Hiking the Oregon Coast Trail

This is for real my last post on this blog

2021-09-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

Because everything I know about the Oregon Coast Trail (almost*) is in my new book Hiking the Oregon Coast Trail, which is now out from Mountaineers Books!

You can buy/order it anywhere. I talked the publisher into making it small format so you can use it to plan but can carry it with you on the trail too and not feel too bad about the extra weight. There is no other up-to-date resource like it for backpacking this somewhat complicated but super fun trail, whether you're doing a section or the whole thing.

*RE "almost": Literally the week it was headed to the printer I found out the northern trailhead was closing until maybe 2023 due to construction on the jetty. So I quickly edited that section accordingly. Then I went to the trailhead and checked in person, and in fact you can still start there! In other words, guidebooks are all instantly out of date, because the world is always changing and new trails are being built and old trails are falling into the ocean and ...

However I do have a website, HikingtheOCT.com, where I have posted some basic info about the trail AND where I am posting updates as I get them: new places to camp, boat ferry availability, trail closures and new trail sections, etc. Please use it to supplement Hiking the Oregon Coast Trail. My 2015 book, Day Hiking: Oregon Coast, also has tips for thru-hikers and has been helpful to many, but it's very brief and outdated in places (and frankly wrong in a few spots), so please don't use it anymore for that purpose; use this new book instead. If you're just wanting to day hike along the coast, it's perfect.

Forecast for OCT 2021: Mostly fair (and I'm putting this blog to bed)

2021-03-26T15:19:00.003-07:00

Cooks Ridge Trail in Cape Perpetua Scenic Area got hit hard by the windstorm but was cleared and is hikeable. Reports indicate that the OCT over Cape Perpetua is in good shape.

You may recall that the Oregon Coast Trail was officially shut down last year, along with every other long-distance trail. The pandemic was raging, and the best course seemed to be to just keep people off the trails and, in the case of the OCT, out of coastal tourist towns, potentially spreading (and picking up) the virus.

Obviously things are much better this year. No one’s asking hikers to stay home (just to keep their mask handy and slap it on when encountering other people). We are being asked to walk lightly on the land; overcrowding has taken a toll on many recreation sites as people stayed safe and played outside. All the coastal state park hiker-biker camps closed last year, but they are slowly reopening; best guess is that many if not all hiker-biker camps will be back open by around Memorial Day.

Meanwhile, remember that windstorm that started on Labor Day 2020? The one that kicked off all those massive forest fires in the Cascades? That same storm also toppled thousands of trees in the forests along the Oregon Coast. Then there was the Valentines Day ice storm. As a result, a few OCT trail sections on the north coast became impassable and were closed to hikers. Some have already been cleared and are back open (such as the Tillamook Head trail from Seaside to the backpackers camp), but at this writing there are still some closures:

In Oswald West State Park, the OCT from Arch Cape north to the US 101 highway crossing.
Also in Os West, the OCT from US 101 south to Cape Falcon (just one bad spot, where the trail tops out at Round Mountain, but it may be cleared soon).
The trail up the north side of Neahkahnie Mountain (Os West too).
Every trail at Cape Lookout State Park.

Coincidentally I’ve just published a new website, hikingtheoct.com, with lots of trail updates, and I’ll continue to update it as I get new information. This blog will continue to be accessible at hikingtheoct.blogspot.com, but I won’t be updating it; all my updates will be on my website.

All this is in anticipation of my new, vastly improved, super comprehensive guidebook, Hiking the Oregon Coast Trail, to be published by Mountaineers Books in September 2021. It will be way more comprehensive than Day Hiking: Oregon Coast, which was just that: a guide to coastal day hikes, with me squeezing in tidbits for thru-hikers where I could. It was never quite adequate, it had a few mistakes (sorry!) and now it’s dated in places. But used in conjunction with my website, it will do for 2021.

Meanwhile my dream has always been to write a guidebook focused solely on the OCT. Now I have. And you can pre-order it now!

Thanks for following my blog, and please stay in touch. I'd love to get your OCT updates and share them with other hikers.

'Closed'? Maybe, but still hikeable in sections

2020-09-10T16:10:00.005-07:00

So you know the OCT was officially closed to thru-hikers this year, right? To the extent that Oregon State Parks can close it: the agency closed several state parks (not even toilets and water were available) and closed all 10 (if my count is right) state park hiker-biker camps along the OCT, from Fort Stevens to Harris Beach, which made it difficult to attempt a thru-hike or even a section hike in some cases.

Difficult, but not impossible.

I have heard from several hikers who managed to hike part or all of the OCT this season.

Cheryl Lund had already hiked the OCT from the Columbia River to Siletz Bay as a four-year participant in CoastWalk Oregon; she decided to celebrate her 60th birthday in August by getting a motel room in Yachats and using public transportation to shuttle to trailheads to the north and south, hiking 60 more miles of the OCT and putting her nearly at the halfway point toward finishing the entire trail.

In July Heather Fischer and a companion hiked the stretch from Paradise Point (north of Port Orford) to Face Rock south of Bandon. "The wind was annoying at points, but the timing of tides was worth going northbound," she wrote. "We had a great hike, saw more seals than people, and got to chat with the snowy plover researchers." She also did some create problem-solving, like arranging to leave a car at a nearby RV park (for a small fee).

Doug "Shaggy Doug" Viner sent me a report about trail conditions in Boardman State Scenic Corridor (much obliged!). I don't know where he started or whether this was part of a short or long hike, but cheers, Doug.

My friends Paula and Mike Ciesielsky reached (closed) Crissy Field and the end of the OCT yesterday. It was their third OCT section hike: first they hiked to Florence, then to Floras Lake, and this year from Floras to California. Sounds like they had a great time (but this is as good a place as any to note that the trail at the south end of Whaleshead Beach has slid and is now quite a treacherous scramble until you get to solid ground). The smoke came in on the second-to-the-last day, so thick that Mike had to use his headlamp to read--at 11:30 am. Wow. Congrats, Paula and Mike!

Last but not least, Brandon Tigner, the north coast stewardship coordinator for Trailkeepers of Oregon, managed to conduct a first-person scout and trail assessment of the entire OCT. Which he needed to do, COVID or no COVID: maintaining and building new sections of the OCT is a central part of his job. His Summer 2020 survey of the entire OCT will benefit future OCT hikers for years to come. He was accompanied by his wife Alix Lee-Tigner. They started hiking immediately after their wedding, which means, yes, it was also their honeymoon. Congratulations, Brandon and Alix!

My new book Hiking the Oregon Coast Trail won't be out before the 2021 hiking season, but I should have my website updated with lots of good info that will help you stay safe, have fun, and stay off the highway as much as possible.

A hard NO on hiking the OCT in 2020

2020-06-24T11:16:00.002-07:00

None of this is possible in 2020: hugging strangers you meet along the OCT, or even camping at hiker-biker camps (this is South Beach State Park)

I finally got the information I needed to make a clear recommendation to those seeking to thru-hike the Oregon Coast Trail in 2020:

Don't do it.

Why? Well, there is the general recommendation to not travel far, to stay close to home, especially as I write this (late June), with COVID-19 cases spiking statewide, including in Lincoln and other coastal counties.

But the unavailability of campgrounds is the clincher. Because much of the OCT goes through developed areas, because you can rough camp in only limited portions of the OCT, the availability of campgrounds is key, both for sleeping and for toileting. Here is the campground situation:

Most coastal state park campground are open. But they require reservations.

No hiker-biker camps are open. They aren't likely to reopen this hiking season. State Parks has a policy of not turning away people who arrive by bike or on foot, but it is unclear how they are going to honor that policy given that hiker-biker camps are closed.

Due to several state budget cuts, several key state park campgrounds are closed, some until the end of July, some until the end of the year. That means, among other things, the water is turned off and the restrooms are closed. Some of these are in key locations where there isn't an alternative for many miles. They are (north to south):

Devil's Lake State Park
Beachside State Recreation Site
Carl G. Washburne State Park
Umpqua Lighthouse State Park
Cape Blanco State Park

Most or all county campgrounds seem to be open. Most federally managed campgrounds (such as at Cape Perpetua in the north and Oregon Dunes National Recreation area) are also open, but they require reservations, and services may be limited. The few that offer hiker-biker areas probably still will.

Those are the details. Here's the big picture. The availability of potable water, toilets, and drop-in campsites along the OCT is essential for a successful OCT thru-hike, and you just won't be able to count on them being open this year. Much of the fun of an OCT hike is stopping in at coffee shops and chowder shops and microbreweries, but even where indoor service is now provided, it's just not a good idea at this time.

Look, if the OCT was entirely in undeveloped public land like the Pacific Crest Trail is, it would be a different story. But no one (in their right mind) is hiking the PCT this year either.

You could consider a section hike along the Oregon Dunes, rough camping along the way, but you'll need to carry water. Winchester Bay Charters can ferry you across Winchester Bay, and you can fill up on water at one of the campgrounds there.

Let's hope there's a vaccine by next spring. Meanwhile I strongly urge you to delay your plans to thru-hike the OCT until 2021 or later.

Hiking the OCT--maybe--in 2020

2020-05-24T17:28:00.002-07:00

UPDATED MAY 30, 2020

Oregon is starting to reopen. That means that hiking the Oregon Coast Trail may be possible in summer 2020 after all. Here are some things to think about as you consider your plans.

Most, but not all, coastal state parks are set to open June 9, but HIKER-BIKER SITES WILL NOT BE OPEN INITIALLY. Check Oregon State Parks FAQ page for details; even if a park is listed open, keep reading to see if hiker-biker sites are open. I would not advise undertaking an OCT thru-hike unless all the hiker-biker campsites are open.

