Good hiking trails along the Oregon coast (Ashland, Newport: 2015, beach)

[BeachSide15]

My husband and I will be taking a road trip soon with our dog. It's my first time traveling up the Oregon coast. Can you recommend safe, scenic hiking/walking trails along the way. We'll be heading toward the coast from Ashland. We'll be staying the night in Newport, but we'll be making lots of stops along the way to walk/hike.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Every visitor center along the coast will have maps of the trails in their area.

The forest service maps show all the hiking trails, too.

[Hawk J]

You can hike among the beautiful, awesome Redwoods.....

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

[BeachSide15]

Thank you, ows and hawk! 

[crazyme4878]

Cummins Creek or Gwen Creek at Cape Perpetua (Yachats) are beautiful. The Hobbit Trail, just north of Heceta Head (unmarked parking lot on east side of 101 after it climbs the hill) is fun, but way too busy on summer weekends (and is only a 1/4 mile). Everyone I know has done the lighthouse trail and have raved about it. It is the same trailhead. You cross over to the west side of 101. The Hobbit trail is on the right, the lighthouse on the left. At the same parking lot is the China Pond trail. It starts on the east side. I haven't done the loop at the end, but have hiked it to Wakefield SP Campground, across 101, down the beach, and up the Hobbit Trail for a loop of about 5 miles.

Off the coast is the popular Sweet Creek trail (outside of Mapleton). Again, it's a short trail, out and back of 2 miles, but it is one waterfall after another.

Oregon Dunes Overlook (between Reedsport and Florence) is a great place to hike in the dunes (don't get lost). There is a somewhat marked trail to the beach (2 miles), but there are easier ways to get to the beach.

I would get an Oregon Pacific Coast Pass. It's$35 for the year or $10 for five days. It gets you into both federal and state sites.

[Silverfall]

Originally Posted by Hawk J

You can hike among the beautiful, awesome Redwoods.....

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

You can't take your dog on several of the hikes. We learned that the hard way.

[boulder2015]

Cape Lookout. Particularly the hike down to the beach on the southside. Cape Lookout is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. Also Perpetua is phenomenal. It's like every green bit of vegetation on Earth decided to fight for a spot there. In some areas you can barely see ground from all the green.

[dirt _farmer]

Originally Posted by boulder2015

Cape Lookout. Particularly the hike down to the beach on the southside. Cape Lookout is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. Also Perpetua is phenomenal. It's like every green bit of vegetation on Earth decided to fight for a spot there. In some areas you can barely see ground from all the green.

I agree with this, if you can make in north of Newport. Capes Lookout and Perpetua are awesome hikes.

[BeachSide15]

We will be going north of Newport! Thank you! Are they dog friendly trails?

[crazyme4878]

All the ones I mentioned are dog friendly. Cape Perpetua is pretty strict on keeping the dog on leash on the rocky area and the trails immediately around the visitor center (Big Tree, Discovery, etc.), but I've never had any issues with hiking on the outer trails (Gwen Creek, Cummins Creek, whatever that one that one that connects them is called...) with my dog off leash.