Author: taorsi

Sunset Bay to Cape Arago

Sunset Bay to Cape Arago

Sunday March 19, 2023

We try to keep the numbers on our hikes small, so they will be limited to 15-20 people. Please sign up if you plan to join us.

Sign up form

To volunteer to lead, send an email to hikes@coostrails.com.

Hike Description:   The whole hike goes from Sunset Bay Day Use Area, along the coast through Shore Acres up toward the Simpson Reef Overlook. From there we’ll continue to Simpson Reef and then cross the road to the Pack Trail connector, and on to Cape Arago. Then you can return either by the same route or along the road as far as the Simpson Reef overlook, returning the same way you came. The total hike is about 8.5 miles if we take the shortcuts across the field at Shore Acres and the group campground at Sunset Bay.

Short Hike–This will just go to Shore Acres and back. It will be under four miles, all pretty level. I need a volunteer to lead the short hike…or you will need to return on your own.

Another option–You can hike as far as Simpson Reef, and then return. This will be almost 8 miles, but it’s all level. You’ll be on your own for the return.

The line on the map shows the route we’ll be taking. Note that we’ll be avoiding the Pack Trail because of storm damage.

Other Information

Restrooms are available at Sunset Bay and Shore Acres. There is also a portajohn at Cape Arago.

For those on the long hike, we’ll be stopping for lunch at Cape Arago. We suggest you might want to snack at the Simpson Reef Overlook, because lunch will be later than usual.

Location and Time

Location and Time

Meet 9:30 am at Sunset Bay day use parking lot, near volley ball courts and restrooms at south end of Sunset Bay.  The short version of the hike will end before noon(unless you spend time in the gardens), and the long version at 2:30.

Driving Directions:  From Hwy 101 in downtown Coos Bay follow the signs 12.3 miles through Charleston to Sunset Bay State Park.  Park in the day use parking lot.

Remember to complete registration form.

Some things you can expect to see on the hike.
Friends of the Umpqua–Heceta Head and Hobbit Trail Hike

Friends of the Umpqua–Heceta Head and Hobbit Trail Hike

Saturday, February 18

This hike is a Friends of the Umpqua Hike. They have welcomed Striders to join them. They will meet in Roseburg and caravan to the coast. We can gather in the Fred Meyer parking lot in Florence and caravan/carpool to the trailhead.

Sign up if you plan to gather at Fred Meyer.

The historic and popular Heceta Head Lighthouse sits 150 feet over the ocean and the light started providing aid to navigation in March, 1894. The light still shines, and this hike provides spectacular views both up and down the coast. In addition to the light, you’ll pass the lightkeeper’s home, which is now a bed and breakfast.

Hike Description

Hiking route: From the lighthouse parking lot, we will hike up and over Heceta Head, drop down to the beach by way of the Hobbit Trail, then return via the Valley Trail

Difficulty level: Moderate
Distance: 5.9 miles
Elevation gain: 800 feet

Pluses: An up-close and personal look at an iconic lighthouse landmark, lush coastal forest, and a lonely beach walk where we’ve spotted bald eagles in years past.

Minuses: The hike up and over Heceta Head may not leave a mark, but you’ll feel it! The steep uphill section will be experienced both coming and going.

For more information call or text Penny at 541-643-6413.

Bring water, lunch, and appropriate clothing for hiking.

More details here

Location and Time

Striders can meet at 10:00 at the Fred Meyer parking lot on the North side of Florence.  We should gather near the gas station at the north end of the lot.  That way we will have an opportunity to consolidate vehicles.  There is a day use fee ($5.00) at the Heceta Head parking lot.

The Friends of the Umpqua plan to arrive at the trailhead at 10:25, so, if you want, you can meet us there.

Walkable North Bend–January 28, 2023(Saturday, 10:00)

Walkable North Bend–January 28, 2023(Saturday, 10:00)

Registration Required. Register Here.

This hike will be a ‘Weather Permitting’ hike, and my be cancelled if the weather is bad. Check this site on the day of the hike for information.

Description

Explore some of the many paths and trails commonly used by the folks in North Bend both past and present.

You can join local author and historian Dick Wagner on an easy to moderate 2 mile loop  from Ferry Park, along Bayview Ave and back up into town, before walking through Simpson Park, past the North Bend Visitor Center, under the McCullough Bridge, and then returning through the woods to Ferry Park.  Dick literally ‘wrote the book’ (or books) on North Bend History.

This hike should last about 2 hours.

Register for the Walkable North Bend Hike

Location and Time

We will meet at 10:00 in the Ferry Road Park parking lot.

Directions:  Ferry Road is just South of the McCullough Bridge. If you are heading South it will be your first left. If you are heading North, it will be on the right, just past the North Bend Visitor Information Center.

