Elevation: about 200 feet
Distance: 4 miles if you have 2 cars to shuttle
Free to park at Sunset Bay
I realized later that we missed another sea lion viewing point at Cape Arago. Make sure to check that out. Follow a short trail to the waters edge.
This hike was done on a Sunday after hiking at Golden and Silver Falls. This hike is best done with 2 cars in order to utilize the shuttle system. Luckily, we could do just that! We parked Kate's car at Cape Arago State Park and then the 4 of us drove back to Sunset Bay to begin hiking. There's a beach right there to admire before starting the trek. The trail climbs slightly and it's not long before you have your first look at the rugged coastline. Follow the small spur trail down to the Norton Gulch. Spend a few minutes here looking at the rocks with shallow water and bright green moss. After the gulch, continue south on the trail and you'll reach Shore Acres State Park in about 2 miles. Some of my best pictures from the day came from this park. There are great spots to watch the waves crash into the rocky shoreline. There is also a really great botanical garden that is definitely worth checking out while you're there. There is supposed to be a Mansion there, but we didn't see it, which led me to question: how big of a mansion could it really be? After spending some time in the botanical gardens, continue south and spend some time on a sandy beach! I collected sand here for my mom (she has me do this when I travel places) and we selectively found pretty purple pieces of shell to add to the collection. After enjoying the beach, continue on the trail as it climbs up and, then, hugs the coastline once again. Explore, where you can, on the rock formations. It's great to get close to the crashing waves. The next stop is Shell Island Overlook, where you can watch seals and sea lions. After viewing the marine life (bring binoculars for this), cross the road and get back on the trail. This is the only semi-difficult part of the trail. It climbs up for about 10 minutes of straight hiking. It emerges at an odd spot- an unmarked gravel road. Go right on the road and you'll happen upon a small clearing (there was a picnic table and port-o-potty there when we were there). Go across this spot and walk down through some trees towards the road and you're back at Cape Arago State Park. The Hike:
Elevation: about 200 feet Distance: 4 miles if you have 2 cars to shuttle Free to park at Sunset Bay I realized later that we missed another sea lion viewing point at Cape Arago. Make sure to check that out. Follow a short trail to the waters edge.
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Amanda had planned a trip to Coos Bay on the the southern coast to celebrate her birthday and was kind enough to include Aaron and me. I asked her if I could plan a hike for one of the days and I picked out this state recreation area. The park is about 45 minutes from Coos Bay, the drive is beautiful and totally worth it to see these two magnificent waterfalls. As of May 2015, the road leading to the park is closed about a mile from the trailhead. Have no worry, as you can park and continue walking up where the road closes for cars. It's actually a nice stroll along a creek and is really no bother at all (especially since the two hikes within the park are very short). I would recommend doing the trails in the order that we did. First, go left to see Silver Falls. You will see the cascading water in less than 10 minutes. After you're done taking in Silver Falls, go back the way you came to the trailhead. Now, go towards Golden Falls. The trail forks, stay right, and walk about 10 minutes until you see the next roaring falls. The view is a little more obscured than Silver Falls, but if you put in the effort of climbing over rocks (which I did not), you can get a closer view. When you're done viewing the falls from ground level, hike back the way you came and take the last trail you haven't explored (the left hand option from the fork, returning from Golden Falls it will be on your right). This trail quickly leads to the top of Golden Falls. It's so easy and has amazing views at the top. The first switchback takes you to a different view of Silver Falls, and the second switchback takes you to the very top of Golden Falls with a view over a canyon. Don't miss this part of the park. Even if you're not in good shape, make it happen. The Hike:
This hike was picked out by my friend, Amanda. We left Portland around noon on a Saturday. Sarah and Dade also joined us. The sky loomed ahead of us as we continued west toward our destination. It was raining when we got to the trailhead so we went into the educational center. The center is well done. There's a large fire place, several craft stations fro kids and a movie playing in a little theater that talks about the 6 year curse of the Tillamook Forest. We spent some time there and then headed up the trail. The whole Wilson River trail goes for about 20 miles. We did a 6 mile portion and chose a bridge as the turnaround point. Probably won't do this part of the Wilson River again, but I'd be interested in seeing what other parts look like. The Hike:
