Spotlighting three family-friendly coastal hikes

Story and Photos by Craig Romano

Photo at right:  The 65-foot tall North Head Lighthouse near Long Beach.

 

Consider lighthouses the coastal equivalent of fire lookout towers. Utilitarian in their function and design, yet they possess a simple and eloquent beauty as well. Guiding lights through rough and stormy waters, we oft forget about their purpose and become more enamored by their settings.

And like their fire spotting brethren, many a lighthouse has been retired and their keepers replaced with automation. We romanticize about the folks who once staffed these structures—rugged individuals—determined souls.

While many of our coastal lighthouses can easily be reached by car—here are a few you can hike to, allowing more time to relish in their glory.

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Westport Lighthouse — Dunes Trail

Roundtrip: 4 miles

Elevation Gain: 25 feet

Fees/Restrictions: Discover Pass required if accessing trail from state park parking lots; dogs must be leashed.

Kid-friendly

The tallest lighthouse on the West Coast, the 107-foot high Westport Lighthouse projects a beam of light up to 25 miles into the frequently foggy sea. Built in 1898 at Point Chehalis on the southern entrance of Grays Harbor, thanks to years of accretion (the opposite of erosion) the lighthouse now stands a good third mile away from the shoreline. The massive South Jetty at the harbor’s mouth has helped capture shifting sands creating quite a dune complex near the lighthouse.

While most folks visit the lighthouse merely by walking a short path from Ocean Avenue, you can enjoy a wonderful four-mile out and back hike right from the Westport Marina. The concrete Dunes Trail begins at the end of Westhaven Drive near a new observation tower. Head south on this wonderful path and quickly escape Westport’s hubbub of whale watchers, deep sea fishers, and gift shop browsers.

Hugging Half Moon Bay, a popular spot for stand-up paddlers, the trail enters Westhaven State Park after about a half mile. This park, immediately adjacent to the South Jetty is a Washington hot spot for surfers. Cross the park access road and pick up the trail once again now traversing impressive primary dunes. Entering the 200-plus acre Westport Lighthouse State Park you’ll come to a couple of nice observation decks granting great views out across a wide strand of beach and to the jetty. Watch for sea birds and fishing vessels.

At about 1.8 miles the trail comes to a state park parking lot on Ocean Avenue. Now walk east on the sidewalk alongside salt-sprayed pines coming to the stately lighthouse after .2 mile. Visit the grounds for free, or pay for a tour (check hours at the Westport Maritime Museum) and climb the lofty lighthouse.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse — Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area

Roundtrip: 5 miles

Elevation Gain: 300 feet

Fees/Restrictions: Day-use fee or Oregon Pacific Coast Passport; dogs must be leashed.

Kid-friendly

Oregon’s tallest lighthouse can also be easily driven to, but that’s not what we’re all about here. The Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area with its showcase lighthouse contains several miles of outstanding trails. Do all or most of these interlinking trails and you will have yourself a good half-day outing.

Many of these trails are easy, and some wheelchair accessible. You can spend the entire day here exploring tide pools, and watching for puffins, seals, and eagles from windswept bluffs. Of course, there’s the lighthouse where tours are regularly scheduled.

Enter the Natural Area and drive a short distance to the first trailhead. Here the Quarry Cove Trail takes off left and right. Head left first dropping down to Quarry Cove, a cove that once was—a quarry!

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) acquired Yaquina Head in 1980 to protect this scenic and biologically important area from an enlarged excavation.

After counting the seals, head back up to the trailhead and continue west soon coming to a junction. The trail right crosses the road and climbs 180 feet to Communications Hill where you can enjoy sweeping views south to Newport’s beaches and beyond.

Retrace your steps back to the Quarry Cove Trail and continue westward on the long jutting headland. Pass the interpretive center (or stop in and learn something) and come to the Cobble Beach Trail next. It’s a short hike down to this rocky little beach with its excellent tide pools.

There’s one more diversion before the lighthouse—the Salal Hill Trail taking off to the right for more excellent sweeping views. The lighthouse is a short ways now. Completed in 1873, it’s one of the oldest lighthouses in the state. At 93 feet tall—it’s the state’s tallest. Be sure to direct some attention also to Colony Rock just off shore. It’s a major seabird rookery. There’s good whale watching from this spot as well. For an area of just 100 acres, Yaquina Head packs a lot in.

North Head Lighthouse — Cape Disappointment State Park

Roundtrip Loop: 4.2 miles

Elevation Gain: 300 feet

Fees/Restrictions: Discover Pass required; dogs must be leashed.

Kid-friendly

Like the Westport Lighthouse, the beacon gracing Cape Disappointment’s North Head on the Long Beach Peninsula was also built in 1898. But this lighthouse only stands at 65 feet tall as opposed to Westport’s towering 107 feet. However, what makes this lighthouse so dramatic is its setting. It sits upon a 130-foot coastal headland overlooking one of the most treacherous sections of coastline on the Pacific.

As with Westport’s lighthouse, you can easily access North Head by driving to a short paved path. But why? We’re here to hike, right!? Instead, reach it via a wonderful 2.1 mile route over rugged North Head. The North Head Trail is one of the wonderful hiking options in the 1,884-acre Cape Disappointment State Park. Lewis and Clark named the wild seaside bluff back in 1805, during a miserable winter.

Start through a flat marshy area before heading up onto a small rugged ridge. Pass through mist-saturated groves of ancient Sitka spruce. Found primarily along the coast from Northern California to Southern Alaska, Cape Disappointment harbors nice stands of this scaly barked conifer.

At 1.8 miles, come to a parking lot. Turn left and continue .3 mile down a trail leading to the lighthouse. Savor the views and embrace the full force of the Pacific from this treacherous spot. Good thing there is a lighthouse here.

If you still want to explore, check out the lighthouse on Cape Disappointment, also in the park. Built in 1856, it’s the state’s oldest. Consider following the Westwind Trail one mile down to Beard’s Hollow on the beach.

Getting You on Your Way

Trailhead Directions

Westport Lighthouse: From Aberdeen follow SR 105 west for 18 miles. Turn right onto Montesano Road and proceed four miles to the waterfront area where the road becomes Dock Street. Turn left onto Westhaven Drive driving four blocks to the trailhead at viewing tower.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse: From Lincoln City follow U.S. 101 south for 23 miles to Lighthouse Drive in Agate Beach. If coming from Newport follow US 101 north for three miles to Lighthouse Drive in Agate Beach.

North Head Lighthouse: Follow U.S. 101 to Ilwaco on the Long Beach Peninsula. Then take SR 100 (Robert Gray Drive) south two miles turning left into state park. Proceed .5 miles to a four-way stop. Turn right and in .25 mile, turn right again reaching trailhead in .4 mile.

Contacts

Westport Lighthouse:
www.lighthousefriends.com
www.parks.wa.gov

Yaquina Head Lighthouse:
www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/yaquina

North Head Lighthouse:
www.lighthousefriends.com
http://www.parks.wa.gov/parks

Craig Romano is Trails Editor of Outdoors NW and the author of eight Northwest hiking guidebooks including the Winter Hikes of Western Washington (The Mountaineers Books), card deck, which includes more great coastal hikes. Visit him at http://CraigRomano.com

 

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