Very cool experience. I loved the Sea Lion Caves as much as I loved the history and construction of the elevator. There was nobody else there when I went so that played a big role in my overall enjoyment. In the summer I bet it's a mad house. Lots of Sea Lions because it's the winter months. 💙

This was a fun thing to do on a Saturday afternoon! Lots of good info about sea lions and lots of fun watching them hang out in the cave. It's definitely a tourist trap thing, but I appreciated being able to see the sea lions in their natural habitat doing sea lion things. If I didn't have my kids with me I would have stayed longer and tried to see if I could spot any whales, but alas my kids got antsy.

Wound up here sort of accidentally, but so glad I did! The gift shop is amazing, and the staff knowledgeable and friendly. I am not a cave aficionado, so did not go down, but was able to just go to the look out area. It was super windy the day I visited (as it nearly always is on the coast) so I didn't stay out there very long. I love the ocean, so for me the view was the thing.

The sea lions are really cool. Definitely worth checking out. The facilities are all really well maintained, and the signs are interesting to read. It does smell, though, which is to be expected from a bunch of any animals, but still good to keep in mind. If you have a hard time with smells it might be hard to enjoy. The pathways are also decently steep ramps, which can tire you out quickly. If you don't feel like taking a steep walk or might struggle with it, it's an important thing to understand.

This place is amazing. You take an elevator down to the caves. There were thousands the first day that we went. My son loved it so much that he asked to go again. The second time we got to see a power play. By a big one keeping the others off the big landing. The smell is a bit of a surprise at first, then we got over it and enjoyed ourselves. Parking is limited in front of the entrance. There is overflow across the street.

A must-visit, truly a standout during our road trip. Just brace yourself for the lively symphony of seals in the cave – and yes, a bit of a distinct aroma too ;-) It's fascinating to observe the sea lions gathering in clusters as they gracefully navigate the waters. On that particular day, we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a few whales in the ocean as well. The only enhancement suggestion would be to create a pedestrian island as you cross the highway from the parking lot.

As someone who has seen Sea Lions up close and personal in the Galápagos Islands this is still great! The animals are beautiful and you can (hopefully) see them in two locations. We recommend bringing binoculars or a camera with great lenses (200 mm +) for good views of the sea lions. While they say it’s only 37 steps to down, you still have to walk up and down hills for the views. This IS handicapped accessible if you can get down the 37 steps or they have another option for that.

The sea lions are really cool and definitely worth checking out. The facilities are all really well maintained however It does smell, though, which is to be expected from a bunch of animals in one place. It also had an amazing view of the ocean and the lighthouse.

It's a beautiful cave, but if you are going to see sea lions check before you make the drive. They are not in the cave year-round. It's an expensive trip to see an empty cave. That being said, it is privately owned and it costs money to maintain it. If you have grown up around the ocean and/or you live a few hours away, I'd wait until the sea lions are in the cave. If you are not from or near a coastal regions and the ocean is a new or a rare experience it's definitely worth it, sea lions or not. There's also a look-out spot where you get a clear shot of the light house. It's definitely an experience worth investing in if it new to you. If you go when the sea lions are not in the cave, drive to Newport after. Across from Ripley Believe it or not there is a pier where you can see, hear, and smell them close up. They're smelly, but worth it there's also, an ice cream/coffee shop where you can sit and watch the sea lions.

Located a few miles south of Yachats, this was my third trip to the Sea Lion Caves, bringing my better half for the first time. Unfortunately we found out at the ticket desk that September is ‘feeding season’ and the Sea Lions were not ‘in residence’. They did, however, offer discounted tickets AND a Rain Check good for another visit to be used within a years time. It was a good deal and the Caves are awesome anyway so we got them. After taking a staircase down and an paved outside pathway, you descend into the caves via an elevator. The Caves are massive and beautiful. The self guided tour is informative and interesting. You can see a Sea Lion skeleton and there is a mini 6 minute movie to watch in the caves as well as many information boards. There is a nice view of the Haceta Lighthouse from the North Viewing platform. I particularly love the pictures of the attraction throughout the years showing the cars from the 40’s and 50’s hanging on the walls as you are on your way back to the main entrance. There is a large well stocked gift shop that you can get assorted flavors of fudge and popcorn. There is a small lot out front and overflow parking across the street. Will definitely be back!

I remember my parents telling me that the sea lion caves were dark,stinky and noisy. Well all that is true but it truly is a sight to see. There are tons of sea lions to see and they are quite active. It’s super fun and unique. I recommend dressing warmly as the caves are quite a bit colder than above.

The girl at the front desk did a good job giving us a heads-up that we may not see sea lions because it’s feeding season. They took $2 off each of our ticket prices and offered a rain check for one year to come back. While we appreciated this, $2 off ended up feeling like not enough off once we went down there. There just wasn’t much to the attraction overall. (We felt half off would’ve been more appropriate.) The rain check is cool, but we’re out of town (as I would imagine many visitors are) so we won’t be able to use it unfortunately. The gift shop was cute though!

Great views. Unique experience, the caves are so cool and interesting. They are very well maintained. There weren’t any sea lions inside the cave due to great weather outside but we did see all of them from the view point.

Cute stop. Great for smaller kids, or seniors. We saw a lot of sea lions. Over priced, but we paid. $16 each for adults. Great stop for seeing something without alot of physical effort. Slightly steep walk to elevator. Elevator down to inside of cave. Then straight to see the cave, but also if you wanted to see different views you can choose to use lots of steps inside cave to explorer around. Steps are slippery. Nice bathrooms. ALSO If your not from around this area becareful on the road people drive like its a race track on this part of the highway.

