Gwynn Creek Loop Hike

Overview

On good weather days, the short trails leading down to the rugged, rocky shores of Cape Perpetua are often crowded. A good, shady respite is to take this loop up to follow a wooded ridge and creek in the coastal foothills. The main attractions here are the massive old growth Sitka spruce and Douglas-fir, the latter more inland, the spruce closer to the coast. Little sunny glades intersperse the stands of tall trees on Cooks Ridge, while Gwynn Creek burbles below a gradually descending trail on the return loop. The connector to the Cape Perpetua Trailhead is via the Oregon Coast Trail, which follows an old wagon route and offers a few views of the dramatic shoreline below. Walk up to the RV parking area and find the trailhead on its south end. The Cooks Ridge Trail leads up on an old logging track into the Sitka spruce/western hemlock forest past a map sign. Here the understory is dominated by elderberry, wood fern, sword fern, evergreen huckleberry, and salal. There are couple of benches trailside and you cross a footbridge before continuing up the slope on a wide path. Notice your first big Sitka spruce and reach the Cooks Ridge-Discovery Loop Trail West Junction. The latter is an interpretive loop trail that rejoins the Cooks Ridge Trail higher up. If you want to take it go right. The Cooks Ridge Trail keeps up on a narrow tread now and switchbacks. There’s a large standing spruce behind an interpretive sign and then you reach the Cooks Ridge-Discovery Loop Trail East Junction, where you keep left. The trail levels at another big spruce and drops a little before rising to a ridge crest. The route drops again and the first Douglas-firs enter the conifer mix. Descend to a saddle with some large Douglas-firs and then head up in an understory of salal and sword fern. Pass through beautiful glades carpeted with oxalis and candy flower. The trail levels again on the ridge crest before dropping among Douglas-firs and hemlocks to reach the Cooks Ridge-Gwynn Creek Trail Junction. Go right and traverse down a lush

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