McCullough Bridge

Hall Lake/Dellenback Dunes Winter Yardanging, Saturday, January 21, 2023

Hall Lake/Dellenback Dunes Winter Yardanging, Saturday, January 21, 2023

See information below about Coos County Odyssey 2023

Sign up requested for the Hall Lake hike. Sign up HERE

Winter Weather and the wind make for some very cool looking sand sculptures geologist refer to as “Yardangs”. You can take a 3 mile moderate to difficult trip up onto the dunes between Hall Lake and the ocean at a slow pace to enjoy the sandy artwork. We are talking slow and steady – easy does it. Hiking sticks make this a much more enjoyable trip. This trip should last about 2-2.5 hours.

or

If there is interest, and a leader, you can head on out toward the beach and return to Hall Lake for a 6 – 7 mile round trip. Rated difficult. The route may vary, depending on conditions.

Walking sticks and sturdy shoes will help make the walk more enjoyable for you.

Dress for the weather, bring water, and pack a lunch if you plan on the longer hike.

Both hikes leave from the Hall Lake Day use area at 10:00 on Saturday, January 21.

Sign up HERE

Driving Directions: Hall Lake is about 10 miles south of Reedsport and 17 miles north of Coos Bay on the west side of hwy. Take Hwy 101 to Wildwood Drive (opposite Tugman State Park entrance) and turn left into day-use area at Hall Lake.

Sign up for the Coos County Odyssey 2023 Virtual Challenge

Make your hiking activities count, while supporting the Coos County Health & Wellness WIC program. The event is already started, but you can sign up and report on the activities you’ve already completed. You have four months to walk 218 miles or earn miles while completing other activities. Click on the photo below for more information:

Bastendorff Bog Hike–Friday, November 25

Bastendorff Bog Hike–Friday, November 25

Note: Registration Required. Register HERE

Opt Outside on Black Friday 2022, and join us for a hike (good for working off the Thanksgiving feast).

Bastendorff Bog trail hike out and back, with some additional hiking in the area.

The hike will start in the Sunset Bay Day Use area.  We’ll hike from there, cross Cape Arago Hwy, go through the campground, and follow the bog trail out to Yoakam Point, which will provide an excellent view of Cape Arago Lighthouse, and a mystery feature pictured below.   We will all then return to the starting point, and those wanting a longer hike will continue hiking (on their own) along the coast to Shore Acres and back.  You’ll see some great ocean views and very interesting trees along the way.

Be prepared for any weather conditions with foul weather gear, food and water. Moderate, ~ 4-5 mostly flat miles.

Note that the 9:30 start time will give you the opportunity to shop local in your home town after the hike.

Register Here

Location and Time

Meet 9:30 am at day use parking lot, near volley ball courts and restrooms at south end of Sunset Bay. 

Driving Directions:  From Hwy 101 in downtown Coos Bay follow the signs 12.3 miles through Charleston to Sunset Bay State Park.  Park in the day use parking lot.

To the Bogs and Back–Bandon

To the Bogs and Back–Bandon

Sunday, October 23, 2022

To help us plan the hike, please register here

Visit the Bogs…and More

Join us for an in-town hike on the wilder side of Bandon. Follow sidewalks, quiet streets and pathways on a 2.5-mile loop that leads from the Bandon History Museum to a good vantage point to see some cranberry bogs during harvest season. Museum volunteer Jim Proehl will share some “History Minutes” along the way. Expect a sojourn in a cemetery as part of this October hike. Extend the walk by picking up one of several “Healthy, Historic Hike” maps at the museum and following another route through historic Bandon. Scroll down to find out about another Bandon event that you might be interested in attending.

Park in the museum parking lot and if that fills up, park in the public lot at Face Rock Creamery or on adjacent streets.

You’ll visit the site of this History Minute:

See a brochure and map about the hike.

Harvesting Cranberries

Register Here

Location and Time

We will meet at 10:00 in Public Parking lot of the Bandon Historical Society Museum. If the lot is full you can find additional parking behind the Face Rock Creamery  Map Link to Museum and additional parking area.

Directions – The museum is on the corner of Highway 101 and Fillmore Ave.

As Long as You’re in Town, There’s MORE:

The Bandon Public Library is having a special program that just happens to fall on the day of our hike. William Sullivan is the author of many Northwest Hiking Guides. He will be conducting a slide show about some special historical events.

You might want to stop in one of Bandon’s eateries after the hike and the go on to the presentation in the Sprague Theater, which is next to the library, near the city park on 11th Street.

Dellenback Dunes Trail, Sunday, October 16

Dellenback Dunes Trail, Sunday, October 16

Requires Registration–Registration Form

The dunes can be incredible at any time of the year, but they are easier to hike after some rain, so I hope we get some by the time we do this hike.

This will be a hike from the trailhead to the beach and back (about 5 miles). It mainly takes us across the dunes, then through a forested area, and then to the beach. We can spend a little time on the beach before returning the way we came.

In the past, part of the group has hiked south on the beach and then along ten mile creek, looping back to the main trail. If someone volunteers to lead that hike (which is about 9 miles). we will offer that as an option. Email hikes@coostrails.com if you wish to volunteer.

