Author: taorsi

Kentucky Falls Hike–Saturday, July 23

Registration required. REGISTER HERE

The Main Hike

This hike is to Kentucky Falls and back. Kentucky Falls area offers views of 3 waterfalls two of which drop over 100 feet. The hike is 2.5 miles down to the falls through old growth Douglas Fir and Hemlock. We’ll view the falls and then hike 2.5 miles back on a switchback trail. It is rated moderate to difficult. The difficulty is based on the elevation gain, but you can control the difficulty with lots of rests. Plan on 3.5 hours to complete the hike with plenty of time to relax, eat lunch, enjoy the falls and then walk back up the switch back trail at your leisure.

This is a beautiful hike through old growth forest. Even without the falls it would be a great hike.

Pack a lunch to enjoy either during or after the hike. The drive to and from the trailhead is a long, slow drive. (gravel roads). We will be caravaning from the Dunes Information Center in Reedsport, but to get an idea of the route, check out the directions at the trailhead site.

Optional Additional Hike

After we complete the Kentucky Falls hike, some hikers may wish to stop at the North Fork Smith River Trailhead and hike along along the river (out and back). From last reports, the trail may be overgrown with downed trees. That’s one reason why we aren’t offering the traditional through hike from Kentucky Falls to this trailhead. The other reason is that the necessary shuttle adds a lot of travel time.

By going out and back from the trailhead, hikers who want to do this additional hike can go as far as they want, and turn around.

Location and Time

We will leave the Dune Information Center parking lot in Reedsport at 8:30 AM. Please arrive ten to fifteen minutes before that to sign in and coordinate cars.

Directions – From Coos Bay Visitor Center in downtown Coos Bay travel 26.6 miles N on Hwy 101. Visitor center is on left directly opposite the turnoff for Hwy 38. We will leave from the Dune Information Center at 8:30 and reach the Kentucky Falls trail head around 10:00. Some gravel roads and pot holes are on our route so we will go easy.

Sunset Bay/Shore Acres/Coast, Perimeter, and Pack Trails–Sunday, June 26

Requires Registration–Registration Form

We will start at the Sunset Bay Day Use Area and follow the Coast Trail along the shoreline to Shore Acres. Those who want a short hike can then return to the Sunset Bay Parking lot by backtracking. The route for the short hike is in blue on the map below.

The addition for the longer hike is in green. After the Sunset Bay to Shore Acres leg, we will leave Shore Acres and proceed across the Cape Arago Highway to the Perimeter trail. We will follow the Perimeter Trail to the Cape Arago Pack Trail (about 2.2 miles). Then we will take the Pack trail down toward Simpson Beach, with a possible side trip to a nice overlook. Then wee will return to Shore Acres and take the old Shore Acres driveway back toward Sunset Back, backtracking (with a couple of shortcuts). The long hike will be about 8 miles, depending on detours and shortcuts.

Hike Guidelines

We will try to keep the groups small so it’s easy to keep track of hikers.
You will be asked to complete a registration form so that we can control the number.

Location and Time

Meet 9:30 am on Sunday, June 26 at the Sunset Bay 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.

Show Map Location

Remember to complete registration form.

Re-Rescheduled–Blacklock Point from Floras Lake–Saturday, June 18, 2022

Please Register–Registration Form

If you registered for the June 4 or June 12 version, there is no need to re-register. You’ll get an email asking if you still plan to attend.

Join us for this rugged 8.2 mile journey from Floras Lake to Blacklock Point, starting along the lake, through densely wooded trails and exposed rocky points with beautiful ocean views.

There will be a short version of the hike (approximately 4 miles). This will most likely be a hike about halfway to the point and a return (possibly along the beach).

The longer hike is a beautiful hike that is mostly level, and the trail is in excellent condition. It begins (and ends) with soft sand, but by staying near the lake you will have pretty solid footing. There were some muddy spots a week ago, so waterproof footwear might be welcome.

This hike is rated difficult, but that’s mainly due to the length. Because it’s an ‘out and back,’ the distance can be shortened by turning around at any point.

Dress in layers, windbreaker with a hood is highly recommended. Bring water and something to eat (lunch).

Plan on 4-5 hours for the hike if you don’t return early (which is an option). There is a ‘restroom’ at the trailhead that’s usually in pretty rough shape. People have used the campground restroom in the past.

Location and Time

Meet at 9:30, Saturday, June 18 at Boice-Cope County Park. If the demand is high, and we have a leader, we will have a second starting time about 10 minutes later.

NOTE: There is a $5 Day Use Fee at Boice-Cope Park. In the past this has sometimes even been enforced on vehicles parked on the road.