We left after work on Thursday for the holiday weekend. We headed straight to our campsite at the Kalaloch Campground on the Washington coast. It was a 4 hour drive, and we arrived to our campsite around 11:00pm. The closest town is Aberdeen; Kurt Cobain's hometown. We were able to find enough wood around the site to build a small fire that would last a few hours. The campground was full, but we were lucky that our site was pretty secluded and had a path with direct access to the ocean. I was really excited to get some night shots with my newly purchased tripod. When we got to the ocean, the above picture was the view. The half-moon was bright orange and hovering just above the horizon. I got the camera set up in time to take 2 pictures before the moon disappeared behind clouds. The stars there were the best I had seen in years, and we had the whole beach to ourselves. I will definitely return to this spot. We took a short walk in the morning, packed up our things, and continued on. The drive from Kalaloch to Sol Duc Resort is somewhat anti-climactic. Although, Aaron and I were in a parade for the 2nd time this year. The first time, we drove through downtown Portland with Mary and Kara just before the Rose Festival Parade. There were hundreds of people lined up, a lot of them waving to us. This time, we found ourselves in the middle of the Forks 4th of July celebration. It was quite a different scene. Everyone was sitting in the beds of their pick-up trucks eating fried gas-station food. I tried waving but only received confused stares in return. The bottom line: I wouldn't go out of my way to Forks just because of the Twilight series. It's not cool. We reached the ranger station nearest to our entering point. The ranger, Carl, was very helpful and assisted with changing our permits so that we could camp at Deer Lake in lieu of the fact that our planned hike to Hoh Lake was still under snow. We decided against the possibility of falling and injuring ourselves and chose to camp at Deer Lake. We parked at the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort and began our hike. We started at the Mink Lake trailhead (also one end of the Lovers Lane Trail). We could have driven to the end of the road (the Sol Duc Falls trailhead) and cut the hike by 2 miles, but we were ambitious and Aaron really wanted to hike Lovers Lane with me :) After 3 miles, we reached Sol Duc Falls. After a short stop at the falls, we continued toward Deer Lake. This is where the elevation started. We had another 3.5 miles to hike and 1,600 feet to gain. The trail is rocky and is a steady incline. This proved to be difficult for me as it was my first time hiking with a large pack. There was a fine mist falling; just enough to make the trail slightly more difficult. We took plenty of breaks. There are 2 camping spots along the way, which is an easier option. The sites looked nice, and were nestled along Canyon Creek. We reached Deer Lake at 5:30pm, a total of 5.5 hours of hiking (with all of the breaks and stopping by the waterfalls). We chose a really cute campsite that was very isolated. I suppose all of the sites are isolated up there. We had to cross a narrow board over a marshy area to get to the spot. It had some overhead coverage, which was quite helpful as it was still drizzling rain. We set up camp and then started dinner. It was my first time eating dehydrated food, and - at the time - the pad thai was the greatest meal of my life. I was cold and quite hungry. Having a hot meal made all the difference. Also, the Biolite saved my sanity that night. It was 6:30 when we were done eating and we had about 4 hours left of sunlight. We weren't permitted to have a campfire above 3,500 feet, so we busied ourselves by feeding the Biolite and seeing how big of a fire we could make. We did this for 2 hours until hitting the tent. We both fell asleep before 9:00pm. I dreamed about bears that night. They were the only bears I saw all weekend. In the morning, we decided to pack up and head out a day early. Any day hike we could do, was still covered in snow. Lesson learned: don't go to Olympic National Park until later in the summer. Also, bring a deck of cards or some dice or paper and a pen.... something, anything to pass the time! The hike we really wanted to do was the High Divide. It was unreachable at this time of the year. We made a loop hike on the way out, passing Mink Lake. This hike was preferred by both of us to the hike on the first day. We had some panoramic views of the countryside, and we saw a small family of deer about 7 or 8 miles into the back-country. We only saw 2 other hikers on this trail. We didn't start seeing people again until we hit Mink Lake. The total distance of the loop was about 14 miles. We drove northeast to the Crescent Lake Lodge and had a beer. There are a dozen or so cabins on the lake which is an option for the less outdoorsy person. We had dinner and spent the night in Port Angeles. The next day, we drove up to Hurricane Ridge. As the first time I went, it is very busy with people and deer. There are a few short, paved trails as well as a 3 mile round trip trail called Hurricane Hill. Because we were tired, and it was slightly cloudy so the mountains were partially covered, we didn't hike that day. We also drove up a four-mile-long forest road to reach the Mt. Walker viewpoint. It was worth the slow-going drive even on a cloudy day, as the Seattle metro area was in view in the far distance. On a clear day you can see Mt. Rainier, the Space Needle, Puget Sound, and Mount Baker. We made a few side trips on the drive home; including a stop at our favorite sushi spot in Kelso. The Hike: Mink Lake trailhead --> Lovers Lane -->Deer Lake --> Mink Lake --> Mink Lake trailhead
The only part of Fort Stevens that I've seen is the portion of beach front where there is a shipwreck. To get to the ship, all you need to do is hike up and over a mini sand dune. The ship there has been resting in it's spot since 1906. Parts of the ship are scattered south of the main ship. I've been there during low tide and high tide. I prefer low tide because you can get up and close to the ship. If you like photography, this is a great place for a photo-op. Especially if you're there as the sun is lowering in the sky. I'm pretty sure the ship literally made love to my camera last time I was there. Below are their photo-babies. This park is north Oregon coast. If you're heading to Astoria, this is a really easy side-trip. While in Astoria, eat at Bridgewater Bistro for fine dining right on the water with great views. Eat at Bowpickers for absolutely delicious fish 'n chips made fresh to order. They can potentially run out of fish because they use fish caught that morning.