Restrooms may be limited. One of the things that's been done to keep Covid-19 from spreading is closing public restrooms. Access to public restrooms is pretty important on the OCT. But in many places, if the restrooms are closed, portapotties have been brought in.

Be prepared to carry water. With many restrooms closed, access to potable water may be more limited than usual, so you may have to stock up more. Unknown when that may change.

Boat shuttles should be happening! This is the key, IMO, to a successful OCT thru-hike. Jetty Fishery at Nehalem Bay has reopened and is shuttling hikers across Nehalem Bay. Garibaldi Marina isn't quite there yet but hopes to be offering ferries across Tillamook Bay by July; it may be just 1 or 2 people at a time per boat, however, to maintain distancing. Winchester Bay Charters is in business and available to shuttle hikers across the Umpqua, and they're still offering to connect hikers with outfitters in Coos Bay for shuttles there. I don't know if they have done that yet (it's something Annalisa said she'd be happy to try at the end of last season), but give her a call: it would beat many miles of highway shoulder and sidwalk through North Bend-Coos Bay.

Grocery stores are open. Plan to wear a face covering into the grocery store. Coastal restaurants are slowly reopening, though many are still takeout-only.

Lodging is reopening in many places. Coastal innkeepers would love to have your business.

Basically it looks like an OCT hike will be doable this summer, particularly if you live nearby and don't have to travel too far to get here (which is still being discouraged). But I would think in terms of starting no sooner than July 1. Make sure Oregon State Parks has reopened all of its coastal campgrounds. It should go without saying that you should stay home if you feel ill or have been exposed to anyone with the virus, but there, I said it. Carry and use hand sanitizer and a face covering when you enter grocery stores or any indoor spaces. And keep your distance from folks. Don't be a spreader, and don't get sick yourself. If people keep following the rules and there are no new outbreaks, it could be a great year for an OCT trek after all.

Should you hike the OCT this year?

2020-03-21T14:32:00.001-07:00

Hiking from Lincoln City to Depoe Bay in early March--back before everything changed.

UPDATE 3-23-20: after hoards of vacationers descended on the coast for spring break, cities and counties all along the coast took action to close hotels and vacation rentals and order tourists to return home. All campgrounds are closed--public and private. Basically, it's time to "stay in your own terrain," as this article in High Country News puts it.

This changes everything.

How might the covid-19 pandemic affect your Oregon Coast Trail thru-hike plans this year? Spending a month walking on the beach and over coastal headlands rather than cooped up at home probably sounds pretty awesome. But the Pacific Crest Trail Association is recommending hikers postpone or cancel their thru-hike plans on that trail this year, to keep themselves and the community safe. That’s probably good advice for the Oregon Coast Trail too, at least early in the hiking season. (Governor Brown would definitely prefer you stay home.) Here are some considerations specific to the OCT:

FOOD. Typically OCT thru-hikers resupply in grocery stores along the way rather than sending supply boxes ahead. Grocery stores are open and that’s still possible, but it requires you to come into contact with people who could be carriers of the virus.

MORE FOOD. Part of the fun of the OCT is being able to stop at cafes, restaurants, brewpubs along the way. At this time all these establishments are closed in Oregon except for take-out. No idea when that might change.

TRANSPORTATION. A big part of the OCT experience is getting boat shuttles across bay mouths or, alternately, taking a bus or cab around the bay to avoid a long highway shoulder walk. Some of these small outfitters might still welcome your business, but some might be shut down, and again, contact with people=risk. Also bus schedules are being cut way back.

CAMPING. Another major feature of an OCT thru-hike is the opportunity to camp at hiker-biker sites, mainly in Oregon State Park campgrounds. But they’re all shut down at least through May 8. Get updates from Oregon State Parks.

GOING COMMANDO. With careful planning, carrying plenty of food/fuel, and doing all your camping on the beach (some of it not exactly legal) or dispersed on public lands such as the Oregon Dunes, you could maybe pull off a thru-hike with minimal contact with other humans. But that means you'll be shitting on the beach or in the dunes, not to put too fine a point on it. Restroom accessibility, on a trail that is constantly ducking in and out of civilization, is part of the OCT's charm, but restrooms all along the beach are currently closed to keep from spreading the virus. A bunch of OCT hikers crapping on the beach would not be charming.

Wow, thanks being such a bummer, Bonnie! Hold up. No one knows how long these virus-related restrictions will last. It’s possible things will ease up in mid-summer, or late summer, or September. The PCT is a five-month undertaking, but a fit hiker can easily finish the OCT in under a month. It's quite possible you could still pull off an OCT hike this year, just later in the year. Certainly you will be enthusiastically welcomed by coastal cafes, campgrounds, etc. once they reopen. North Coast Land Conservancy still hopes to undertake its annual CoastWalk Oregon three-day walk in September; cross fingers!

Late season OCT update

2019-08-30T17:10:00.003-07:00

At Sisters Rocks, south of Port Orford

Nearly-September greetings, especially to those of you about to start a fall OCT hike. I finished my OCT hike a couple of months ago but haven't had time to post updates; sorry about that. Better late than never, I hope.

First, though, my news: I have a contract to write a a through-hikers' guide to the OCT for Mountaineers Books! Hiking the Oregon Coast Trail will be way easier to use (and up to date, and informed by way more research) than my Day Hiking: Oregon Coast, which is still the best thing out there at the moment for through-hiker. Won't be out until fall 2021, however.

In the meantime, I plan to build a robust OCT website to replace this blog, which will have a lot of the info that's going to go in the new book. So 2020 hikers will have access to that.

But for NOW, here are the most important tidbits I gathered that either add to or correct info I've already put out there. They include references to the big yellow numbered beach access (BA) signs you'll see along the way; those went up after Day Hiking: Oregon Coast came out in 2015. They are SUPER helpful for wayfinding on the OCT and will definitely be part of the book. I hope these updates are helpful to the rest of the Class of 2019.

HIKER-BIKERS: Many (not all) hiker-biker camps now have lockers where you can charge a phone (and stash your food out of reach of rodents). Bring a small padlock to be super secure, but we didn't and no one stole our phones. But it can happen.

BOAT SHUTTLE UPDATES:

Nehalem Bay: Jetty Fishery is solid.
Tillamook Bay: Garibaldi Marina seems to be iffy; sometimes they'll give rides, sometimes not (if not, consider catching a bus from Garibaldi to Oceanside, which means you'd skip Cape Meares).
Netarts Bay: all depends on what Zach at Big Spruce RV Park is up to; if he can't help you out, you might get a ride with a recreational boater, or the road walk isn't bad.
Siletz Bay is my bad: when I hiked it 10 years ago I had no problem hitching a ride with a boater, but I think I just got lucky that day. If no boats, walk the highway, get a cab, or check the bus schedule.
Umpqua River: Winchester Bay Charters is solid; they'll get you across the Umpqua, but they need to pick you up around high tide, and be prepared to bash your way through a bunch of downed trees on the beach past the jetty (kind of a hassle; blame Mother Nature).
Coos Bay is a no-go; Sharkey's has quit offering rides (he never did actually provide one to anyone, and now he say he's not going to), so I suggest getting a cab from Horsfall Beach to Charleston (but call ahead; I've heard of long waits for cabs here).

A WORD ABOUT CAMPING: You know there's no dispersed camping allowed in state parks, but sometimes you just have to bivouc (leaving no trace!). And I'm kind of down on actually camping on the beach, but some OCTers camp on beaches all the time. Just be discreet, avoid towns, use nearest toilets, and you should be fine.

At Hug Point, south of Cannon Beach

OCT NORTH

CAMP RILEA: Not as big a problem as before. When the beach is closed, it isn't usually for the whole 3.5(ish) miles, and they might even give you a ride across the closure area at the top of the hour. Also note that the posted range schedule (online) can change at the last minute (as it did the day we hiked).

GEARHART: To leave the beach at Pacific Way, note that the BA 6A sign is WAY up on the bluff; you have to actually hike up onto the foredune to see the sign, so look for footsteps into the dunes and you'll see the sign from the top of the foredune,

BARVIEW: Walking train tracks from here to Garibaldi is no problem. Train goes really slowly, conductor is friendly, no trestles, way better than walking highway.

GARIBALDI: Old Mill RV Park was great for camping, except it's on grass so we got tons of condensation in/on tent.

SAND LAKE: I've seen pictures of people wading up to their knees, but we were up to our waists. Maybe we should have tried crossing right at the mouth, where the waves hit? Hard to tell where the shallowest spot was (even RIGHT at low tide). Talked to another hiker 2 months later who was unable to cross even at low tide. It SHOULD be crossable, but you might want to put your pack in a garbage bag as you cross...???

CASCADE HEAD: We took the unofficial trail from the north to Hart's Cove Trail, described in my book, first walking through the gated community at Neskowin, despite signs warning away all but residents and guests; in fact, the only people who talked to us were SUPER friendly. Once on the trail, we only got lost once, and then very briefly. Fortunately there are plans for way improving the official route over Cascade Head, but not in time for the Class of 2019.

DEPOE BAY: OCT route north and south of here is very close to highway and not very clear (brushy), but try it; beats walking the highway shoulder.

YAQUINA HEAD: Actually, north of Yaquina Head: If the tide is higher than mid-tide, leave the beach at BA 55 (Moolack); there is a headland about 1 mile south that can't be rounded except at low-mid tide.

CAMPING IN CAPE PERPETUA AREA: We camped at Rock Creek CG; very shady, and windy the night we were there. Maybe Cape Perpetua is better? Presumably there is no official hiker-biker at either, but camp host will squeeze you in, though we never saw camp host at Rock Creek.

