Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A viewpoint on the Clatsop Loop Hike overlooks Indian Beach at Ecola State Park.

In a lot of other states, warm sunny days mean lazy afternoons spent lounging on the beach. Leave it to Oregonians to pack hiking shoes with their bathing suits.

From towering Neahkahnie Mountain to the chasms of Cape Perpetua, there are hiking trails that run up and down our gorgeous coastline, exploring the forests, dunes, tide pools and beaches that make it up.

The most iconic hikes include easy strolls, solid day hikes and one seriously big adventure to see it all. One of the best things about hiking the Oregon coast is how easily you can access such incredible views, experiencing natural beauty not just from concrete and sand but from relatively isolated dirt trails.

Whether you decide to climb a mountain or take a quick walk down to the beach, there’s nothing quite like a pretty day on the Oregon coast. Here are 15 incredible hikes to discover it.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

1. Neahkahnie Mountain

Distance: 5 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Nearest Town: Manzanita



You'd be hard-pressed to find a better view than the vista atop Neahkahnie Mountain, which looks south to a curving stretch of beach past Manzanita, Nehalem Bay and the coast beyond. A 2.5-mile hike will get you from U.S. 101 to the viewpoint, though you can also make a slightly easier trek from the alternate southern trailhead.

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

2. Cascade Head

Distance: 6.8 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Nearest Town: Lincoln City



Managed by international nonprofit The Nature Conservancy, the Cascade Head Preserve is a stunning hike that typically marks the division between the north and central Oregon coast. There is an upper and lower trailhead, with about 3.4 miles of trail between the two.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

3. Cape Lookout

Distance: 5 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Nearest Town: Tillamook



Of all the capes on the Oregon coast, Cape Lookout might be the most prominent, jutting a mile and a half into the ocean. Visitors can tackle the five-mile, round-trip hike to the tip of the cape, which passes several incredible views over the Pacific Ocean. Separate trails lead down to South Beach and the Cape Lookout campground.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

4. Clatsop Loop Hike

Distance: 3 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Nearest Town: Cannon Beach



There are several trails that traverse Tillamook Head at Ecola State Park, but the Clatsop Loop Hike takes top honors for its breathtaking cliffside views and quiet, forested paths. Take the oceanside trail from Indian Beach to the Hikers Camp, then take the forested path back. If you really want to up the challenge, you can also hike the backside of Ecola for an additional four miles (one way) to a trailhead in Seaside.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

5. Cape Falcon

Distance: 4.8 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Nearest Town: Manzanita



A stunning hike in Oswald West State Park (also home to Neahkahnie Mountain), Cape Falcon features incredible views and a walk through the coastal forest. You can also take a quick detour to Short Sand Beach, which is a haven for local surfers.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

6. Cape Kiwanda

Distance: 1 mile

Difficulty: Easy

Nearest Town: Pacific City



The hike up Cape Kiwanda is the quickest and easiest on this list, but it's also among the most recognizable on the Oregon coast. Found beside the original Pelican Brewing pub in Pacific City, the hike is really more of a tromp up a giant sand dune. A short walk around the top gives great views of the sandstone cliffs.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

7. Amanda’s Trail

Distance: 7.4 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Nearest Town: Yachats



A beautiful trail with a dark history, Amanda's Trail is named in honor of Amanda De-Cuys, one of many Native Americans rounded up and forcibly marched along the rocky coastline by U.S. Indian Agents in the mid-1800s. A statue and sign on the trail honors the memory of those people, and keeps the horrific story alive. Amanda's Trail runs from Yachats Ocean Road State Natural Site south along U.S. 101, then into the forest and up to the top of Cape Perpetua.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

8. Cape Perpetua

Distance: 1.8 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Nearest Town: Yachats



The view at the top of Cape Perpetua is great, but a trail network closer to the ocean shows off the tide pools, spouting horns and other stunning rock formations the central Oregon coast is known for. From the Cape Perpetua Visitors center, hike the Captain Cook Trail to Thor's Well and Cook's Chasm, then take the Cape Cove Trail to the Trail of the Restless Waters, which leads to Devils Churn.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

9. Dellenback Dunes

Distance: 5.5 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Nearest Town: Reedsport



There are a few spots in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area open specifically to hikers (as opposed to off-highway vehicles), but the Dellenback Dunes area is perhaps the most iconic, with seemingly endless views of sweeping, ever-shifting sand dunes. Find the trailhead south of Reedsport and prepare for a day of quiet wandering.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

10. Boardman Corridor

Distance: Varies

Difficulty: Moderate

Nearest Town: Gold Beach



You can hike the entirety of the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor if you have the time, but for a quick introduction of the stunning stretch of southern coastline, try dipping in and out from the many trailheads off the side of U.S. 101. A hike from Natural Bridges north to Thunder Rock Cove and Secret Beach is a particularly beautiful and easy excursion.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

11. God’s Thumb

Distance: 4.3 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Nearest Town: Lincoln City



Also known simply as "The Thumb" this fascinating headland north of Lincoln City was a locals-only destination until recent years when easier access was granted to the public. The hike begins near the beach at Road's End, winding along neighborhood streets before heading uphill to find sweeping views at The Knoll, eventually winding up at God's Thumb itself.



NOTE: Please use extreme caution when hiking The Thumb. In recent years, hikers have fallen from the headland, resulting in serious injury and death.

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

12. Floras Lake

Distance: 9.1 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Nearest Town: Port Orford



The hike to Blacklock Point from Floras Lake is not nearly as well known as the others, but it remains one of the very best adventures on the southern Oregon coast. The hike runs from lake to ocean, sand to sandstone, and passes by the iconic beachside cliffs and rock arch. In all, it's about nine miles out and back, but even truncated it's an enjoyable adventure.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

13. 804 Trail

Distance: 3.3 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Nearest Town: Yachats



One of the best city trails in Oregon, the 804 Trail in Yachats connects sandy beaches to rocky tide pools and grassy cliffs, winding through state park sites and quiet neighborhood roads along the coast. You can hike the trail more than a mile and a half from Yachats State Recreation Area past Smelt Sands State Recreation Area, then continue on the sandy beach all the way to Waldport, if you're so inclined.

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

14. Fort to Sea Trail

Distance: 13 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Nearest Town: Astoria



Running from Fort Clatsop to Sunset Beach, the 6.5-mile Fort to Sea Trail is meant to traverse the same land once crossed by Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery, land originally inhabited by the Clatsop tribe. The trail can either be done as an out-and-back journey of 13 miles or done with a vehicle parked at either end.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

15. Oregon Coast Trail

Distance: 383 miles

Difficulty: Difficult



The Oregon Coast Trail is certainly one of the most iconic hikes on the coast, even if it takes several weeks to get through it all. At 383 miles, the OCT is one of the Pacific Northwest's many scenic thru-hikes, traversing the entire length of the coastline. However, it's not always easy to navigate. Some sections require walking along the shoulder of U.S. 101, hitching boat rides across river mouths and camping illegally on beaches.



Hikers who are serious about tackling the whole trail should read the highly informative blog, Hiking the Oregon Coast Trail.

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--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB