lace were blooming in the grasses while fruit ripened on the blackberry bushes. A small patch of lupines lingered next to the trail long after lupines had faded just about everywhere else in Oregon below 6,000 feet.
Look for wildflowers along the trail in spring and summer
After the north and south trails meet, the hike continues along a wide and gentle gravel path. This trail was once the road for a quarry. You’ll have great views of the Sisters as you walk. These peaks are made of a jumbled mix of ancient, erosion-resistant rock. Think on the scale of 150 million years old.
Follow this trail
As you get farther out on the Sisters Rock peninsula, you’ll see fantastic views of the beaches to the north and south. Chances are no one will be on either. On a clear day, look for Humbug Mountain and a distant Cape Blanco to the north.
Beach to the north of Sisters Rock
About a quarter mile from the parking area, you’ll pass a beach access trail branching off to the left. It descends to Frankport Beach south of the Sisters Rocks. Stay on the main trail for now. The park’s coolest feature is just ahead.
A fork to the left heads down to Frankport Beach
Following the main trail, you’ll arrive at its natural conclusion, the largest of the Sisters Rock peaks. At the base of the Big Sister is a mysterious cavern that’s irresistible to explore. A narrow trail continues to the gaping mouth of the Sisters Rock sea cave.
Sea cave entrance
The sea cave
The most impressive and unexpected feature of Sisters Rock State Park is its huge sea cave. Three channels allow seawater to fill a deep pit within the Big Sister. Overlooking this pit from its rim, you’ll see a pool of water lapping up onto piles of boulders. The water level in the cave varies with the tide. I would caution you against entering the sea cave at any tide. Admire it from above instead. An unexpected wave would make it dangerous quickly.
Sea cave
Water enters the sea cave through three openings to the ocean. At low tide, it’s possible to see these entrances by walking around to the south side of Big Sister. Look for intertidal animals as you go.
The tide is too high to see the channels, but they are to the right. Little Sister is the sea stack offshore.
The beaches
After seeing Sisters Rock and the sea cave, it’s worth exploring the beaches. Frankport Beach to the south is a good place to start. Sea stacks add interest to the coastline, especially when low tide reveals the abundant intertidal life clinging to them. Besides the natural features, you’ll also see rusted metal curiosities dotting the beach, legacies of its former life as a shipping dock from 1893 to 1905.
Frankport Beach
To the north is another uncrowded and picturesque beach. Oddly, I haven’t been able to find its name. It would be packed if it were farther north on the coast. Far from any city center, it’s usually empty. Walking about a half mile north on the beach will bring you to some intriguing rock formations. Look for mini caves and arches there.
Beach to the north
You can get a good view of the northern beach from above by following the trail partway up the Big Sister. The trail starts wide and even, then becomes more haphazard.
The trail continues partway up the Big Sister
Don’t continue past where the trails stop on either Big or Middle Sister. The terrain is steep and crumbly. Below are jagged rocks and the ocean. You get the idea. When you’re done exploring the beaches and trails, return the way you came.
Getting there
Sisters Rock State Park has two small parking areas directly off Highway 101, only 0.2 miles apart. Park in either. The hiking distance will be the same.
Sisters Rock is 20 minutes south of Port Orford and 20 minutes north of Gold Beach. The drive from Portland takes 5 hours.
Explore nearby
Visit another great underrated Oregon Coast park, Otter Point State Recreation Site.