CAMPING IN FLORENCE: You can still camp at the RV park at the Port of Siuslaw, they just don't have an actual hiker-biker area (you have to get a regular tent site). They have three little tent sites on the grass. If they're full, you can take an RV site (each has grass area) if available, but have to pay RV price. Might call ahead to reserve.

OCT SOUTH

SILTCOOS RIVER: Try to hit at low-mid tide for easier wading.

WINCHESTER BAY: Umpqua Dunes is a Douglas County RV campground that offers showers, laundromat, and potable water. Consider stopping off here, filling water bottles, then continuing down the beach to camp in the dunes.

TENMILE CREEK: Aim at low tide. (We ran into through-hikers who got there at high tide and there were seals swimming in the estuary: definitely not crossable!)

SUNSET BAY STATE PARK: Note that the route I describe (somewhere; in blog?) from Bastendorff Beach to Sunset Bay still exists but is totally unmarked, so can be confusing. Also they have moved the hiker-biker site to a new spot in the park--not as soggy!

CAPE ARAGO: If you try the route up the Pack Trail and through the private timberland here, note one big mistake in book: When you get to what I call the "landing," sontinue south on the little trail on the right, not the one on the left (which dead-ends). The correct trail starts very narrow but quickly opens into a wide logging road. Keep trending south and you'll get where you want to go. Still no "No Trespassing" signs at north end, but there are some as you pass the final gate and hit the road ...

BULLARDS BEACH STATE PARK: Leave the beach at BA 146 and follow Pearl's Trail 0.8 to the campground (and relocated/improved hiker-biker camp).

NEW RIVER: Very dynamic; mouth isn't hard to wade at mid-tide, but there is a breach in the river about 1 mile south of the mouth that has more water volume than the mouth; that's what you want to try to hit at low tide. Or at least that was the situation in late June; changes all the time here.

FLORAS LAKE TO BLACKLOCK POINT: To get on the trail from the beach, follow the OCT signs, NOT my instructions; its a much clearer route. Signage is good for awhile, then falls away, then improves; you'll figure it out.

CAPE BLANCO: Aim at hitting the Sixes River (north of Cape Blanco) close to low tide. The Elk River (south of the cape) is shallower and can be crossed at mid-tide (or higher?)

PORT ORFORD: The port has a "campground" (=parking area) at the corner of Dock Road and 5th Street (sign is subtle; is inside the fence). No facilities, but you can walk down to the port and use the toilet and showers there. Mostly gravel, but can probaby put up a tent along less-gravelled edges.

ROCKY POINT: Don't try to round Rocky Point on the beach. I took several good looks at it last weekend, and even at low tide it's a long slog over boulders. Just leave the beach at Hubbard Creek (BA 164) and walk the highway to continuation of the trail in Humbug Mountain State Park.

HUMBUG MOUNTAIN STATE PARK: The trail to the day-use area has been restored and reopened, reducing your highway walking by 1 mile. Yay.

SOUTH OF SISTERS ROCK: Follow highway for 0.5 mile, then hang a left up a mown and increasingly overgrown road right-of-way. It's only brushy for 0.3 mile, then you hit a wide gravel road. Follow it south: becomes Coy Creek Road. I'm uncertain about ownership here, but this is WAY better than hiking the highway. Follow it south, then pop back on the highway north of Ophir just in time to take little trail back to beach.

CAMPING IN GOLD BEACH: Just 0.6 mile off the trail/highway is Indian Creek Campground, a private campground that is awesome. Look it up. They have lots of tent sites far away from the RV sites, a cafe on site serving breakfast and lunch, and a restaurant ust 0.2 mile down the road. Plus the usual other campground amenities. (Just not a hiker-biker area, but they usually have openings.)

Those are the highlights. Have a great OCT!

Try this itinerary--or riff off it

2019-05-10T15:04:00.004-07:00

Walk the beach at Seaside, or walk the Prom? We'll decide when we get there.

Hey, I also just updated the 2019 campground list. Again.

And be sure to check out this 2019 boat shuttle list and my 2019 OCT update

Have I mentioned I’m planning to thru-hike the OCT again in June?

Yes, it’s time. I did it before in two halves, in 2008 and 2009; it’s time for an update. I’m really curious how many other thru-hikers I’ll encounter—lots, I suspect. (I think I met only three other OCT backpackers 10 years ago: 1 woman hiking alone and a pair of women.) A few other differences:

Last time I hiked solo. This time I’ll be walking with one friend as far as Florence, where we’ll be joined by another friend.
Last time I didn’t plan it out much (I was pretty familiar with the whole coast though); I tended to make plans a day at a time. This time we have every day scheduled. Because …
This time we plan to stay in lodging about 1/3 of the time camp 2/3 of the time. We have reservations for lodging, so we're pretty locked into a schedule. This camp/inn hybrid is kind of wasteful of pack weight (still need to carry tent, stove, sleeping bag), but sharing some of that gear weight with a companion will help. Plus there are off-trail lodgings I just want to check out. Plus it will be fun.
Have worked out a plan that sticks very close to an average of 15 miles a day. (Last time I had some 25-mile days; I know that’s an “easy day” on the PCT, but that is a thru-hike of another order of magnitude).

Given all the work I’ve put into planning this 15-miles-a day itinerary, I thought it would be helpful to share it with others. Note that some of my decisions are pretty idiosyncratic (like, I just want to experience camping atop Tillamook Head), so use it if it’s helpful but don’t be a slave to it. You have your own trade-offs to consider.

Just FYI, I’m figuring about $350 each for two of us on the north half for lodging, camping fees, and boat shuttles. On the south half, where there will be three of us, it looks about the same per person (not including stopover at Tu Tu Tun; see below). We plan to eat in restaurants/cafes pretty often and resupply in grocery stores along the way, which costs more $$ but saves pack weight/volume. I wouldn’t call it glamping, but it’s a pretty deluxe trip we have planned. I was probably influenced by the inn-to-inn walk I did across England last June.

Note that mileage figures are rough; probably pretty accurate to within a mile. Note that we’ve engineered in a couple of layover days. (The second one is just to luxuriate at Tu Tu Tun Lodge on the Rogue River; a friend is meeting us and driving us there from Gold Beach.)

Follow us, if you want; I plan to post updates on my "bzenderson" Instagram account. Naturally I'll share updates about trail conditions, etc., in this blog after I finish.

NORTH PORTION

Average 15 miles/day, range from 11 to 18 miles/day

DAY 1: to Gearhart, 14 miles. Lodging. Remember to check to see of the range at Camp Rilea will be "hot" or "cold."

DAY 2: to Tillamook Head, 11 miles. Camp. CARRY IN WATER.

Day 3: to Arch Cape, 14 miles. Lodging. Will try to time it so we can get around Hug Point at low tide instead of walking around it on the highway.

I always love the view of Neahkahnie Mountain from Cape Falcon trail.

DAY 4: to Manzanita, 14 miles. Lodging. Boat shuttle across Nehalem Bay.

DAY 5: to Garibaldi, 16-17 miles. Camp.

DAY 6: to Cape Lookout State Park, 18 miles. Camp. Start day with boat shuttle across Tillamook Bay with Garibaldi Marina; also hoping to catch boat ride across Netarts Spit with recreational boater (otherwise walk Whiskey Creek Road to the state park).

DAY 7: to Cape Kiwanda/Pacific City, 11-12 miles. Lodging. Need to time our crossing of Sand Lake outlet to low tide.

DAY 8: to far side of Salmon River, 17 miles. Camp. We plan to camp on some private property I know about; sorry I can’t share that with you-all. First plan to hike up the back side of Cascade Head via Hart’s Cove on informal trail I describe in the book; no idea what condition it’s in these days. We’ll find out.

DAY 9: to Depoe Bay, about 18 miles. Lodging. Taking a secret back route (that might someday be the official route, but that I can’t share, yet) to get back to the beach at Lincoln City; you might use this route to cut a few miles off the highway slog into Lincoln City.

DAY 10: to South Beach State Park south of Newport, 16 miles. Camp.

DAY 11: to Beachside State Park south of Waldport, 17 miles. Camp.

DAY 12: to Rock Creek Campground, north of Yachats, 17-18 miles. Camp.

DAY 13: to Florence. Here we’ll either get picked up at Baker Beach (10 miles) or hike all the way to the north jetty (19 miles) or somewhere in-between. Staying with friends.

DAY 14: LAYOVER DAY IN FLORENCE

South portion

Average 14 miles/day, range from 8 to 17

DAY 15: to Threemile Lake in the Oregon Dunes, 12-13 miles. Primitive camp. We plan to get a ride to the south jetty in the morning and skip the highway walking from Florence. CARRY IN WATER.

DAY 16: to Winchester Bay, 10 miles. Lodging. Arranging boat shuttle from north Umpqua spit to Winchester Bay with Winchester Bay Charters.

DAY 17: to Sunset Bay State Park, 8 miles. Camp. Cross Coos Bay in the afternoon with ferry prearranged with Sharkey’s Charters.

DAY 18: to Bullards Beach State Park, 15-16 miles. Camp. We’ll probably walk the “secret” trail over the headland (see my book). Need to hit Fivemile Point at or below mid-tide.

DAY 19: to Floras Lake, 16 miles. Lodging. Ideally hit New River outlet at low tide.

DAY 20: to Port Orford, 15 miles. Lodging. Want to hit Sixes and Elk rivers as close to low tide as possible.

DAY 21: to Ophir, about 17 miles, much of it on road. Camp (at Honey Bear Campground, mainly for RVs, but has tent camping, perfect location).

