DAY HIKING
Oregon
Coast
Bonnie Henderson
1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134
2007 by Bonnie Henderson
All rights reserved
First edition, 2007
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Manufactured in the United States of America
Copy Editor: Carol Poole
Cover and Book Design: The Mountaineers Books
Layout: Mayumi Thompson
Illustrations: Barbara B. Gleason
Cartographer: Mayumi Thompson
All photos by the author except pages 33, 34, 49, 50, and 54 (Randall Henderson) and pages 99,
169, and 227 (Michael Thompson)
Page 1 photo: Whalen Island
Page 2 photo: Berry Creek Trail, Baker Beach
Page 4 photo: Indian Beach
Cover photograph: Darrell Gulin/Corbis
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Henderson, Bonnie.
Day hiking : Oregon coast / by Bonnie Henderson.1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-59485-026-4
ISBN-10: 1-59485-026-7
1. HikingOregonGuidebooks. 2. OregonGuidebooks. I. Title.
GV199.42.O7H47 2007
796.5109795dc22
2006039218
Printed on recycled paper
To stand at the edge of the sea, to sense the ebb and flow of the tides, to feel the breath of a mist moving over a great salt marsh, to watch the flight of shorebirds that have swept up and down the surflines of the continents for untold thousands of years, to see the running of the old eels and the young shad to the sea, is to have knowledge of things that are as nearly eternal as any earthly life can be.
Under the Sea-Wind by Rachel Carson
Copyright 1941 by Rachel L. Carson
Reprinted by permission
A Quick Guide to the Hikes
Use this guide to quickly hone in on a hike you'll like. The hikes are grouped by their single most outstanding feature, with a summary of additional information. To pick a hike:
Glance over the categories to find the one you want.
Narrow your choices to those close to where you are or where you're going (N means North Coast, NC means North Central Coast, etc.)
Look over the features and other information (OCT indicates Oregon Coast Trail link).
Note that mileage for some hikes is one-way and some is round-trip; refer to the full description for these and other details and driving directions. Enjoy your outing!
BEACH WALKS OR HIKES FEATURING BEACH WALKS
HIKES TO HIDDEN OR POCKET BEACHES
HIKES ALONG BAY SPITS
WALKS ALONG RIVERS, ESTUARIES, AND WETLANDS
HIKES WITH SPOUTING HORNS AND PUNCHBOWLS
HIKES ACROSS SAND DUNES
HIKES TO OR ALONG LAKES
HIKES OVER HEADLANDS
HIKES THROUGH FOREST OR CREEK VALLEYS
HIKES WITH OUTSTANDING SHORELINE VISTAS
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to my entire family for their encouragement and enthusiasm as I worked on this and previous editions of the book, especially Charlie for hiking companionship and encouragement. Special thanks to Randall for his scouting and photography assistance on the north coast. Thanks also to the many friends who encouraged me, accompanied me on hikes, hiked and posed for photos (Jack!), and even provided a quiet retreat for writing, including Donna and Mike. Thanks to Barbara Gleason for her wonderful natural history illustrations and to Carol Poole for her thoughtful editing. And thank you to the many people with Oregon State Parks, the U.S. Forest Service, and other agencies who shared maps, information, and their own time to ensure the book's accuracy.
Preface
Change is a constant on the Oregon coast. Winter storms erode some trails and cover others with landslides. People repair and extend trails and create new trails, includingnew to this editionFort to Sea and Netul River Trails (Hike 4) and trails at Cullaby Lake (Hike 5) on the north coast, Whalen Island (Hike 26) on the north-central coast, trails around Lily Lake (Hike 63) on the central coast, and the beginnings of a trail that may eventually circle Eel Lake (Hike 82) on the south-central coast.New landmarks sometimes appear and, with them, trailheads such as one for the North Spit hike, site (at press time) of the wreck of the New Carissa (Hike 85). The hike descriptions in this edition have been updated where necessary, as have natural history sidebars and introductory text. All state and federal managing agencies now have Web sites with good information; those sites are included in this edition. To get (or give) trail updates, visit