The Oregon Coast Trail

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

 

Years ago, Governor Tom McCall of Oregon had a strange idea: he wanted to make all the beaches of Oregon open to the public, as he felt that the beaches belong to the people of Oregon. That was 1967, and I’m sure today this Republican governor would be branded a socialist. Now 382 miles of state trail exists from California to Washington along the beaches of Oregon, over headlands, through state parks and Federal land, and as rights-of-way over private land – some of the most beautiful country the state has to offer. Most of the trail is along the beach or along maintained trails over headlands, but about 10% of the trail follows paved and dirt roads or runs along the shoulder of Highway 101…

David Cobb breaks down the Oregon Coast Trail in text and photos – Read the article below in Issue 23:

Walking the Spectacular Oregon Coast Trail



Issue 23 Page 1

[Dogwood]

THX for the beta. The OCT is now on my radar. Nice change of pace doing a long coastal hike.

[Dogwood]

i would like to thank David Cobb for bringing to our attention the Oregon Coastal Trail in Issue 23. This has been long overdue giving thanks for an issue in 2015. David Cobb's  photography and trail description was the final driving impetus to SOBO thru-hiking  this not well known but scenically spectacular  380+ mile coastal hike.

http://www.trailgroove.com/issue23.html?autoflip=17

Ever since hitchhiking the entire west coast I always wanted to hike  all of Oregon on beaches and on mostly single track since it's largely SP's and Wildlife Preserves.  But, I didn't know a signed trail and OCT Guidebook were available already in place.  Native Oregonian, avid day hiker,  and thru-hiker herself, Bonnie Henderson's day hiking the Oregon coast was and is a must for every aspiring OCT day and thru-hiker. Don't let Mrs Henderson's book title fool you LD thru-hikers. It's a GREAT insider tips book for thru-hiking or day hiking along the Oregon coast.

http://www.bonniehendersonwrites.com/day-hiking--oregon-coast.html

http://hikingtheoct.blogspot.com/p/books.html

Free maps printable from the site Mr Cobb offers at the end of his article combined with the maps in Mrs Henderson's book with the trail descriptions and insider tips will make for a logistically solid OCT hike.  

Resupplying is easy particularly if you mail a box or two to USPO's along the way and buy at other times. There were 80-120 mile segments where I could resupply/supplement  not overly far from the trail/route every day.

And , if you aren't satisfied with almost 400 miles of coastal hiking the California Coastal Trail practically picks up where the OCT southern terminus ends OR one can jump on the Big Foot Trail maybe to the PCT for a conifer tree mountain hiking Cali SP sure and turf.