DAY 22: To Gold Beach, 12 miles. Lodging.

DAY 23: LAYOVER IN GOLD BEACH

July 2009: A passerby offered to snap my picture atop Cape Sebastian.

DAY 24: to Crook Point, 16 miles. Camp. Unknown where we’ll stealth camp. CARRY IN WATER. There are no other options here. (Although last time I did the OCT I called a cab at Pistol River, slept at Harris Beach State Park, took cab back the next day, and hiked back to Harris Beach.)

DAY 25: to Whaleshead Beach, 13 miles. Lodging at Whaleshead Beach Resort (the only near-trail lodging between Gold Beach and Brookings)

DAY 26: to California line at Crissy Field State Recreation Site, 16 miles, where we’re being picked up by a friend.

Your 2019 Oregon Coast Trail update

2019-04-10T14:24:00.002-07:00

View of Cascade Head from the top of the saddle at Cape Kiwanda

I think this is the third year I've assembled an update to be used with the directions I give for through-hiking the Oregon Coast Trail in my book Day Hiking: Oregon Coast. Most result from changes in the trail since the book was published. Yes, there were also a few boo-boos in the book; most were pretty minor, but when you use up all your water overnight on Tillamook Head and are expecting to fill your water bottle at Indian Point, but the toilet there is actually a vault toilet and there's no water for a couple more miles, it's kind of a bummer. Hence, this annual update.

2019 OCT route update

Also check out my 2019 campground list and boat shuttle list.

If you're reading this in April but aren't hiking until August, check back: I seem to end up updating the update once or twice a season.

What's new? In a few places the trail has just gone to hell and isn't hikeable (until it gets repaired). Many notes are about small things. I have a few new tricks for cutting your highway shoulder walking here or there.

As I've mentioned before, there is a robust effort underway to create an actionable master plan for improving the Oregon Coast Trail, mainly to create new trail that gets hikers off the highway in places where there's currently no alternative. That process started a year ago and is set to wrap up at the end of 2020. There may not be any new trail sections built by then (or there may be; in fact, I know of two places where new trail sections are supposedly being built this summer). The hope is that this process will identify the pragmatic steps that must and can be taken in key areas to eliminate most of the highway walking on the OCT. I had been hoping that it would include action toward adding developed campsites; so far I haven't seen any momentum in that direction, but I keep hoping.

I plan to be on the OCT most of June myself; maybe I'll run in to you! In any case, I hope you have a safe and fun journey this summer or whenever you hike the Oregon Coast Trail.

To cut your highway shoulder miles, look for this at about mile 315 ...

... and follow it 0.5 mile to get to this.

Crossing the big bays with an outfitter

2019-03-23T16:36:00.003-07:00

Stepping out on Bayocean Spit after a ride across Tillamook Bay from Garibaldi.

Bay mouth crossings: they’re one of the things that make hiking the Oregon Coast Trail extra fun and different from other long-distance trails. You can avoid them (and the uncertainty or expense of getting a boat ride) by simply walking around the big bays, but that puts you on miles and miles of highway shoulder walking, forces you to skip miles and miles of beach walking, and kind of defeats the purpose of hiking the OCT, in my opinion. The good news is that there are now outfitters who will offer rides at every major bay crossing, plus several less-major ones.

When I last hiked the OCT a decade ago, I just hitched rides with recreational boaters across Tillamook Bay, Netarts Bay, Siletz Bay, and the Umpqua; I paid for a ride across the Nehalem (easy and cheap) and prearranged and paid for a ride across Coos Bay. Bumming rides from boaters still strikes me as a good option for people willing to live with some uncertainty (and willing to ask a favor of strangers, and eager to save money, and inclined to not plan ahead). There are usually lots of boats out and about in summer. (Though certain bays need to be crossed only at high tide, or only on an incoming tide; only later did I realize how lucky I was with my timing of the tides.)

CoastWalk Oregon participants climbig into a Jetty Fishery skiff to cross Nehalem Bay. (You don't know about CoastWalk Oregon? Google it.)

But you might prefer some predictability (and a licensed captain) and be willing to pay for it, especially if you are hiking as a group. Great news: there are now outfitters available to provide a boat ferry almost everywhere you really want a boat ride. The three most important bays to boat across, due to the length and unpleasantness of the highway-walking alternative, are Tillamook, Umpqua, and Coos; you might be able to hitch a ride across Tillamook Bay and the Umpqua River, but you’ll need to prearrange a ride across Coos Bay due to the length of the ride.

Here is a downloadable list of the outfitters I’m aware of who are offering boat ferries at each major crossing on the OCT in 2019, listed north to south. Directions for where to meet the boat, in each case, are explained in my book Day Hiking: Oregon Coast.

OCT Bay Mouth Outfitters 2019

(OOPS--the link was going to the wrong list. Fixed now.)

Ultimate Oregon Coast Trail campground list

2019-02-02T11:35:00.000-08:00

Cyclist with all his stuff at Bullards Beach State Park hiker-biker camp

Here it is: I finally compiled what I think is a comprehensive list of established campsites on the Oregon Coast Trail, along with some glaring gaps noted. I hope this is helpful (you won't find this level of detail in my Day Hiking: Oregon Coast. Sorry.)

Download campground list
Updated 5-9-19

A few notes:

Most nights you can camp at developed campgrounds just off the beach that have hiker-biker campsites (shared with other hikers and cyclists, no reservations needed and always have room, showers included, typically $8 or $9 in 2019).

You can camp at other public campgrounds that do not have hiker-biker camps (county or US Forest Service), but those may be more expensive and may not have an available campsite. No showers at USFS campgrounds.

You can camp on the beach except adjacent to city limits or state parks (Google the city or park name to see the boundaries); I mention a few options in my list but there are many others. Please avoid burying your poo and instead use nearby toilets if possible. Bring your own water. Obviously be aware of the tide and camp well above the high tide line.

You can camp at the private campgrounds listed on the list (typically more expensive, some more welcoming to backpacking tent campers than others).

I also mention a few “primitive campsites”: established flat places to pitch a tent, usually in a remote area, no toilet or water (or $$).

Backpacker camp atop Tillamook Head

CoastWalk Oregon 2019: Registration opens March 1 ...

2019-01-24T09:46:00.000-08:00

It begins: clambering onto the south jetty of Nehalem Bay at the start of CWO 2018

... and if last year is any indication, registration may fill by day’s end March 1. In 2018 all but about 10 of the 90 slots filled in the first 24 hours. CoastWalk Oregon is a fundraiser for North Coast Land Conservancy, a nonprofit land trust that operates like The Nature Conservancy to preserve habitat, but on a smaller scale, conserving lands only on the Oregon Coast. CoastWalk Oregon is a fundraiser in which participants take a guided walk on 30 miles of the Oregon Coast Trail over three days. I’m super dedicated to this organization, which is why I work year-round helping to plan this event. (That, and I love everything OCT.)

On Rockaway Beach, Day 1 of CWO 2018

Why CoastWalk Oregon? You can hike the Oregon Coast Trail for free. And you may not be in shape for three consecutive 10-mile hikes. But it makes a good training goal. What CoastWalk Oregon provides is wayfinding, snacks, trailhead shuttles, and other little trail-angel benefits. Mainly it’s a fundraiser for coastal conservation, which is what most of your $379 donation is used for. And this year’s route, which runs from Sand Lake Estuary to the southern end of Lincoln City, offers a couple of special experiences other OCT hikers don't get:

CASCADE HEAD. At this time the official route of the OCT basically bypasses Cascade Head: it’s a long highway walk with an optional detour through the forest. But the great thing about Cascade Head is the fabulous ocean view from the saltspray meadows at its western tip (arguably the best view on the Oregon Coast, and that's saying something), along with the deep Sitka spruce forest. That forest is one reason this headland is designated a UN Biosphere Reserve, the only one in Oregon. CoastWalk Oregon has chosen a route that leads you through both aspects of Cascade Head.

SOUTH OF THE SALMON RIVER. This is a part of the OCT that is in flux, with various public and private agencies trying to figure out how to add a trail segment to get hikers off the highway between the Salmon River and the beach at Road’s End. For CoastWalk Oregon, we’ve made special arrangements with private Camp Westwind to skip the highway walking and, instead, hike north through the forest and down into the camp, where we’ll have a celebration lunch before being shuttled by boat across the Salmon River to end Day 3. Very special indeed.

Hopping over creeks, Day 1 of CWO 2018

So if this appeals to you, definitely check out CoastWalk Oregon. And if you like what you see, mark your calendar to register March 1 for sure.

Approaching the summit of Cape Lookout on Day 3, CWO 2018

Plane, train, and bus: Getting to (and from, and around on) the OCT with public transportation

2018-12-27T11:49:00.002-08:00

Photo borrowed from oregon-point.com

December though April is not a good time to hike the Oregon Coast Trail. But it's a great time to be planning an OCT thru-hike. I'm sorry that details about getting to and from the OCT are not really spelled out in my book (Day Hiking: Oregon Coast, which, despite the name, is currently the most comprehensive guide to thru-hiking the OCT). Here, then, is a current guide for getting to the OCT and getting around by bus on the coast if you're wanting to skip a trail section.

This post assumes you are hiking southbound. You really want to hike it that direction, especially if you’re hiking the whole thing. The wind will probably be from the north/northwest every day of your hike in summer (maybe briefly from the east, but not from the south), and it can be strong. You want it at your back.

GETTING TO THE OCT, FROM OUT OF STATE OR OUT OF THE COUNTRY

FLY INTO PORTLAND

If you plan to walk the entire OCT (or a section hike on the northern half), fly in to PDX (Portland). You can take MAX Light Rail from PDX to Union Station in downtown Portland. Both Amtrak and The Point offer very comfortable buses from Union Station to Astoria, stopping at other north coast towns along the way. (Buy your ticket in advance online.)