Directions: From Bandon or Coos Bay, travel south on Hwy. 101 to Langlois. Go 1/2 mile past Langlois and turn right (west) on Floras Lake Loop Road. Follow the signs 3 miles to Floras Lake and Boice-Cope County Park.

Remember to complete registration form.

New River is Great in the Spring

Guide yourself to enjoy the diversity.

There isn’t a scheduled guided hike, but New River has a lot to offer at this time of year, so you don’t want to miss it. It’s easy to guide yourself with the maps available at the parking lot.

We’ll have a good supply of huckleberries come Fall

Directions: From Bandon or Coos Bay, travel south on Hwy. 101 to Croft Lake Lane, 11 miles south of Bandon. Turn right on Croft Lake Lane, and follow to the New River ACEC Nature Center.

South Slough Trails–Saturday, May 7 2022

Note: Registration Requested. Registration form.

We will meet at the South Slough National Estuarine Reserve Interpretive Center parking lot at 10:00 AM. Lynn Jackson will lead the hike, and will take us on a series of trails through the reserve, including the North Creek Trail, the Middle Creek trail, the Hidden Creek Trail, the Tunnel Trail, and the Sloughside trail.

After the hike you will return to the Visitor Center for lunch or a snack.

Hikers wanting to explore more after lunch may want to complete the day with some hikes on the South Reserve Trails. (see the brochure below)

You can find a brochure about the South Slough and the trails here.

Location and Time

Meet 10:00 am at the parking area at the Interpretive Center.

Driving Directions: From the North–From Hwy 101 in downtown Coos Bay follow the signs about 9 miles to Charleston. Shortly after the Charleston drawbridge, take a left on Seven Devils Road. Follow Seven Devils for 4.1 miles to the Interpretive Center.

From Bandon (and South): Follow 101 North to West Beaver Hill Road (9 miles North of Bandon). Turn left on W. Beaver Hill, toward Charleston. Follow W. Beaver Hill for 6.1 miles until it becomes Seven Devils Road. Follow Seven Devils for 2.2 miles to the Interpretive Center.

From Coquille: Take 42W toward Coos Bay for 4.5 miles to N. Bank Road. Take a left on N. Bank and follow it 4.3 miles to W. Beaver Hill Road. W. Beaver Hill Rd. will cross 101 in 2.5 miles. Follow W. Beaver Hill road 6.1 miles until it becomes Seven Devils. Follow Seven Devils for 2.2 more miles to the Interpretive Center.

Sweet Creek Falls Hike, April 30

Saturday, April 30, 2022

Registration Required. Register here

The Hikes: The Sweet Creek/Beaver Creek area offers hikers a smorgasbord mountain stream and waterfalls experience along with an opportunity for great wildflower viewing. There will be 4 different hikes all of which are out and back on the same trail and rated moderate.

The first will be a 1/2 mile trip to view Beaver Creek Falls.

The second will be a 1.2 mile hike to a different viewpoint of Beaver Creek Falls.

The third hike will be 1.6 miles to Sweet Creek Falls.

The final and best hike of the day will be a 1.6 mile hike along Sweet Creek on a trail that meanders along the water and actually travels right over the creek on a railed catwalks that is bolted to the side of the canyon.

Altogether, you will hike 4.9 miles for the day.

If you want to take it a little easier you can cut out the third hike and take a break while the rest of the group goes on this section. Since the hikes are all “out and back” you can cut any of the hikes short and return to the parking area if you are getting tired. Plan on 4 hours for all the hikes—starting for home around 2pm.

Location and Time

Meet at Dune Information Center in Reedsport at 8:30. We will caravan from there.

Directions: From Coos Bay Visitor Center in downtown Coos Bay travel 26.6 miles N on Hwy 101. Visitor center is on left directly opposite the turnoff for Hwy 38. We will leave from the Dune Information Center at 8:30 and reach the Sweet Creek Falls trail head at 10:00. Some gravel roads and deep pot holes are on our route but we will go easy.

Registration Required. Register here

Golden and Silver Falls Hike, Saturday, April 16 , 2022

Hike Description: Here is a chance to view two beautiful nearby falls.

Don Luce will be leading the hikes.

Registration Form

Short Option: We will make a 2.8 mile round trip hike that climbs a switchback trail through old growth forest of Douglas Fir, Big Leaf Maple and Oregon Myrtle trees up past two beautiful waterfalls both of which are over 100 ft. This should also be a great time of year for wildflowers.

Longer Option: For those wanting a longer hike we will be approaching the the falls from different trails.

Bring lunch and water and rain gear, dress in layers, and wear sturdy waterproof boots. The longer option may get your feet wet at times.

