Eleven miles north of Florence is one of the main tourist attractions on the coast. These natural caves are the only lair and rookery for wild Stellar sea lions on the U.S. coast and they house lots of sea lions.
Entrance is inside the gift shop and you walk down a flight of stairs to get to the first level outside. You can't see the caves from here but there are nice views of the coast and you can watch some of the sea lions cavorting in the water. If you're lucky, you might be able to spot whales too.
A short walk will take you to the elevators where you descend over 200 feet to the cave which is as long as a football field and twelve storeys high. Inside, you can watch the lions and their pups as they frolic and jump in and out of the water. You can't take flash pictures because it frightens the animals. You're certainly not close enough to touch them but you sure can smell them and let me tell you, it's not Chanel No. 5.
You can't see the caves from the highway, just the large building that houses the gift shop. It has good quality souvenirs of the caves and Oregon in general, including nearby Heceta Head lighthouse. I liked the machine that turns a penny into a mini copper plaque of either the sea lion caves or Heceta Head lighthouse and at .50, it's quite a bargain souvenir.
There is plenty of free parking, some in front of the gift shop but most across the highway. Outside the gift shop entrance is also a good place to take pictures of scenic Heceta Head lighthouse, just one mile north.
The caves are open 7 days a week. Admission is $6.50 for adults and $4.50 for children.