Requires Registration–Registration Form

Location and Time

We will meet at the Dellenback Dunes Trail head at 10:00.

Directions:  From Coos Bay Visitor Center, travel north on Hwy. 101 – 15.4 miles to John Dellenback Dunes Trail on left next. Note that there is a $5.00 day use fee unless you have a recreation pass. They can be purchased online at this Forest Service link. There may not be a way to purchase it at the trailhead itself.

Tahkenitch Dunes Hike, October 1 (Saturday)

Tahkenitch Dunes Hike, October 1 (Saturday)

Requires Registration. Sign up here.

Both a short and a long hike will be offered.

Experience the amazing diversity of the Oregon coast range on either of these two hikes.

You can travel out along the Tahkenitch Dunes Trail as it winds through the woods to where Tahkenitch Creek empties onto the beach and return along the same trail for a 3.5 mile trip out and back.  Participants will return to the parking area on their own.  This hike should last 2.5—3 hours.

or

Take a longer more vigorous hike–a 6 mile loop combining the Tahkenitch Dune trail and the Threemile Lake trail.  We will all hike together on the Tahkenitch Dune Trail to the beach then hike north along the beach then back through the dunes past the beautiful and remote Threemile lake then through a mature and mossy Spruce forest then back to the parking lot.

The long  hike is rated difficult (mainly due to sand) and should last 4 hours.

Bring lunch, plenty of water and dress in layers for hot and sunny to cold, foggy and windy weather.

Location and Time

Meet at 9:30, Saturday, October 1 at the Day Use Parking Lot

Directions:  8 miles North of Reedsport on your left , Mile post marker 204 on Hwy 101.

This is a Forest Service day  use area.  A $5 day use fee per vehicle or appropriate pass is required for parking at this trailhead. You can purchase a pass online HERE.

Hike Guidelines

  1. Hike groups will be limited to about 15 people.
  2. You will be asked to complete a registration form so that we can control the number.

Cape Mountain, Sunday, August 28

Cape Mountain, Sunday, August 28

Hike Registration Form

The hike:  Beautiful wooded trails and high meadows  with views that go on for miles.   We have put together a sampler of this wonderful  17 mile trail system  that offers  lots  of options for hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. long hike will be 8.7 miles and will combine the multiple trails Princess Tasha, Berry Creek, and others.

We may lunch  in the meadow at the site of an old lookout tower. Because of the later start we might have lunch at the Berry Creek crossing (about halfway), and snack at the tower site.

Hikers will have the option to shorten their hike to about 3 miles by branching off on the Lookout Loop trail.

The short hike will be 3 miles and is rated moderate overall, but you still have to make the climb up to the lookout. The elevation gain isn’t as much as the long hike.

The longer hike is 8.7 miles and is rated difficult overall.

Dress for the weather and bring plenty of water and something to eat for both lunch and some snacks.

Hiking Sticks will make the climbing  easier.

You can see the full trail system map here. The section of interest for this hike is below.

Short hike in orange

Hike requires registration: Register Here

Location and Time

Meet at 9:30 at North end of Fred Meyer parking lot in Florence (near the gas station) then drive to Dry Lake trail head

Driving Directions:  Take Hwy 101 N through Florence, OR.   Fred Meyer ( on your left) is part of large shopping center on N. side of town.  

Bandon Historical Hike 2022

Bandon Historical Hike 2022

Sunday, August 21, 2022

To help us plan the hike, please register here

Two Options:

  • Archaeologist and historian, Reg Pullen will lead a four mile walking tour of Bandon, including beaches. Bandon Mayor, Mary Schamehorn will join Reg for part of this tour.
  • Join Historical Society volunteer and Treasurer, Jim Proehl for a faster paced version.

Reg and Mary will share all the local lore and colorful history of Bandon while touring various historical points of interest. Starting at the Museum, you’ll tour the waterfront and Old Town before heading to the beach. The total hike is 4 miles, rated moderate, with some sand walking involved and should last 2.5 to 3 hours. You can shorten the walk by leaving it before the trip to the beach.

Jim will offer a faster paced version of the hike that will take you out by the schools and the City Park before returning along the beach and Beach Loop Road. Jim’s version will emphasize the walking, with History Minutes along the way. There will be no shortage of historical information.

Listen to a History Minute (above) about one feature you’ll see on the hike.

After the hike you may want to visit the Bandon Historical Society Museum. Because this is on a Sunday, admission will be FREE, thanks to the “Free Summer Sundays” program sponsored by First Interstate Bank and Best Western Inn at Face Rock. 

Who are these people? Click on the link below to hear a History Minute about them.
The Beachmen.

Location and Time

We will meet at 10:00 in Public Parking lot of the Bandon Historical Society Museum. If the lot is full you can find additional parking behind the Face Rock Creamery  Map Link to Museum and additional parking area.

Directions – The museum is on the corner of Highway 101 and Fillmore Ave.

To help us plan the hike, please register here