Some trips begin with a flight. Others begin with a single step. This one began on a windswept stretch of sand along the northern Oregon coast, where our group (including parents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles!) set out to walk south: following beaches, forests, cliffs, and small seaside towns for more than a week.
Some trips begin with a flight. Others begin with a single step. This one began on a windswept stretch of sand along the northern Oregon coast, where our group (including parents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles!) set out to walk south: following beaches, forests, cliffs, and small seaside towns for more than a week.
The route soon led us into one of the most beautiful sections of the journey: the forested trails of Ecola State Park and Oswald West State Park. These miles traded sand for towering spruce forests and steep headlands. Switchbacks climbed through mossy woods where the haunting call of a varied thrush echoed through the trees. At the top, the reward was sweeping views of sea stacks, cliffs, and endless ocean. From the summit of Neahkahnie Mountain, the coastline unfurled south toward Manzanita—one of those views that makes every step of the climb worthwhile.
Between the big climbs were the simple pleasures of coastal walking: tidepool creatures at Hug Point, the constant company of seabirds, and the joy of reaching a small town after a long day. There were oyster shooters and smoked scallops in Garibaldi, Indian food from a beachside truck in Rockaway, and a celebratory stop at Pelican Brewing after a sandy push across the beaches near Cape Lookout.
Some days were gentle: walking through quiet neighborhoods and along rail lines beside the water. Others were demanding: ducking under fallen trees, navigating overgrown trails, or climbing dunes in the wind. But each evening ended the same way: good food, great company, tired legs, and the satisfaction of another stretch of coast explored on foot.
The journey ended with one last walk to Hart’s Cove, a grassy bluff overlooking the Pacific, with Cascade Head to the south and Cape Lookout to the north. After days of beaches, forests, birds, and laughter, it felt like the perfect place to look back on the miles behind us.