The future of hiking at one of the Oregon Coast's most beautiful places is the subject of an ambitious effort this fall in Lincoln City.

Multiple agencies have joined a team addressing problems at Cascade Head Scenic Research Area and God’s Thumb, two of the most popular areas on the coast.

A sharp rise in the number of visitors has brought parking problems, confusion and near-fatal accidents to the headlands, cliffs and meadows between Lincoln City and Neskowin.

More:Four accidents on God’s Thumb spur concern, new plan in Lincoln City

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The group, which is led by the U.S. Forest Service and includes Lincoln City, The Nature Conservancy and other local groups, is asking the public to give its opinion this month.

An open house about the project is 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 on Sept. 27 at Lincoln City Community Center. A survey intended to help guide the process can be taken online here.

“Our goal is to get some concrete proposals and a plan together by next November,” said Debbie Wilkins, district ranger for the U.S. Forest Service’s Hebo Ranger District. “But to do that, we need good feedback from the public.

“We’re doing this holistically because we know that any decision we make will have an impact somewhere else.”

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Knight Park parking problems

The effort is years in the making, Wilkins said. It was originally spurred by numerous problems at Knight County Park along the Salmon River north of Lincoln City.

The park is the lower trailhead for the Cascade Head Nature Conservancy Trail, but also a popular spot for anglers and the primary parking spot for employees of Camp Westwind.

“The parking situation is just a mess — way too much demand for such a little space,” Wilkins said. “It has been frustrating for everybody. The problem is there’s no space to enlarge it or obvious solution to fix it.”

God’s Thumb gets more visitors

At the same time Wilkins was looking those issues, other problems began popping up nearby — particularly at a place known as God’s Thumb to the south.

A basalt plug that rises above the beach north of Lincoln City, God’s Thumb became an increasingly popular hiking destination as pictures of its steep cliffs and high meadow spread on social media.

MORE:Four accidents on God’s Thumb spur concern, new plan in Lincoln City

Problem is, there’s no official trail or trailhead to God’s Thumb. The unofficial route includes a collection of gravel roads and unsigned user trails. As more people showed up, it became a vexing local issue, with tourists leaving trash, crowding local neighborhoods and wandering onto private land.

In the last year, four major rescue operations were required due to hikers breaking legs or getting trapped on the steep cliffs.

Part of the group’s goal is to decide what to do with God’s Thumb and how to manage the trail system, which features a complex assortment of county land, private land, easements and federal land.

Road 1861 revisited?

There are a number of other issues being examined by the group, Wilkins said, including the status of Forest Service Road 1861 — also known as Cascade Head Road.

The road typically closes January 1 to July 15 with the goal of protecting the habitat of the endangered sliverspot butterfly.

But the closure blocks off the Upper Cascade Head Nature Conservancy Trailhead and Hart Cove Trail. That leads to crowding in other places, mostly at Knight Park, home to the lower and open year-round Lower Cascade Head Nature Conservancy Trailhead.

And in the summer, USFS Road 1861 becomes quite crowded, with cars often lining the road near the North Cascade Head Trail.

“We’re going to need to come up with a better way to deliver people to Knight Park and Road 1861 that works for everybody,” Wilkins said. “I don’t know if, ecologically, we could build enough parking for everybody. So we’ll consider other delivery methods, whether that’s a bus or shuttle, I’m not sure.”

Ghost Trail and Oregon Coast Trail

Other issues being considered include:

- What to do with an unofficial “ghost trail” from Neskowin onto Cascade Head

- The possibility of connecting the Oregon Coast Trail to current trails around Cascade Head.

- How to better share information about the Cascade Head region online.

The importance of the effort is high, said Lincoln City officials, who rely on hiking as a major source of tourism to the area.

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“Cascade Head is arguably our most popular hiking area,” said Eric Johnson, coordinator for Explore Lincoln City. “We have guests from around the country that come out to the coast and hike this majestic, beautiful space.

“But, with its increased popularity, there come challenges with maintaining the beauty of the area. That is why we encourage all guests who plan on hiking Cascade Head to be a good steward of the space. By preserving Cascade Head, hikers of all walks of life can enjoy it for decades to come.”

Zach Urness has been an outdoors writer, photographer and videographer in Oregon for 10 years. He is the author of the book “Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon” and “Hiking Southern Oregon.” He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.