Short Sand Beach, Devil's Cauldron/Elk Flats, Neahkahnie Mountain & Oswald West State Park — Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022

• Distance: 12.6 miles
• Vertical: 2800 ft (right on the coast no less!)
• Duration: 6-1/4 hours (of bliss)
• Weather: Becoming partly sunny with some fog late
• Trail: Mostly good but hazards on the Neahkahnie Mountain trail from the north trailhead through to the lookout (more on that below); a few down trees on Sitka Spruce trail that are a challenge to get around but nothing unmanageable
• Takeaway: This is close (~40 min drive) to Astoria Oregon due west of Longview WA, and directly across the Columbia River from Long Beach WA. It is a GREAT hiking destination in one of the Oregon's most spectacular and largest coastal State Parks. A gem... apparently year around :)

Some sun today and we had a plan.

We were ambitious - hoping to start with Ecola State Park, then Oswald West down to Neahkahnie mountain, then Cape Falcon. Ecola access was closed due to a sinkhole - probably a good thing given the amount of hiking we did get in. Once we did a south lollipop look in Oswald West, it turned out it was too late, and we were too tired (in a good way :)) to finish up with the Cape. Next time... because we will be back.

The map of the lollipop loop is included below.

We started at the trailhead for Cape Falcon right on Hwy 101. The trail actually starts on the inland side of the Hwy (lots of parking), and crosses under the highway. The trail is well-marked, mossy, lined with old-growth trees, and follows a creek all the way down to Short Sand beach. The creek is especially beautiful, flowing through a small canyon of sorts, with nurse logs crossing the canyon in spots, each displaying their pocket gardens (nature finds a way). There is a specific trail calling out the old-growth wonders along the way. Lots to explore in this temperate rainforest, unique in its composition due to its proximity to the ocean.

Short Sand Beach is tucked away in a cove surrounded by trees, volcanic basalt and sandstone cliffs. Many surfers, the outlet of the creek we had been following, and a beautiful waterfall emptying onto the beach/ocean (tide dependent) a short distance (north) up the beach.

Backtracking, we joined the "Sitka Spruce Trail", crossed a creek on a cute suspension bridge, and then began ascending a set of switchbacks up a hill towards Elk Flats. The large, old-growth Sitka on this trail were amazing - many with massive above-ground root systems creating recesses, and in one case (see video) the opportunity to hike right thru a tree. Some similarity to the buttress routes on a giant fig tree.

The route on the Sitka trail is muddy in spots, has some downed trees that are a mess of large branches to navigate, and there is at least one spot with both obstacles for good measure. Nothing that is problematic, but I got dirty.

One rises up to Elk Flats (nice grassland bluff), where there are a couple different ocean access points, including the overlook to Devil's Cauldron (see map and video). A word of caution: there are sink holes in the flats so best to stay on the trail, and the park service has reinforced that message by making it obvious where they want you to stay on the trail.

The spurs to the ocean bluffs are of course breathtaking, with views of the churning ocean, sea caves, massive swells, cliffs, sea stacks, and even a sea arch at a distance out on Cape Falcon. I could have sat there all day... but a mountain ascent awaited!

At the trailhead for Elk Flats and Devil's Cauldron, is all the "north" trailhead for Neahkahnie mountain. At 1680 feet, Neahkahnie Mountain is one of the highest points on the Oregon coast. This is where the loop starts.

The ascent to the Neahkahnie mountain lookout (of Nehalem Bay) is much more difficult from the north trailhead than the south. We opted for a loop, passing through both trailheads, and returning on Hwy 101 to complete the loop. It is important to note that almost the entire stretch of the Hwy 101 part of the loop is on a pedestrian trail with a beautiful rock wall and barrier (see video), but there is a short section where one must navigate the road shoulder, probably making this loop not that family friendly.

The north trail up Neahkahnie mountain currently has numerous hazards. There is a MASSIVE tree blowdown on the northwest corner of this lollipop loop after you have gained altitude via a series of switchbacks. The downed trees are HUGE and big sections of the trail have holes from the upended root systems. That said, the cleanup has begun, all the tree obstacles have been cut, and there is a trail through the destruction. But there is likely the chance of falling or shifting debris. Enough said. It was not that big deal in retrospect, but it was a bit of an obstacle course, and we were not sure how long it would last. Note that it spans two switchbacks, returning briefly just when you think you are thru it.

The views from the lookout, and from the many pullouts on Hwy101 on the return, are of course spectacular. This is just an amazing section of the coast. The advantage of the loop is you see a lot of the view from the road that drivers only have a limited number of pullouts to access. Traffic was relatively light. Hwy 101 takes you back to the Elk Flat trailhead, and we returned the way we came (see map). A good 12-1/2 mile loop with 2800' of vertical (in winter, with no snow!)

Back at Short Sand Beach, the tide had gone out and the beach was transformed. The ocean... ever changing :) The sun was getting low, and we decided we had seen plenty for the day, and the trek out to Cape Falcon (directly accessible from a trailhead at Short Sand Beach) would have to await another day. Next stop: Pelican Brewing in Cannon Beach (recommended, and options for food to-go if outdoor seating is closed).