Oregon has more hiking trails than one could hike in a lifetime, so you can't hike them all. If I…read morehad to pick only ONE trail in the state to hike, I would pick Cascade Head. The trail starts at Knight Park, right on the estuary. After viewing the river, you hike through the old growth. The hike starts with some elevation, but the trees provide shade and lots of places to stop and rest. After crossing streams and bridges you come out to the grass field with a million dollar view of the Salmon River and Pacific Ocean. Bring a head lamp and stay for the view through sunset, it is incredible. The trail continues through the grass with more switchbacks to the upper viewpoint. While the Upper viewpoint is fantastic, if you are short on time, the lower viewpoint is fairly comparable (view wise) to upper. This hike is really the highlight of the Oregon Coast. The trail does not allow dogs (or pets) so plan accordingly.

Great trail...loads to see and a real workout in the process…read more We arrived at the trailhead at 8am to be the first in the lot on a Saturday. By the time we returned the lot was full. There's a decent amount of parking...spots for cars, RVs, and trucks with boat trailers. The pre-trail wanders in and out of the trees and road for a bit, but they have great signage to lead you to the actual head. The trail is great, as you get a smidge of everything you could ask for along the way...some shaded forest, wildlife, wildflowers, stunning coastal views, and a pretty butt-kicking workout to the top viewpoint. Keep in mind, we aren't young, and neither are our hips and knees. There are a good number of high clearance steps to climb that weren't the easiest for a gal with short legs and bad hips. Not to mention that the trail is pretty steep as you zig-zag your way up the non-shaded knoll to the second viewpoint at the top of the lower trail (where it meets the upper). The trail is narrow most of the way, especially on that hillside as you push your way through the tall grasses and flowers. You definitely need to watch your step constantly going up and down, as there are hidden steps, rocks, and uneven surfaces beneath the grasses. We almost ended our trip at the lower viewpoint, but after a bit of contemplation decided to push through and up the hillside to the top. I'm super glad we made the choice, but we definitely felt it! So much to see along the way. We got to watch the elk herd as it grazed the knoll at the first opening, so beautiful. Halfway down the hill from the top a fast moving fog bank came off the coast right at us, engulfing us and removing everything from sight for a minute, while providing us with much appreciated and FABulous cold air... a very cool experience for sure. I highly recommend this trail. Go early if you go on the weekend. And if you're now young ONLY at heart, be prepared for a decent workout if you plan to go to the top...but do it, it's worth it. :)

It's best to get the hike in two hours before it's dark. In order to see the bridge and the…read morewaterfall. It's about an 1.5 hour hike . Also, it's a suspension bridge ; that means it sways back-and-forth as you're walking on it.

Quick and easy hike with a suspension bridge and waterfall…read more Definitely recommend if you're in the area!

I've seen the sign so many times, but finally stopped by last weekend to check things out. There's…read morea small lot for a handful of cars right off of the 101, it's narrow though, no turn around area and barely deep enough for our camper van. A couple tour groups of paddle boarders were unloading when we arrived, and I can definitely see why the place would be fun from that perspective. We were there to try out the trail available, Alder Island Nature Trail...a flat, easy, unpaved loop a little less than a mile long. The location is peaceful, as you walk by the marsh and along the Siletz River. For some reason on this day it was a bit too quiet. We could hear some birds but only saw a few, and weren't treated to any other animal sightings. In an state of stunning trails this one pales a bit by comparison, but I can tell it's got good wildlife watching potential...just wasn't in the cards for us! Definitely not my favorite trail, but I'd love to try out a paddle board or canoe here. :)

One my favourite hikes in the area. Best coastal views, very quick 3 hours round trip. Ample…read moreparking at the Knoll Loop trailhead. You have to take a detour from the loop to get to the Gods Thumb peak which adds about 1 mile to the 3 mile loop which is totally worth it. There are only 2 porta pottys at the parking.

Make sure to stop not only at Gods Thumb, but also The Knoll which offers an overlook of Lincoln…read moreCity. It is recommended not the summit the "Thumb" due to wear and tear to the trail and to preserve the beauty of the sight. You can see it very well from the grassy viewpoint. I did this as a loop which took roughly 5 miles and had 1138 ft elevation gain. Completed in under two hours. The trail is hilly and well traveled. Tree roots stick out where many people have walked. Heading up some of the steeper slopes can also be difficult due to loose dirt. Bring good hiking shoes.