ACTUALLY GETTING TO THE TRAILHEAD: The simplest option is to call a cab (such as Royal Cab) to take you to from Astoria (or another nearby town) to the trailhead at Fort Stevens State Park, beach parking area C; I suggest reserving your cab in advance, as Royal Cab is very busy on days when cruise ships are docked in Astoria. MAYBE CHEAPER, BUT NOT THAT MUCH, AND MORE COMPLICATED: Take the bus to Warrenton (the Fred Meyer bus shelter), then take Sunset Empire bus (see nworegontransit.org) to the Fort Stevens KOA (commercial campground). This is as close as you can get to the start of the trail by bus; from here you’d need to (1) walk or hitchhike up to the campground at Fort Stevens State Park (can camp in hiker-biker area here) and walk out to the beach (but you’d be starting a few miles south of the official trailhead) or (2) walk/hitchhike up to beach parking area C.

FLY INTO EUGENE

If you’re doing a section hike on the south half, flying into the Eugene airport (EUG) is a better option. There is no public transit between the Eugene airport and downtown Eugene (where you can catch a bus to Florence and other coastal cities), but there are taxis and Lyft (and, soon, Uber). See below for bus info.

AN ASIDE ABOUT TRAINS

There is no passenger train service on the Oregon Coast. Amtrak has service to Portland, Salem, Albany, and Eugene. (South of Eugene the passenger train route veers inland and is of no use to OCT hikers.) You can catch a bus to points on the coast from the train stations in Portland, Albany, or Eugene (see below); buy your ticket online in advance. (You can do the same in Salem, but it is a short walk between bus stop and train station.) Note that Amtrak also offers nice buses to some towns not served by train.

GETTING HOME AT THE END OF THE OCT

Please stop in at Crissy Field State RecreationSite to sign the trail register when you’re done. (The California border is actually a few minutes farther down the beach). Now it’s time to go home. Here are some options.

FLYING HOME

Your best bet may be to fly home from Medford. Plan to spend the night in Smith River or Crescent City. (Call a cab, or keep walking down the beach past the California state line not very far to Pelican Beach, then walk US 101 2.5 miles south to Smith River Rancheria.) Then take the once-a-day morning The Point bus to Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport; the bus also picks up in Brookings, Smith River, and Crescent City and takes 3-3.5 hours. Alternately take the bus to Eugene and fly home from there (see below).

BUSING BACK NORTH

From Smith River (or from Harbor or Brookings), catch a Curry Public Transit bus north to Coos Bay, and spend the night in Coos Bay. Then take the 7:15 am (at this writing) daily Amtrak bus to Eugene, which takes a little more than 2 hours. That gives you lots of time to catch a train, plane, or bus that same day in Eugene to your next destination. (There is also a Greyhound bus from Smith River to Eugene that costs less but takes 12 hours.)

BUSING TO AND ALONG THE COAST

Some hikers choose to skip the highway walking portions of the OCT and call a cab or take a bus instead. (I’m talking about stretches of a few miles; not that long, but not pleasant). Sometimes drivers will drop you off at a spot other than a scheduled one; ask before you board. If you are unable to arrange a boat ride across one of the big bays (such as Tillamook Bay or Coos Bay), you may want to catch a bus or call a cab to avoid a very long highway walk. And depending on where you start or stop a section hike, you may need to arrange a bus ride along the coast or between some coastal town and a Willamette Valley town. Such bus is offered by a mish-mash of transit companies, but some have consolidated their information to make it easier to sort out.

Get schedules and rates at the following websites, listed, north to south.

Both Amtrak and The Point offer very comfortable buses from Portland (train station) to Astoria, stopping at Cannon Beach and other coastal towns along the way. The Point can take you from the trail's end to the Medford airport and other points inland. Get tickets in advance online.

Your go-to source for bus info in northwest Oregon (including on the coast as far south as Yachats, in the valley as far south as Albany) is NW Connector. It clearly presents options from several different bus systems. Advance tickets unnecessary.

LTD now offers bus service in what had been a gap on the coast, between Yachats and Florence. (But it is a state-funded trial service, so hopefully it will still be operating when you need if.) No advance tickets needed.

Pacific Crest Bus Lines offers once-a-day bus service between Eugene and Coos Bay, with stops in Florence and Reedsport (buy tickets from Amtrak). Get tickets online in advance.

Curry Public Transit operates between North Bend/Coos Bay and Brookings. (Actually as far south as Smith River, just inside California). No advance tickets needed.

Greyhound also offers service on the coast, so check it out too (website says their buses are nicer now, but I think mostly they offer cheaper rides, not nicer buses. Not sure.)

A WORD ABOUT CABS AND RIDE-SHARING APPS

Most towns of any size on the Oregon Coast have at least one taxi service. The quality varies. I’ve had very good experience with cabs in Astoria and Brookings and I’ve heard good things about, say, a cheap and quick taxi ride from Coos Bay North Spit to Charleston. But I’ve heard of other hikers who had to wait a long time for a taxi (or one that never arrived). I recommend you call ahead to arrange your ride, and that you be patient with these small-town taxi drivers just trying to make a living. At this writing it appears that nowhere on the Oregon Coast is Uber or Lyft available—but it also appears that they’re seeking drivers in some towns, so that may be coming.

Help guide completion of the Oregon Coast Trail

2018-11-29T11:16:00.000-08:00

Wouldn't it be nice to route the OCT past Harts Cove, on the north side of Cascade Head (and cut out a bunch of highway walking in the process)? It can happen!

FIRST THE DETAILS:
If you're as passionate about the Oregon Coast Trail as I am (well, that's a pretty high bar: let's say if you're interested in helping guide its future development), clear your calendar and attend one of three public open houses Dec. 10 (Coos Bay), Dec. 11 (Tillamook) or Dec. 13 (Portland) designed to gather public input for the Oregon Coast Trail Action Plan, the most robust effort to date to identify and close gaps in the OCT. DETAILS HERE

BACKGROUND:
If you're hiked the Oregon Coast Trail, you know the trail is already complete(ish). Like, there are still places where the trail requires you to walk where people weren't meant to walk (mainly, the shoulder of US 101). There have been several efforts over the years to close these "gaps," which add up to roughly one-eighth of the total trail distance, by my count. Every now and then a little progress has been made (construction of another trail segment to get folks off the highway).

Then in 2017 the Oregon Legislature got serious and passed House Bill 3149, which directs the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to lead an effort to "develop an action plan to complete the Oregon Coast Trail." That effort is now under way, led by the talented Oregon State Parks Senior Parks and Trails Planner Robin Wilcox.

This series of meetings is the first opportunity for the public to see the status of this project and to provide input. I plan to attend the meeting in Portland Dec. 13. (It's the shortest drive from my home in Eugene. And it's not on my birthday.)

Robin has done her homework. She's been out in the field and she's been gathering input from lots of trail users. And she is developing a fine appreciation for the challenges and the opportunities out there to get this trail whipped into shape. I hope you can make it to one of the meetings. At least consider signing up at the project's home page to receive project updates as this effort evolves.

MEANWHILE, SOME SHAMELESS PROMOTION:
The new edition of my book Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon is out; makes a great gift to parents! I'll be at the Oregon Historical Society's Holiday Cheer book event this Sunday, Dec. 2 from noon to 4; it's free. Stop by and say hi!

I had some great views and met some interesting characters on my long hike along the highway shoulder from Humbug Mountain to Nesika Beach. But I still would have preferred to not be walking on the highway.

A week-long section hike in the Oregon Dunes and beyond

2018-08-20T12:40:00.001-07:00

My friends Paula and Mile just spent seven days hiking the OCT from Florence to Floras Lake. They had hiked the northern half (Columbia River to Florence) last October and had intended to pick up the southern half this summer but stopped short due to injury (tendonitis). But up to that point they really enjoyed this week-long walk. If you’re looking for a more remote OCT section hike that includes some undeveloped camping (as well as, in their case, motel and hiker-biker camps), this is a good one.

Four main takeaways for me:

· Beware of ticks in the marshes along the Oregon Dunes in midsummer.
· Avoid camping at the RV park in Winchester Bay if you can.
· Preschedule your cab rides or be prepared to wait.
· Do your best to hit every coastal river mouth at low tide, because sand volume fluctuates from year to year and even through the season, and you never know which ones will be easy (or hard) to cross.

Oh, and the bus system works well getting to and from (and up and down) the coast.

Here’s a secondhand day-by-day account of their trip:

DAY 1: FLORENCE TO CARTER LAKE. After taking a bus from Eugene to Florence, they walked the highway/road to the beach at the south jetty and headed south down the beach. They were surprised (as I was, hearing about it) how high the Siltcoos River was—nearly waist-deep. Which is a good reminder of how unpredictable the coastal river mouth depths are. Took the trail through the dunes to Carter Lake Campground for the night.

DAY 2: CARTER LAKE TO WINCHESTER BAY. Continued down the beach to the Umpqua South Jetty and got a boat ride across the bay mouth—prearranged—to Winchester Bay. Spent an unpleasant night camping in the RV campground there (other guests were doing Johnny Cash karaoke until late into the night); they tried to get a motel room but the town was booked solid. Presumably they filled extra water bottles here, anticipating a night of camping in the dunes.

