Add a bit of outdoor adventure to your family’s Oregon Coast trip on an all-ability trail.
While Oregon certainly has its fair share of challenging wilderness trails that experienced hikers love, there are plenty of walking routes where you can enjoy the great outdoors, no matter your age or ability. Head to the Oregon Coast, where you’ll find plenty of relatively short, flat and — in many cases — paved trails that are perfect for multigenerational outings. Here are six great Oregon Coast hikes, ideal for kids, parents and grandparents who want to immerse themselves in nature.
1. Port Orford Heads Trail, Port Orford
The South Coast is known for its seriously spectacular views, which you’ll see for yourself if you take a hike along the Port Orford Heads Trail, a family favorite at Port Orford Heads State Park. The 1.2-mile trail begins at the Port Orford Lifeboat Station Museum — a must-see for history buffs, featuring displays about the lifeboat station that operated here from 1934 until the 1960s. If your crew can manage a dirt path with some inclines, go beyond the historic lifeboat on its grassy grounds and take the loop along the crest of a high headland. There you’ll find unparalleled views of the Pacific as you pass through wooded forests and flowery fields.
2. Coquille River Lighthouse Trail, Bandon
On the southern end of Bandon’s Bullards Beach State Park, the 0.3-mile Coquille River Lighthouse Trail takes visitors of all abilities from a paved parking lot down to a historic lighthouse that was first illuminated in 1896. Between late spring and early fall, volunteer docents are on hand to provide commentary and answer questions. If you want to extend your walk a bit farther, you can walk straight from the lighthouse to the adjacent sandy beach.
3. The Hobbit Trail, near Florence
Just north of Heceta Head Lighthouse near Florence, the Hobbit Trail is an easy, mile-long path that winds through a mossy Sitka spruce forest and through a leafy tunnel of greenery. You won’t find Bag End on the other side, but you will find a few wide steps that gradually descend to sandy Hobbit Beach. While this trail is a popular option for families due to its shorter length and enchanting tunnel, note that it’s not wheelchair-accessible or suitable for strollers, and it can get muddy when there’s a lot of rain.
4. The World’s Shortest Park Trail, Lincoln City
If you’re vacationing in the stretch of communities known as Lincoln City, you don’t have to go far to take a hike. Just head to Schooner Creek Discovery Park for what they call the world’s shortest park trail. Measuring a mere 135 feet in length, this Lilliputian path leads hikers into the wetlands of Schooner Creek. It’s paved with natural stone, making it ideal for strollers and mobility devices, and there’s a bench for anyone who needs to take a break. Even better, children of all abilities can enjoy the park’s new inclusive and accessible playground, the first of its kind for the Oregon Coast.
5. Pacific View Trail, Oretown
Families can choose between two nature trails inside the Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge south of Pacific City. The Pacific View Trail is a 0.6-mile out-and-back trail that’s paved with asphalt and wide enough for strollers and mobility devices. The 2.2-mile, dirt-and-gravel Two Rivers Nature Trail is a bit more challenging but is still a great option for active families who want to see prairielands, seasonal wildflower meadows and woodlands in one hike.
6. Rockaway Big Tree Trail, Rockaway Beach
For a flat, accessible boardwalk hike with an incredible reward at the end, head to Rockaway Beach’s Cedar Wetlands Nature Preserve for a half-mile-long meander through a forest of Sitka spruce, hemlock and alder. The boardwalk culminates at the base of one of the largest western red cedars in the region, which stretches 154 feet in the air and is around 49 feet wide. The tree is surrounded by a deck-like viewing platform, and there are a few benches to rest before heading back the same way you came.
– By Margot Bigg
Top photo: Hobbit Beach by Melanie Griffin / Eugene, Cascades & Coast