Cape Falcon Revisited - Oswald West State Park

When your childhood friend is in town, your hope is that Oregon is dressed to impress. And while this was not Lizzy's first trip to the PNW, we checked a few more hikes off of her list and Oregon did not disappoint. We revisited the Cape Falcon trail, in January we were unable to overcome the downed trees, however this round of hiking we were met with success.

We opted to start the hike at the gravel lot off of Highway 101, rather than the designated parking area a mile north. Your option is to cross Highway 101 and take the trail to the summit of Neahkahnie Mountain, which is detailed in another post on this blog. For this hike, we swiveled down to the right and made a quick stop at Devil's Cauldron. A beautiful view with the vertigo inducing cliffs which may give parents or dog owners the occasional panic attack as their loved one unassumingly runs toward the edge. I was unwilling to spend the next few months in therapy, so I chose to leash up Rita and Lola and stay a few feet behind the roped off ledge.

We headed back to the trail and followed the Elks Flat Trail for 1.3 miles until we emerged onto Short Sand Beach. A popular surfing alcove in the summer, Lizzy and I were able to witness firsthand what some may call diagnosed insanity in the form of a few people suited up and surfing in the freezing waters. After a short pause, we continued upward onto the Cape Falcon Trail. The trail is clear since the January wind storms, however the mud was is in full force, much to the joy of Rita and Lola who danced merrily along for 2.5 miles.

We relaxed at the top before venturing home the same way we came, overall this hike totaled around 8 miles and included several views of the Oregon coastline, a beach detour and a glimpse of the dense old growth Sitka spruce trees dominating the hillside. Enjoy!