Harts Cove Hike

Overview

The trail down to Harts Cove puts you on the edge of a cliff looking down into a churning inlet fed by a narrow waterfall. Seabirds, seals, and sea lions can often be seen in the area, and the walk to Harts Cove takes you through some lush old-growth stands of hemlock and Sitka spruce. The headland meadow provides habitat for the Oregon silverspot butterfly (Speyeria zerene hippolyta), while the surrounding forest harbors spotted owls and nesting marbled murrelets. The trail is closed for half of the year to protect these threatened species. The Harts Cove Trail starts out by switchbacking downhill through a young coastal forest, where very little light reaches the forest floor and undergrowth is sparse. Evidence of logging is plentiful with very large stumps common. The trail loses 500 feet of elevation in 0.9 miles to a crossing of Cliff Creek. Beyond this, the trail levels and the forest becomes older, with some of these trees more than 250 years old. After another mile, you'll round a bend where a bench offers your first view of Harts Cove. It's also in this area you may begin to hear sea lions barking on the beaches below. The trail turns eastward and enters the drainage of Chitwood Creek. You'll pass through some particularly impressive sawed logs, some nearly five feet thick. The bridge over the creek is gone, so you might get wet feet if stream levels are high. However, the real goal and highlight is the meadow at the end of the hike. This entire area is closed in the spring, but flowers bloom here well into August. Look for lupine and violets mixed in with other plant life. Especially in July when the area has just opened, this can get very thick with grass and wildflowers, making footing tricky. Aim for a cluster of trees below and to the left for a nice seating area with a view of Harts Cove and a waterfall where Chitwood Creek cascades onto the beach. Most of us will probably be content with the meadow and the views, but there is a steep, rugged trail to a spot near the water. Fish come close t

Trail Stats

Photos

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TKO put tools to trail here.png

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