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. :)

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.

Beautiful forested open space between 2 trail heads with a decent amount of street parking. The 1…read moremile out and back trail is wide and very well-maintained, with a mulched walking surface. (There's also one narrower out & back off-shoot trail.) The path has a peaceful rolling feel to it, with lovely trees and the sounds of the birds. Great spot for an easy, shady neighborhood walk.

1 mile loop trail, almost 100% shade covered with slight incline and declines. Ground is dirt with…read morea weaving of tree roots to provide your steps. One can hear the birds singing and also the ocean softly roaring. Some boardwalk bridge areas. Lots of side street parking. Good signage. Lots of benches to rest at. No restrooms or water fountains. Located near the bridge. Bring bug spray when it's buggy season.

We really enjoyed this trail!…read more This short loop is about 1 mile, with a couple of other connecting trails along the way. We chose to start the loop to the left, and it seemed average for the length of the initial straight-stretch. But as soon as the trail turned and headed up it became so much more entertaining. The path winds through and around gorgeous old trees and provides fabulous root-art on which to walk. It's a fun trail with great shade...twists and turns, ups and downs. The footing is definitely uneven much of the way, so you've got to watch where you're going, but that just adds to the enjoyment for me. There's a decent amount of pull-off parking right at the trailhead. I didn't really have high expectations as we just happened upon the trail. But I was very pleasantly surprised...happy accident!

It's a great little trail to have a talk and take a walk. Not a lot of physical challenge. There…read moreare some spots that have a incline nothing that should be too difficult. You many options once inside. The trail keeps splitting and twisting. There good news is they all seem to end up in the relative same position at the top of the hill. The cemetery I would imagine used to have some good views. All the houses and development have made that less than available. Don't look for places to just chill or have a picnic at the top. Pretty sure the home owners have made all that go away. Still a good walk to think and or have a good conversation Enjoy

This trail is basically a hill climb and descent with two endpoints. I felt like Will Teasle…read morelooking for John Rambo in the woods on this hike, having to pause every so often to catch my breath. Coming from Orlando where an 8 mile hike will have 16 feet of elevation gain, this was a new challenge for sure. I'd do it again for exercise, but it wasn't very scenic or interesting.

Still one of my favorite trails in the area. This visit we ended up taking a cut-off section in the…read moremiddle that we'd never taken before. As soon as we started the section we began noticing salamanders (I assume) slowly crossing our path about every 6 feet. They were so perfectly camouflaged amongst the wet fallen leaves we slowed to a crawl the rest of the section for fear of squishing one!! Heads up on the trail right now! I don't know if this is the only section they stick to, because for some reason we've never seen them on any other part of the trail before. We usually spot such fabulous mushrooms here, what a sweet addition to our trail sightings. Adorable!

Fishing Rock located at mile marker of 124 of Oregon Scenic Highway 101. To access, you can park at…read moreFishing Rock Street and Lincoln Avenue. There is state park parking in this area. This park has the black rock bluff. From the parking area, the trail take you along the top of bluff. It will go through series of special bush plant cover cover tunnel. It is like a maze. Kid will love it. At the end tunnel open the shear cliff face of the rock. It is magnificent. The difference tone color cliff wall make this beautiful coastline. A few things you may want to know. The wind is strong there, if you wear contact lens, you may need to protect your eye with glasses. The top of the cliff can view many miles down the the coastline. There is mystery of the tunnel interconnected, so remember your way back. The trail may take you to other side of the entrance.

This was a terrific surprise to find such a thing just next to a fence…read more A huge stone bowl with a path to the sea the ocean passes in and out. You can see the bottom from the fence. Amazing ...

Great Beach with an amazing Ocean Punchbowl . It's the cutest spot. They even have a café right…read morenext to the Punchbowl. We didn't make it down to walk inside of the punch bowl, but it's definitely on the things to do list. You need to get there early enough for the low tides to be able to walk inside of the punch bowl.

This scenic area is a must-see when visiting the Yachats area! There's so much to do here. There's…read morea Visitors Center with restrooms, a museum, informational videos and friendly employees to answer questions. They have a large parking lot available for visitors. At the top of the hill is the Cape Perpetua Overlook day use area. It costs $5, and there's plenty of parking and a vault toilet. There's also a map of the trails by the pay station. The views from up there are amazing! The trails are well maintained. Don't forget to check out the cool West Shelter observation point! On the other side of highway 101 is a trail to Devils Churn, Cook's Chasm, and Spouting Horn. All must-sees! The dramatic views change depending on high and low tides. We always make a point to stop here while visiting the area, any time of year. It never disappoints. Highly recommend!

Highly recommend when in the area. We had our elderly Mom with us so had to take the drive up for…read morethe view. Once parked at the top of parking lot where there's a bathroom, short walk to the overlook. Sooo beautiful and glad we did this. As Mom sat on the bench for a bit we walked down a short trail to the shelter and kids loved this!

If you're looking for a quiet place in Lincoln City to take a walk, perhaps with your furry friend,…read moreCutler City Wetlands is a pretty good option. The trailhead is signed well, with pull-off parking available across the street. The trails are a bit over a mile, not paved, but flat and easy for anyone. We hung to the outside loop one morning last weekend and only ran into one other pair enjoying a walk. There are intersections and short-cuts along the way, so you could definitely make it a bit longer should you want. It's not the most entertaining trail as far as scenery goes, but the greenery walls made it feel a bit like a corn maze at times...kinda cool. If you're looking for an adventurous hike or a decent workout this probably isn't it...but if a nice, peaceful stroll is more your thing then check it out.