My best days are spent at the coast, the beach is my happy place. Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint…read moreis my favorite spot to just sit quietly and watch the ocean. I've seen whale spouts -some 10-16 feet high- almost every time so I know they are out there. When whale migration is in full swing, there are usually volunteers from the Whale Museum in Depoe Bay or a Ranger walking around answering questions and sharing their binoculars. If you see one, take advantage of their vast knowledge and listen. The seagulls & pigeons are always hungry and will wait patiently while you decide to do the right thing and throw them a piece of whatever you're eating. This is one of the best places in Oregon to see ocean-going birds like shearwaters, albatrosses, grebes, pelicans, loons, & oystercatchers. I've seen osprey and bald eagles fly over too. It's pretty windy most of the time but that never stops us from picnicking at one of the many weathered picnic tables set up around the parking lot. Even when it's raining, we pick up a snack at one of the many eateries nearby and eat in the car while the wind howls outside. Parking has never been a problem and it's FREE. There are real flush toilets and the bathrooms are fairly well maintained as far as I've experienced. I've never noticed any "strange characters" hanging around but there are lots of people with dogs and visitors from out-of-state enjoying the view. I like to take my sketchbook and do some quick drawing when I can. I've also been known to pull into a parking spot facing the water, roll down a window and take a nap. There's nothing better than the sound of the waves to lull you to sleep. It's worth the time to stop and check out the view, you'll never be sorry you did.

Boiler Bay has always delivered for me whenever I stopped here for sunset while waiting for sunset…read more What A Magical Spot!

D River State Park is a really convenient beach access point in Lincoln City. There is a spacious…read morepaved parking lot, and the park offers lots of great amenities like restrooms, mobility mats for easy beach access, and educational signage for visitors. There is a promenade of sorts with benches between the parking lot and the beach. There are a fair number of benches that offer a perfect opportunity for sitting and taking in the gorgeous views. We experienced one of the best sunsets ever from this convenient beach. D River has a fun history as once being listed in the Guiness Book of World Records as the shortest river. There is a little debate over that fact now, but it doesn't take away from the novelty. Visitors can explore the short river, collect rocks, fly a kite or just take in the views. Everyone is likely to enjoy this delightful park!

Rainy wet day looking for the elusive glass floats. I found this beautiful abalone shell that looks…read morelike a butterfly. This beach is great for a stroll or picnic on a warmer day. There have a decent amount of parking as well as benches to sit and gaze at the waves.

This is one of the COOLEST beaches I've ever been to - the centerpiece is a giant, mountainous rock…read morecalled Proposal Rock, there's a flowing tidal river, huge tide pools teeming with life and best of all - a GHOST FOREST! Well, for now anyway. It's mind blowing how much the beach landscape changes in just a year... Every low tide, the remnants of an ancient spruce forest emerge along the beach to the left of Proposal Rock. These historic tree stumps are over 2000 years old. My first visit was in early June 2022 and there were so many stumps - many of which were well over my head and I'm about 5'3"! But they're almost gone now - I visited again July 2023 and most of them are buried by sand now. Apparently this is a cyclical thing along the Oregon coast. These ancient relics were buried completely for many years - only to be unearthed by a series of coastal storms back in the late 90s. So anytime there's a series of coastal storms causing big waves, sand gets washed away and more of the stumps are revealed. It's about 1/2 mile walk to get to the ghost forest from the parking lot. Most of the walk is through deep sand and then you have to cross the tidal river so you're gonna get wet - highly recommend some decent water shoes. Back in June 2022 on my first visit, at low tide, this river was super fast flowing and deep - came up to my knees and calves at the shallow parts. Definitely a little intimidating - I had to do some rock scrambling at the base of Proposal Rock first and then make my way to where the river emptied into the sea where the waves slowed the water down lol. It didn't help that I was recovering from a broken ankle though so it's probably not as bad haha! But this time, in July 2023, the river had shifted, was about 2/3rds smaller, only came up to my ankles and was completely still - not flowing at all. Really crazy how dramatically the amazing natural features of this beach change over short amounts of time. The stumps are absolutely covered in barnacles - goosenecks, acorn barnacles, thatched barnacles - I tried to find the fabled Giant Barnacles but couldn't lol. The tide pools had so many starfish and I even saw an adorable harbor seal swimming up the river as the tide came in searching for fish - and I saw some Bald Eagles around Proposal Rock - just so much to see here! There's a tiny little village area at the trailhead with a great little cafe and a general store with its own little cafe. Plenty of parking in the beach lot if you come early - but it was completely packed by 10am. There are clean bathrooms with changing areas at the parking lot. On the other side of the lot is a wildlife preserve where salmon migrate through seasonally - just so much nature to see here - it's awesome!

The best for lip tattoos, and leaving your eyebrows naturally…read moreI really recommend to everybody

What a fun place to walk on the beach! Great place to capture videos. Nice clean restroom options…read morenearby! Felt like a safe area!

Jeremy here from XLBullyz.com here checking out the coastline. This place was great for the dogs to…read moreplay and the kids to explore.