Cape Lookout North Hike

Overview

Due to a windstorm in September 2020, the North Trail in Cape Lookout State Park will be closed until further notice, perhaps until 2023. There are numerous large downed trees along the route. This great coastal headland hike with lots of ups and downs begins at the day use area for Cape Lookout State Park. Rise through lush Sitka Spruce and western hemlock forest to the Cape Lookout Trailhead and then head west along the Cape Trail above steep slopes to the cliff top viewpoint at the end of this jutting lava headland. Here, on a good day, you can view ocean life in abundance: gray whales in migration, sea lions, and pelagic birds. You may also do this hike as a split by beginning at the Cape Lookout Trailhead, the main advantage to this being that you will thus avoid the day use fee. From the parking area, walk back towards the beach and go left. There’s a map of the trail system, and the Dick Winsor Memorial, in honor of a former park superintendent, gives details about Cape Lookout State Park. Here get views to Cape Lookout and Sphinx Island. Follow the sign for the North Trail under tall Sitka spruce. The trail is a gravel tread on a maintenance track that veers right to cross a creek over a footbridge. Continue on the maintenance track up through salal thickets to a junction, where the trail goes right (Left would be down to Cape Lookout's South Beach). Cross a small creek and drop slightly to a junction. A trail leads right to the beach, but to continue head up to the left and switchback up to get a good view of Cape Lookout. Make three more switchbacks up before rising under an alder arbor to a make a short, steep ascent alongside a small creek before traversing along the steep slope to gives views north to Netarts Spit, Oceanside, and Three Arch Rocks. The woods are composed of western hemlock, Sitka spruce, red alder, sword fern, deer fern, salal, and salmonberry. Leathery polypody festoons the spruce. This higher trail is a new route: the old route traversed lower down and gave good views of Sphi

Trail Stats

Photos

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