DAY 3: WINCHESTER BAY TO TENMILE CREEK. Continued down the beach to the mouth of Tenmile Creek. Here they bushwacked inland into the marsh, looking for a campsite. It was gorgeous, they say, but they couldn’t find a decent place to camp, so they returned to the beach—and found themselves covered with ticks. After picking off the ticks, they settled into a campsite in the dunes about a half-mile south of Tenmile Creek (off the beach, outside of the plover restriction zone).

Camp kitchen in the dunes

DAY 4: TENMILE CREEK TO NORTH BEND. Continued south to Horsfall Beach access. Attempted to get a cab from here to North Bend/Coos Bay, but all the cabs were busy and—long story short—they wound up walking all the way into North Bend, where they got a motel room.

DAY 5: SEVEN DEVILS ROAD TO BULLARDS BEACH STATE PARK. They prearranged a cab for early this morning (8 am); it arrived promptly, and they had the cab drop them off along Seven Devils Road. (So they skipped Charleston/Cape Arago entirely). They walked the road (paved, then gravel, then paved again briefly) back to the beach at Seven Devils State Recreation Site. They timed their start to get around Fivemile Point at mid-low tide. They continued down the beach to Bullards Beach State Park hiker-biker camp, which was full to bursting with both OCT hikers and US 101 cyclists.

HIker-biker camp, Bullards Beach State Park

DAY 6: BULLARD BEACH TO NEW RIVER BIVOUAC CAMPSITE. They walked into Bandon and resumed walking the beach south. They had no trouble crossing New River (only one outlet now, and barely a trickle when they crossed; again, you never know about these coastal rivers) and camped at the BLM bivouac site north of Floras Lake and loved it (using water they carried from Bullards Beach).

DAY 7: NEW RIVER CAMPSITE TO FLORAS LAKE. They continued down the beach to Floras Lake. From here they walked out to the town of Langlois (on US 101) and caught a bus north to Coos Bay, where they spent a night in a motel before catching another bus back to Eugene.

Had they continued, they would have encountered more wild camping opportunities at Blacklock Point and a hiker-biker camp at Cape Blanco. Not until Port Orford is there bus access (via Curry Public Transit).

Thinking about the Oregon Coast Trail while hiking the Coast to Coast Trail

2018-08-02T17:33:00.000-07:00

I recently returned from hiking the Coast to Coast Trail across northern England—the one that cuts through the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and the North York Moors in a not-very-straight route of nearly 200 miles from the Irish Sea to the North Sea. It was it was challenging (we chose to do it in 13 days of walking from 7.5 miles to 24.5 miles per day; you can take more time and hike shorter days), occasionally it was miserable, and often it was heavenly. If you’d like details, I kept a trail log on Instagram, starting with the photo of three pairs of boots in the Irish Sea.

You will see many sheep on the C2C. You may see elk on the OCT.

Of course I thought a great deal about the Oregon Coast Trail on those long days of nothing but walking, comparing this trip to my solo backpack down the Oregon Coast Trail. Each trail is truly epic in its own way, and each has distinct challenges and rewards. On both trails the scenery is spectacular, though I know some people get tired of the sameness of the moors mile after mile, just as the 40 miles of uninterrupted beach walking along the Oregon Dunes can get monotonous.

Here’s what struck me the most, comparing my experiences of thru-hiking the C2C and the OCT:

Pluses and minuses of the Coast to Coast Trail

It’s fair to say that wayfinding, weather, and trail condition are worse on the Coast to Coast than the Oregon Coast Trail. The Lake District is notorious for rain, and while you can hit bad weather on the OCT, it tends to be good hiking weather during the hiking season (April-September). The C2C requires constant wayfinding (we used two maps and GPS and still had issues a few times), while it is virtually impossible to get lost on the OCT. And while the trails can be rocky (and rooty) on the OCT, they’re nothing like the steep, slick rock gullies that count as trails on parts of the C2C. On the other hand, the OCT requires constant attention to tides (to get around headlands, to cross small rivers and creeks) and planning for crossing certain major bay mouths by boat.

Costs for backpackers the OCT and C2C are about equivalent; inn-to-inn walking is more expensive on the OCT. Backpackers might sneak in some wild camping on either trail, but generally they’ll be staying at developed campsites for a (mostly small) fee. Lodging is reasonably priced on the Coast to Coast; it crosses remote rural England, and other than the touristy Lake District, much of the route transits areas where the C2C has been an economic boon. In contrast, the Oregon Coast is already a very popular tourist area, and the hiking season (determined by weather and river levels) is high season. It’s not as expensive as the California coast, however, and you can save money by looking for modest lodging without an ocean view or hiking in spring or fall. If you want to save money.

The highway shoulder walking on the Oregon Coast Trail is a bummer. Though we did have to dash across a four-lane motorway, nearly all the road walking on the Coast to Coast (and there was plenty, as on nearly all long-distance walks) was on quiet lanes or on gravel roads that are no longer open to vehicles (like the one above). The least palatable parts of the Oregon Coast Trail are several long stretches of walking on the shoulder of US Highway 101. The short stretches, such as are required to cross major rivers on convenient bridges, aren’t a big deal, but walking 5 miles (or more) along the highway is a non-starter for many people. (You can always either call a cab or catch a bus if you prefer.) Fortunately Oregon State Parks has begun work on a robust master plan for the OCT seeking doable alternatives for those road stretches; more on that in a blog post this fall.

Sophisticated infrastructure has evolved to serve Coast to Coast hikers, far beyond what’s currently available on the Oregon Coast Trail. Campsites and inns are located all along the C2C (though long days of walking are sometimes required). We even managed to score scones and tea mid-hike several days (twice in one day). My C2C guidebook lists 19 outfitters offering lodging reservations and luggage transfer for do-it-yourself “self-guided” adventurers like us, as well as eight outfitters offering guided treks. There are currently no commercial outfitters (that I am aware of) offering reservation service, luggage transfer, or guided treks on the Oregon Coast Trail. The OCT does have wonderful inexpensive hiker-biker campsites well spaced along much of the route, but there are still some gaps, especially at the far northern and southern ends of the route. Same with lodging: tons of lodging options most places, but a few gaps, especially south of Port Orford on the south coast.

As I mentioned, Oregon State Parks and its partner agencies are working to improve the OCT; I suspect within a decade all the big “gaps” (i.e. highway portions) will be replaced with off-road trail. But coastal businesses could be helping too. A few additional lodging options in key places, some private campgrounds offering hiker-biker campsites (like Wright’s for Camping in Cannon Beach), luggage transfer and reservation services could be making OCT hikes more doable right now, especially for long-distance hikers from out of state and out of the country, whom I believe already constitute the majority of OCT thru-hikers (just as on the C2C; we met almost no British hikers but lots of Australians).

Despite its shortcomings, the OCT is hikeable right now, if you’re willing to do some planning and be a little flexible.

NOTE: I’m thinking about offering a logistics service (lodging reservations, luggage transfer, and boat shuttle where needed) for a roughly two-week stretch of the OCT in June 2019, from the Columbia River to Newport. Still need to do some legwork to see if it can work. If you may be interested (in those dates, or others, in 2019), contact me.

Yet more updates for 2018

2018-07-31T14:29:00.001-07:00

DeWayne Gibson and Dustin Powell just completed the OCT and sent me some timely updates on trail condition; I've added them to my 2018 OCT update. Here is the latest version.

The great news is that Crissy Field State Recreation Site at (nearly) the California border now has trail register where OCT finishers can sign in and be celebrated! Took many years, but they finally got it. Since DeWayne and Dustin were the first to sign, the staff at Crissy Field actually called the local newspaper, which sent out a reporter who wrote a story, amusingly headlined "Hikers Complete Oregon Coast Trail."

Not sure where they got that estimate of 15 people a year completing the OCT (based on nothing; obviously an underestimate), and that last paragraph is just random and goofy. But I thought other OCTers might enjoy. Good to see the OCT getting some notice!

A Better Way to Lincoln City

2018-07-17T15:08:00.001-07:00

JUMP TO MY MAP AND DIRECTIONS that show you how to cut off 2.2 miles of highway shoulder walking north of Lincoln City.

The official OCT route from Neskowin to Lincoln City is, shall we say, troubled. I keep hearing that discussions are under way or plans are being made to improve the route over Cascade Head and, thence, over the Salmon River and back to the beach at Lincoln City. Right now the official route involves many miles (8 or 10, depending) of walking on the highway shoulder. I keep hoping someone (USFS) gets it together to actually do what needs to be done to reduce the highway walking here to a minimal 1 mile stretch needed to cross the Salmon River estuary:

1) Negotiate an easement with the private neighborhood at the south end of Neskowin allowing legal foot traffic up to the top of South Beach Drive.

2) Brush out the existing rough trail from there through Siuslaw National Forest land that hooks up to the Hart's Cove trail (see Day Hiking: Oregon Coast for details of how you would walk that trail to Road 1861 and options from there to the intersection of US 101 and Three Rocks Road.

3) Let go of the moratorium on walking Road 1861 from July 15 to Jan. 1. C'mon, the peregrine falcon that nests on the cliffs here was delisted in 1999.

4) From the south side of the Salmon River bridge, either negotiate with Westwind Stewardship Group to allow hikers to walk their road and to cut a short connector trail around Camp Westwind OR build a connector trail through Siuslaw National Forest land. In either case, that connector trail would hook up with existing trails to take you to Road's End State Recreation Site, where you can return to the beach.

This should be easy, but apparently it isn't. Maybe because of the protectiveness of the agencies managing Cascade Head Scenic Research Area? I get that. But people, we're talking about 1) a major trail (the OCT) that the Oregon Legislative has decided is a priority and needs to effectively be completed, and 2) accommodating thru-hikers, who are the user group that arguably has the LEAST impact on the forest.