Except that you want to see the sea lion. This is great looking place you can come and walk around and see beautiful ocean and listen the wave and stuff. I came to the wrong season tho so no sea lion that day.

The sea lions weren't in the day we were there, but it isn't a zoo. It's a natural habitat. The cave is very cool! It's super interesting, beautiful with incredible views. We saw lots of sea lions just off of shore. Just outside of the cave. Wonderful gift shop that didn't feel "touristy". This place isn't a tourist trap, it's a wonderful, natural, protected treasure. Go check it out! If they know the sea lions aren't in, they will tell you before you purchase tickets. But I tell you, even without the sea lions, you will love it!

Despite the elevator was not working and we were not able to see the caves, the kids still seemed to really enjoy it. We were still able to see them from a far. Glad I had binoculars with me. FYI, bring your own optics.

Wonderful place to visit! Fantastic experience to see and hear these animals in their natural environment. We went on a gorgeous sunny day which means it was chilly with a high of 66 on an early August day. Dress warm and enjoy the adventure.

This was really neat. There were some really great views, and the sea lions were interesting to observe. The sea birds came right up and nested on the rocks near the main lookout. The sea cave was really impressive, though the wooden walkways kind of masked its magnificence. The price of convenience. :)

We went in the off season so little to no wait to get in. Sea lions already left for the season but we were able to go down to the caves and look around. Greats views from many spots within the walk to the caves and within the cave itself. Restrooms are available on site. There is a nice gift shop that sales homemade fudge. There is plenty of parking available in front of the shop and additional parking across the street. You can easily spend 2 to 3 hours here.

A must stop place on your HWY 101 travels. For hundreds of years native americans, sea captains, and explorers of all stripes visited this huge mega cave that sea lions have called home since it’s violent creation. However, these days instead of crawling through a steep rocky tunnel, or navigating a stairway - you can visit this darkish, cool mega cave via elevator. Super interesting and wonderful place to stop for kids, dates, family, and anyone interested in wildlife or just in need of an experience you’ll always remember.

Fun place to visit. Just one elevator so it can take a minute to go up and down. Also there is definitely a unique aroma but I thought it was more prominent above the cave than inside it. It was definitely worth the stop though and the gift shop had a lot of selection.

I thought Sea Lion Caves was just OK. You don't get a great view from the high up window, I was expecting to be able to get a little closer. I understand that it's probably to protect the cave and wildlife, but I didn't realize that going in. I think it would be more worth it if it were a little cheaper but at about $15 per person, I felt like we didn't get our money's worth. The cave itself is cool and you get a nice viewpoint from the other side.

Sea lion caves is surely one of those rare places where you can spot a sea lion in large numbers. It depends on the season, sometimes sea lions are in the cave or on the edge of the cliff. This cave is one the biggest grottos for sea lions. There are other scenic views too. There is an elevator that takes you around 150 feet deep into the cave. Cave location is well maintained. I would surely recommend this place for tourists. I do feel $16 entry charge for adult is bit on higher side.

A very interesting outpost on the entire Oregon coast. A very large and well stocked gift shop. In general, you will spend a nice time here and you will learn more about seals and what you didn't know before.

SUPER COOL!! Although there weren't a TON of sea lions in the actual cave, we saw dozens and dozens on the lookout. Great store and wonderful staff. Great view of a nearby lighthouse too.

Visited Monday, April 17th, late afternoon (4-5pm). $16 per adult. Free parking. They close at 5 but wait until everyone comes back up before closing so you can go at 4:45pm and still take your time. Slight walk down a hill to get to elevator that takes you down 200 floors in less than 60 seconds. Be ready for the smell of fish. It really stinks down there but is worth it. Lots of sea lions and seals on the rocks. There is a fence that prevents you from getting close to them but the tide coming in the cave can be dangerous for people anyways. 2 more flights of stairs down below that takes you to the other side of the cave for a beautiful view. Various educational boards to read and there is a Skelton of a sea lion below that is being preserved. Pretty cool experience to enjoy with family. There is a slight incline to the hill to go back up to gift shop, takes about 5 min to walk up it in slow motion while taking photos of the views. Take a jacket as it gets cold down there. They also recommend wearing shoes because it’s wet and slippery.

It’s a cool place to see sea lions hanging out in cave. Though we could able to see only 2-3 sea lions inside cave but tons of them outside in a hangout place on the shore. I was told that more sea lions will be seen in the cave during winter seasons.

We drove over two hours and all we got was a t-shirt (etc). The Sea Lion Caves are closed for maintenance, but they got us in for the souvenirs. It wasn't Horrible, though. The West Coast traveling on 101 has been absolutely breathtaking. We will never forget the experience!

Fascinating location, natural large caves with loads of sea lions chilling about. It's fun because you can also enjoy some popcorn as you walk around. Be prepared though, if you go down the 200 foot elevator into the caves, the smell is AWFUL. We couldn't stay down very long, but I got some footage to go back and review and it's still worth it. Very friendly staff. Oh and it might also be windy on the way to the elevator.

Nice cool breeze, gift shop, small hike to the view spot on left or back to right small hike with elevator ride down the actual cave. Enjoyable visit for the day the sea lions were talkative today and if you have ever heard a 2 stroke engine that is the sounds they were making today!

Great gift shop with some very good fudge. Bathroom facilities outside were very clean! Extremely educational and a great experience for the entire family. We took a stroller and the 37 steps that were necessary to take were not bad at all to pack the stroller down and back up! They suggest taking a jacket, shoes, and binoculars, all are wise to bring as suggested.