Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

by Jamie Hale | The Oregonian, OregonLive

A hike from the Pacific Ocean to Yaquina Bay sounds perfect, and Newport has a trail that offers just that – well, almost.



The Ocean to Bay Trail technically goes from the ocean to the bay, but only if you include more than a mile of city streets at the end. Still, the trail is a great hike in Newport, and a beautiful forested departure from the oceanscapes and sandy beaches common along the coast.

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People walk along Agate Beach. (Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)

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The trail was apparently conceived as a full hike from the ocean to the bay, starting at the back of the Agate Beach parking lot, meandering through a quiet forest, and running the length of Big Creek Park before heading down past Newport Middle School to Yaquina Bay.



The first leg from Agate Beach opened in 2007, according to a Beach Connection article from the time, with the second leg through Big Creek Park completed sometime later. The third and fourth legs of the trail – which would take it to the middle school and finally to the bay – still appear to be incomplete. The Newport parks department didn't respond to calls for an update on the trail.



For now, the Ocean to Bay Trail appears to dead end at N.E. Fogarty Street on the south end of the park. If you want to complete the circuit, you can walk an additional 1.5 miles south along city sidewalks to get to the Historic Bayfront.

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The trail runs through Big Creek Park. (Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)

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Incompletion aside, the first leg of the trail also suffers from some vandalism. Several interpretive signs that educate hikers about flora and fauna in the forest have been smashed, tagged or both. It's a present reminder of the inherent risks of establishing a trail within a city and alongside a major highway, and while it's certainly unfortunate, it by no means robs the hike of its beauty.



Walks along the ocean and bay are a great part of visiting Newport, but the Ocean to Bay Trail offers something different – a forested landscape in between.

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A boardwalk along Big Creek. (Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)

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OCEAN TO BAY TRAIL

Distance: 4 miles, out and back (7 miles out and back to Yaquina Bay)

Difficulty: Moderate

Amenities: Restrooms, parking lot at trailhead

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It only makes sense to start the Ocean to Bay Trail at the ocean. Drive out to Agate Beach on the north side of Newport, and park in the big lot across the street. After a quick jaunt to the ocean, head back and find the trail running along the south side of the parking lot (you can also find it at the very back of the lot).



Follow it through a tunnel under Highway 101, and head right at the base of the tall staircase on the other side. The trail here wanders through the forest along Big Creek, and is easy to follow if you keep crossing the boardwalks and bridges.



Before long the trail ends at a neighborhood street. Go right on the street and take an immediate right and left to enter Big Creek Park. The entrance road leads onto the trail, which heads quickly uphill to the crest of the park. The hike here is steep, but the forest is gorgeous, with stands of red alder that turn bright yellow come fall.

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The trail tops out at a pair of water towers, and depending on the season, you may be able to make out some views of the ocean through the trees. The trail then heads steeply downhill, down into a marshier area on Jeffries Creek. It soon heads back uphill again and before long ends at N.E. Fogarty Street.



If you're in it for the natural experience, this is a good time to turn around and head back the way you came. If you want to complete the Ocean to Bay trek, however, turn right onto Fogarty, then make an immediate right onto N.E. 12th Street and a quick left onto N.E. Eads Street. Follow Eads all the way down to E. Olive Street and turn left. In a few blocks turn right onto S.E. Moore Drive and walk all the way down to S.E. Bay Blvd., where a left turn will take you straight to the Historic Bayfront.

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

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The trail heads right at a big staircase. (Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)

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A smashed interpretive sign. (Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)

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Streets lead to Big Creek Park. (Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)

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The trail runs through Big Creek Park. (Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)

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Yaquina Bay at the Historic Bayfront. (Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)

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