My book makes suggestions for how to, unofficially, get over Cascade Head to get the best views, the least highway walking, and the best overall experience. But then you still have 4.1 miles of highway shoulder walking to return to the beach. Here is a way to cut out more than half of that. I don't know why I didn't figure this out sooner: most of the route appears in a map in my book. But that land (and those trails) had just come into public ownership when I was wrapping up the new edition of the book and things were sort of unclear. Also I didn’t understand what the road access would be off US 101. Now I get it.

There is almost no signage on this route, but the trails are all on public land managed by either City of Lincoln City or Siuslaw National Forest, and it's not confusing. This route is 0.5 miles longer than just hiking the highway shoulder.

Looking back from the start of the trail (driveway?) at top of N. Clancy Road

The only sketchy part of this route is the 15-20 footsteps you take at the top of N. Clancy Road on what appears to be a driveway. My maps indicate that this is all on Siuslaw National Forest Land. It’s possible that the very start of this trail is actually on a private driveway, however (hence the “No Trespassing” sign you will see on the gate you must go through). I have tried to clarify this issue with the appropriate land managers but have not had a response. Yet. In any case, literally not more than 20 yards are sketchy ownership-wise. Go forth, hiker.

Where driveway curves left, you go right on a trail (an old road).

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD MAP AND DIRECTIONS

An under-the-radar option for camping in Cannon Beach

2018-07-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

This is a belated shout-out to a great camping option for OCTers passing through Cannon Beach.

Cannon Beach has lots of lodging, most of it at the high end $$-wise, but not many options for backpackers. In fact, one (this one). There is no camping on the beach adjacent to the city limits of Cannon Beach or Arch Cape, nor adjacent to state parks (Ecola, Arcadia, Hug Point), which really limits your options. (I’m not a big fan of beach camping anyway). But depending on your schedule, you are going to need to sleep somewhere in the roughly 30-mile stretch of the OCT between the backpacker camp atop Tillamook Head and the hiker-biker camp at Nehalem Bay State Park. There is a private campground at the north end of Cannon Beach called Sea Ranch, but tent sites are $40 and are often booked in advance (no hiker-biker option there) .

Anyway, I vaguely knew about Wright’s, near midtown Cannon Beach, but it’s only open in the summer (Memorial Day weekend through mid-September) and I never got around to checking it out until now. It’s actually pretty awesome. Very small (maybe 20 sites), tents only, under tall trees, family-owned since 1959, a short walk from the beach. Funky in a super family-friendly way. Toilets, showers, and even a laundry room. They don’t advertise a hiker-biker camping area on their website, but they have one. It’s small, but they seem to make room for whoever shows up. It’s a short walk to great beer and coffee and other amenities in midtown. They charge $10 per person.

To get there, walk down the beach from the mouth of Ecola Creek to the next primary beach access just north of Haystack Rock (look for a road and creek hitting the beach). Wind through the motel complex here to the main road through town (S. Hemlock St.), follow it 3 blocks south to Sunset Boulevard. Follow Sunset Boulevard a short distance east; after going under US Highway 101 you’ll see Wright’s straight ahead on the hill.

There are actually two designated hiker-biker sites, adjacent to each other, and apparently Wright's is working on creating a third. If they get overwhelmed with hikers or bikers on any given night, they'll find a spot for you somewhere else on the property. Each site has one picnic table (but no firepit).

Your 2018 OCT update

2018-06-01T14:55:00.003-07:00

Short Sand Beach from Cape Falcon Trail, on the north coast

As in the past, I've collated all the updates I've accumulated (and corrected mistakes, and landscape alterations, and wisdom from other hikers, etc.) and put them together in this document that serves as a supplement to my 2015 Day Hiking: Oregon Coast. Have a great hike, and let me know if you have any intel to share with other hikers! It's a beautiful day in Oregon, and the river levels are nice and low. Should be great hiking now through September.

2018 OCT trail update

Solving the Camp Rilea Problem: OCT Day 1

2018-04-11T14:19:00.001-07:00

Download Camp Rilea Detour map

UPDATED 7/8/18 (and again 5/19/21 with new website)

Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Center is located along Clatsop Beach on the northern Oregon coast (adjacent to roughly miles 5.8 to 8.8 of the Oregon Coast Trail). Last summer I learned of a 2015 agreement between the Oregon Military Department and Oregon State Parks that allows the military to close the beach adjacent to Camp Rilea—meaning, 3 miles of the Oregon Coast Trail—whenever they are conducting live weapons training or for "other military exercises." These closures are not infrequent; they occur several times a month, year-round, sometimes for several days in a row. (Most likely closure days: Friday and Saturday, especially in summer. Could be any day of the week.) Turns out Camp Rilea has been doing day-long closures of the beach for many years (the camp's been there since 1927, certainly predating the Oregon Beach Bill); this 2015 agreement was an attempt to put some boundaries around those disruptions to public beach access, requiring the military to provide at least 24 hours advance notice of closures via a website. It also allows vehicles to transit that stretch of beach for 15 minutes at the top of every hour that the beach is closed (not enough time for hikers to walk the 3 miles, however). In fact, the agreement doesn't even acknowledge the existence of OCT hikers; it accommodates vehicles (this being one of just two significant stretches of Oregon beach where driving is still allowed) and even agrees to not do live weapons training during clamming tides. But the agreement makes no accommodation of any kind for hikers. Hikers have, in the past, been forced to wait (up to all day, or several days) or to make a long (unnecessarily long) detour. There was a website where hikers could check to see if the shooting range currently is "hot" (meaning, the beach is cosed), but there was no advance notice provided.

UPDATE: A revised website (new URL) now indicates both current and projected range status and provides a phone number for more information: oregon.gov/omd/rilea/Pages/Range-Operations.aspx

Frankly I don't understand how these beach closures are even legal under the 1967 Oregon Beach Bill. I appreciate that soldiers need live weapons training, certainly. I just think that this is the wrong place to do it today, for a bunch of reasons, and the legal justification I was given doesn't make sense. Given the investment other state agencies are making in improving and promoting the Oregon Coast Trail (and the ever-increasing use of the beach by the public), I hope the state agencies that are charged with enforcing public beach access and promoting use of the Oregon Coast Trail restart a dialogue with the agency that is routinely closing the beach to the public.

The agreement between Oregon State Parks and Oregon Military Department accommodates clammers--but not OCT hikers.

However my main interest is in helping OCT thru-hikers deal with this inconvenience, and after a series of emails and meeting with Camp Rilea Training Site Manager Todd Farmer, things seem to be improving (begnning with that new website, above).

ADVANCE NOTIFICATION
Before you set out on the OCT, check the website.

LIMITED CLOSURE AREA
Col. Farmer has acknowledged that the camp doesn't always need to close all three miles of beach; with certain weapons training they need to close only 0.75 mile of beach, which a thru-hiker can early transit in 15 minutes (as cars are being let through at the top of the hour). I don't know if these smaller closures have begun, and I don't know if there will be any indication of them on the website, but it's a start.

HITCH A RIDE
If you are stopped, and vehicles are being stopped and let through at the top of the hour, consider trying to hitch a ride through. Most of the vehicles on the beach seem to be pickup trucks, making it easy.

ALTERNATE ROUTE
In the past (like, last summer) soldiers stopping OCT hikers were insisting that hikers backtrack 2.1 miles to the Peter Iredale beach access in Fort Stevens State Park and, from there, wind through the park and take surface streets until they were south of Camp Rilea, a pretty horrible detour that robs you of one of the coolest parts of the entire OCT (the long, long Clatsop Beach walk). This is totally unnecessary, as Col, Farmer agreed. He told me he will instruct his people to point hikers to the

preferred alternative: exiting the beach on Delaura Beach Lane, which runs along the north boundary of Camp Rilea. From here walk quiet roads, 0.5 of busy US 101, and two miles of the Fort to Sea Trail alongside cow pastures and over a couple of dune swale lakes on cool footbridges to return to the OCT at Sunset Beach. This detour adds 2.3 miles to your OCT hike, making it a reasonable alternative. There are some massive potholes at the western end of Delaura Beach Lane; I could not get through in March without overtopping my boots (or worse). But by early July I was able to skirt them competely.

Here is a PDF of the preferred Camp Rilea detour map and directions. I suggest you download it to your phone or print it out and have it with you on Day 1, just in case.

If you follow these guidelines but still have any trouble at Camp Rilea, I would be interested in hearing from you about your experience. Hopefully that won't happen. My thanks to Col. Farmer for taking the concerns of OCT hikers seriously when he learned about them and for agreeing to make the needed adjustments.

Back in Business

2018-03-28T22:12:00.000-07:00

Love this suspension bridge on the trail up the north side of Cape Lookout.

Hey folks, I got locked out of the blog for awhile (for technical reasons that are boring) but I'm back in and eager to share a bunch of info. I had hoped to have a detailed mile-by-mile guide to share in time for a couple of April hikers I know of to use, but that's probably not going to happen. But be looking for the following and more, coming soon:

New official interactive map coming. It was supposed to be out in January, or February for sure. Oregon Coast Visitors Association has taken it on. I haven't seen it yet, and frankly I have some doubts about how thorough.accurate it will be (mainly because they didn't consult with me about it, seriously!), but it has to be better than the old official Oregon State Parks map. As soon as I hear that it has launched, I'll share.

Camp Rilea: This can be a huge problem on Day One of the OCT if you happen to start on the wrong day: National Guard camp at around Mile 7 has begun stopping hikers (at gunpoint) if the military happens to be doing live fire training (or anything else that they think would be more fun/easier if they could clear the beach of people). This has become a huge issue that several of us are working on; not only are state parks and Oregon Military Department not providing the notification they agreed to provide (in a 2015 agreement), but it's clearly a violation of the Oregon Beach Bill. Long term: hoping to get this agreement canned or at least seriously amended. Short term: I plan to post instructions for how to deal with this if it happens to you.