This may be my favorite hike in the coast thus far. It has it all: old growth forest, views of the ocean and coast line, a mini waterfall and a nice spot to sit and eat lunch at the end. This hike can be muddy! The first time Aaron and I did it, we were not prepared for this and we were in pretty sloppy condition at the end. The potential for it to be muddy is relative to how early it is in the year. We saw a lot of people doing the hike in galoshes. You'll see Neahkanie Mountain to the south (also a great hike and can easily be done same day as Cape Falcon). I have done this hike 3 times and I plan to keep going back! The Hike:
After you're done with Cap Falcon, it's worth the short walk south to the beach. You will see the sign for it on your way in and our from the Falcon hike. Below are pictures from that beach a few hours before sunset.
We have driven past this spot several times. We've even hung out at the Pelican Pub & Brewery a few times (this park shares the same parking lot). I think you can get away without a park pass since it is in close proximity to the micro-brewery next door. I put up my state park pass up to be sure. There is a different haystack rock formation that is very similar to the one at Cannon Beach here. Did I mention there is a micro-brewery right on the beach? Serving good beer and okay food? And you can drive right up on the beach? This is a smallish park, but it offers enough room to meander. It's a place where you should take the time to look up close at the rock that you're walking on. Or, of course, watch the crashing waves onto the coastline. We combined our day with Cape Meares. I wasn't impressed with this park. There are minimal trails. I think it's good if you're there with your parents or little kids (paved trails and a visitor center). I don't think I will make the drive here again.
Saddle Mountain is a treat! It's about halfway between Portland and the coast off of Hwy 26. There are some picnic tables by the trailhead to eat before or after the hike. Pretty quick to the start of this hike, there is a side trail off to the right. It's short and enables you to get a non obstructed view of the mountain that you are about to climb. The hike weaves through woods but gives you break through views of the surrounding landscape. The grade is minimal to moderate until at the end where the last push is quite steep (but you can see the summit in clear view to motivate you). As you ascend, the views of Mt. Rainier and Mt St. Helens improve. At the top there is an outstanding 360 degree view of Mt Rainier, Mt Adams, Mt St Helens, Mt Hood and the Pacific Ocean. Yeah. Pretty great. A nice option to complete this hike would be to leave Portland early, hike Saddle Mountain, and continue on 26 to the coast to camp. Hike out there the next day! The Hike:
Kelly's Marina is the greatest place on Earth. And I've been to the Vatican, Eiffel Tower and Eagle River, Wisconsin. Kelly's is a bright green building right off of the 101. We ended up here on a rainy Sunday. Mary was visiting and we had hiked Cape Falcon earlier that day. Within 10 minutes of showing up, we already had our nets in the water. It was a really laid back day with a bunch of people hanging out around the fire pits. There was a Dave and Jimmy reunion (see pic below). Kelly didn't grace us with his presence until the tail-end of our stay. He loved Mary and deemed her, "the fire-keeper." At a later date, Mary would be offered a job at the Marina. We didn't catch any keepers, but there were some epic battles of man/woman versus crab. At one point, one of the little guys picked up a stick to use as a weapon! We purchased crab to feast on while we listened to Dave and Jimmy perform songs which I can only compare to the likes of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. Aaron and I came back with his parents a few weeks later, then I brought my parents and Erin here. We recently brought mini-van of people: Kara, Mary, Rachel, Phil and Sarah to meet with our friends Amanda and Joe. The verdict: everyone loves this place. If you're going to be on the coast, break up the drive with a quick stop here. The crabbing process yourself is very simple: you throw a net in the water, go drink a beer for 20 minutes (this place is BYOB) and then go check the net. It's a really laid back environment and it's a good time rain or shine! This place is located north of Tillamook on the 101. If you catch a keeper, they will cook it for you and show you what parts to eat etc. The owners are always around and are really nice people. Camping is available on the property.
This is arguably the best stop to whale watch short of hopping on a boat. The whales need to swim around the peninsula. We went during "Whale Week," I think that's a thing. I believe the best time to see the whales is the end of March. There were volunteers at the end of the trail helping the onlookers spot for whales. You will need binoculars. We stayed there for the better part of an hour before heading back. The trail includes an old growth forest and good views of the coast line both north and south. The trail was a bit muddy when we were there. Trail reports indicate that this is common. This cape is part of the "Three Capes Scenic Loop" which also includes Cape Meares (not that cool) and Cape Kiwanda (cool). Aaron and I did this hike again in January of 2015. We were hoping to spot some whales as we had the previous time. Unfortunately, the weather prevented us from having much visibility. It did, however, produce an amazing misty old-growth forest for us to hike through. We didn't see any whales, but we did see sea lions and a bald eagle. The Hike:
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I moved to the Pacific Northwest in August of 2012. I quickly identified myself as a hiker. I want to document my experiences so that I can refer to them for myself and others to provide the best hiking experience. I also hope to learn more about hiking from others comments and recommendations. Archives
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