CoastWalk Oregon: I was going to post about this wonderful event again, but it filled up this year in something like two weeks. But keep it in mind for the future if you want a fun three-day intro to the OCT, and for a good cause. CWO will start over at Mile 0 (Columbia River) in 2020 (or maybe 2019). In the future I'll be better about giving advance notice for when registration opens (now that I'm back to blog access).

The big picture: Overall there is a huge surge of interest in the OCT by state agencies in a position to finesse it. Maybe the huge surge in hikers in summer 2017 is one reason, but also it seems like the OCT's time has just arrived. State agencies (more than one) are taking a serious look at gaps that need to be filled and are working on solutions. Certain gaps are getting real attention, finally (like the horror show of highway shoulder walking from Cascade Head to Lincoln City). I'll share as I learn more. Everything takes more time than it should, IMO. But I see real progress on the near horizon, which is great.

England bound! I plan to hike the Coast to Coast Trail in June (St. Bees to Robin Hood's Bay). I mention it only because I think it may provide a good model for how self-guided inn-to-inn hiking (possibly with luggage transfer) could be done on the Oregon Coast as well. I'll share applicable lessons learned.

Mile-by-mile guide (more detailed and easier to use than what's in my book): One of these days I'll get it done (just in time to update it, no doubt). We'll see. In any case, please buy my book (Day Hiking: Oregon Coast), which is about the best thru-hike guide currently available.

The Bird is the Word: Making Room for Snowy Plovers

2017-07-27T11:45:00.000-07:00

Western snowy plover. Photo by Michael L. Baird

If you've been on the Oregon Coast Trail, you've seen signs about snowy plovers: the little shorebirds that nest right on the dry sand. Anything that flushes them from their nest leaves their eggs vulnerable to predators. Their numbers are way down on the Oregon Coast, which is why they're listed as a threatened species. To encourage successful nesting and to try and get their populations back up, various state and federal agencies agreed on a management plan that lowers threats to this bird without actually blocking humans' access to the beach (at least the wet sand portions) as guaranteed in the Oregon Beach Bill. In short: mid-March through mid-September (prime OCT hiking season), parts of the dry sand and dunes are off-limits to people as well as to dogs (on or off leash) and even kite-flying. Read details here. (But this USFS page is pretty useless to thru-hikers because it doesn't have any maps. Good luck.)

I was contacted by Lisa Romano of the Siuslaw National Forest (manages land adjacent to much of the central coast and Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area) who asked that I spread the word. The USFS has noticed a lot of OCT thru-hikers camping in plover-restricted areas, and they acknowledge that it's probably because people peeling off the PCT this summer haven't done a lot of homework and thus aren't aware of these restrictions or why they're in place. Also, most of the signage about this is at the trailheads, not on the beach itself, so thru-hikers may not see it. And as I mentioned, I don't know of any good maps of the off-limits areas that are detailed enough to be useful to an OCT hiker. (USFS says they're working on putting more detailed maps together in time for the 2018 hiking & plover nesting seasons.)

I have mixed feelings about this whole program myself. Habitat loss, not kite flying, is why the birds are in decline. Much of that is from widespread planting of European beachgrass, which continues and which is changing the nature of the shoreline environment. It seems silly to me to put so much effort into preserving nest sites for one particular species when we're in the middle of the largest, fastest extinction event in the history of the Earth. Literally. You know that, right? Humans caused it, and we need to deal with it. And really, our only chance of slowing that process is if more humans can get outside and see what's out there in the wild world and start to care and start to focus on widespread HABITAT CONSERVATION so that whatever species that are still here can maybe not die off. So I really really hate to see barriers put up blocking people's access to natural areas. On the other hand, the Oregon Coast is hundreds of miles long, and all they're asking is that you walk on the wet sand and that you maybe walk a mile or two farther before putting up your tent.

SO PLEASE DON'T CAMP IN THE IDENTIFIED SNOWY PLOVER NESTING AREAS OF THE BEACH. Which is frustrating, I know, because there are already so many restrictions about where you can camp on the beach (not adjacent to city limits, not adjacent to state parks.) I think all these areas are all mentioned in my book Day Hiking: Oregon Coast, in the OCT sections, EXCEPT I failed to mention that not only is camping not allowed at the mouth of Tenmile Creek (in the Oregon Dunes south of Winchester Bay) but for 1.5 miles south of the creek as well. USFS folks suggest thru-hikers on the central coast look for trail posts in the dunes and follow trails inland a bit, past the foredune, where you're free to bivouac (as long as it's in the national forest. Including the Oregon Dunes. But not on Cascade Head. Sigh.)

A little bird ID clarification: An OCT hiker I follow on Instagram mentioned the joy of walking along the shoreline with flocks of snowy plovers rising from the waves. If they're in flocks, they're NOT snowy plovers. They might be sanderlings, which forage at the edge of the waves, often in large groups. It's common to see them in winter on the Oregon Coast. They tend to head north around April to breed; maybe some are back, or maybe some don't leave at all? I don't know, I'm not really a birder. But they're not snowy plovers. Plovers tend to be loners and are SUPER hard to spot because they blend in with their surroundings so well. If you see one, consider yourself lucky ... and keep your distance. They're easily spooked.

Sanderling. Photo by Dick Daniels

I'll give Lisa Romano the last word:

"I had the unique pleasure earlier this week of seeing some day-old plover chicks that were being banded. These little guys are the size of a cotton ball and have perfect camouflage, so they’re really impossible to see out on the sand. Even the most careful hiker can inadvertently put these chicks at risk, which is why we have these restrictions. We so appreciate everyone out there sharing the beach with these little guys!"

Plover chicks a few days old. Photo by Adam Kotaich/USFS

Congratulations, OCT Class of 2017

2017-07-07T21:53:00.000-07:00

PCT refugees hiking the OCT this year: Front-page article about you in today's Daily Astorian.

It's great seeing all the thru-hikers on the beach. I'm frustrated when I hear about people having trouble at various spots, like walking or hitchhiking around Tillamook Bay (it's really easy to get a ride across to the spit with a boater, seriously!) or the scary highway at Cascade Head (you don't need to hike the highway here!) You don't need to BUY my book (Day Hiking: Oregon Coast, 2015 edition); you could borrow it, scribble notes, whatever, but please check it out along with the update PDF in the last post. The book isn't ideally formatted, but it really does have a lot of good info about hacking the OCT (as opposed to following the official online state park maps, which are pretty much useless).

What I liked about the article most: state parks seems to understand that they need to make some changes to make camping more available/legal/accessible. And it acknowledges that thru-hikers may be camping illegally but they know how to leave no trace and are good stewards of this amazing resource.

Notes from my sister-in-law Jeanne, the spectacular Gearhart trail angel:

"Just learned from a thru-hiker (via Instagram) that the surf shop at Devil's Punchbowl (just north of Newport) is right on the trail and that the owner just gave him a steal of a deal on a full-day rental surfboard (he routinely gives big discounts to OCT hikers)

"Also a blond OCTer left her cell phone in the Rite-aid in Newport. The manager is holding it for her."

If you don't know, there is now a Facebook group for Oregon Coast Trail Class of 2017 (I couldn't find it, but I suck at Facebook). You might find it helpful.

Your 2017 OCT route updates! (with more updates)

2017-06-26T16:17:00.002-07:00

Tanner, Ryley Bri, and Pete chilling on trail angel Pat Wollner's deck last weekend in Gearhart.

This post is dedicated to all the 2017 Pacific Crest Trail refugees snowed out of the Sierra and defaulting to the Oregon Coast Trail this summer! A totally different experience. But awesome in its own way. Not a wilderness. Definitely an adventure.

On Gearhart Beach, with Tillamook Head in the background.

I’ve been kind of haphazard (and sometimes late) about annual updates. Turning over a new leaf this year. I'm attaching a PDF of my 2017 OCT Update sharing with everything I know about trail conditions this year, plus any changes that have occurred (that I know about) since my book came out in fall 2015, PLUS corrections of just plain mistakes.

I apologize for the somewhat awkward format of the OCT trail guide in Day Hiking: Oregon Coast. The editors really wanted it to be mainly a day hiking guide, since not that many people actually thru-hike the OCT. Not anymore! My sister-in-law Jeanne, in Gearhart, told me this morning that she looked up the beach and saw at least five groups of backpackers heading south. I think this is the year the OCT gets discovered. Maybe it will spur parks officials to make some much-needed improvements, like adding a few backpacker campsites and filling some of the remaining trail gaps.

A few words to PCT refugees, in particular, just setting out on the OCT:

My book does include, I think, every water stop; look at the NOTES section at the start of every trail or beach description for mention of toilets or water. This is a big difference between PCT and OCT: given the non-wilderness nature of the trail, you want to be using toilets wherever possible. Fortunately there are lots of toilets.

Hitchhiking (to avoid walking highway stretches etc,) on US 101 is a lot tougher than in the forest, when heading to town from the PCT for some resupply or whatever. However there are (infrequent, but) local public buses on most of the coast. And taxis.

Some river/creek crossings are easy, some not, and it changes from year to year. If it’s iffy, plan to hit it at low tide.

So open this PDF for your 2017 OCT Update (last updated 7-7-17)

OCT 2017 HIKERS: If you have more updates (especially on south coast, where I don't go so much), email me and I'll incorporate them.Thanks!

Nicole hitting the trail after a night in Gearhart.