Location and Time

We will meet at Golden and Silver Falls trail head at 10:00.

Please Register for this hike

Directions: From the Coos Bay Visitor Center take Hwy 101 south. Turn left on Newport Ave/ Coos River Hwy. Continue for .5 mile – cross the bridge then bear 90 degrees left onto 6th Ave/Coos River Hwy. The road will make another 90 degree turn to the right and you will pass the Coach House Restaurant on your right shortly after that. Continue for .5 mile and turn right onto D Street/Coos River Hwy at the stop sign. You are following the signs to Allegany. Continue .8 mile and bear left across the bridge onto S. Coos River Hwy. Continue 1.5 mile then turn left on East Fork Millicoma Rd. and cross bridge. After bridge turn right and continue on East fork Millicoma Rd. for 19 miles through the town of Allegany before turning left onto gravel Glen Creek Rd. Continue on Glen Creek Rd for 3 miles to parking area.Suggested Carpool sites & Departure Times:

Blacklock Point–A Special Hike Opportunity

March 30, 2022–3:30 PM

Offered by the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition

If you are curious about why Blacklock Point was proposed to be designated as a Marine Conservation Area, and you have interest in learning more about the state’s rocky habitat designation process, you can join Oregon Shores board member Larry Basch and myself on a hike to Curry County’s Blacklock Point on Wednesday, March 30, beginning at 3:30 p.m. We will assemble at Cape Blanco Airport trailhead.

In late 2020, Blacklock Point was one of six intertidal areas proposed for designation as a Marine Conservation Area under Oregon’s new Rocky Habitat Management Strategy. It is still being considered, and a workshop will take place in late April where proponents, including Oregon Shores, will discuss the proposal with state agencies as part of the decision-making process; those agencies will then pass recommendations on to the Ocean Policy Advisory Council.

To highlight this area and explain why it is worthy of such protective designation, Dr. Basch will lead an interpretive hike, discussing among other things Blacklock’s ecological connection to Cape Blanco, which has been proposed as a Marine Research Reserve as part of the Rocky Habitat strategy. Larry, who was the primary contributor to the Blacklock site designation proposal, is a marine ecologist, scuba diver, naturalist, and community conservation activist in Coos County. He engages in applied research, adaptive management and monitoring, and teaching.

The hike is about 1.75 miles each way. Be sure to dress for the weather and wear shoes that can get wet and muddy. Assemble at the Cape Blanco airport parking area before 3:30; the hike will leave promptly, to make sure to allow enough time to complete the round-trip in daylight. To reach the trailhead, from Highway 101 turn on Airport Road opposite Pacific High School, just north of the hamlet of Sixes, between Bandon and Port Orford.

For more information, please contact Jessica Jones, CoastWatch Volunteer Coordinator.

Heceta Head and Hobbit Trail–Sunday, March 27, 2022

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.

Please sign up for this hike

The Hikes:

Long Hikers

The more difficult hike (which really isn’t THAT difficult) will start at the Heceta Head parking area, and proceed past the old light keeper’s house to the Heceta Head lighthouse. From the lighthouse we’ll climb to a viewpoint ABOVE the lighthouse for a unique view of the light, and then over the mountain to the Hobbit Trail. We’ll take the Hobbit Trail to the beach, and then return over the same route to the parking lot. That will be a distance of about four miles over well maintained trails. The difficulty is in the elevation gain (over 500 feet) in both directions.

For a Shorter Hike

Shorter distance hikers who want to avoid the climb will start out with the long hikers and will proceed to the viewpoint above the lighthouse. This group will then return to the parking area and drive to a turnout about .9 miles North. From there you will proceed down the Hobbit trail to the beach. You will probably run into the ‘long hikers’ along this trail. Each leg of this hike is about a mile, for a total of two miles.

Location and Time

We will meet at 9:30 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, and while the parking in other locations (the ‘turnout’ and Washburn SP) is free, the space at the turnout is limited.

Humbug Mountain, Saturday, February 26, 2022

Registration Form

This hike is limited to 15 people for each option, but if demand is high (and we have enough leaders) we can stagger start times. Also, there is a self-guided ‘short’ hike option described below, and some hikers may prefer that.

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

Hike Description: There will be two hikes running at the same time.

The ‘Long’ Hike

The hike itself is just over 5 miles long, but the elevation gain is significant (about 1800 ft), which makes this a difficult hike. We will hike up the East trail, which will give us good views to the South as we near the top, and then we’ll return by the West trail, which provides good views of Port Orford as we descend.

‘Short’ (Easier) Hike

Easier Hike–The ‘short’ hike isn’t really that much shorter, at just over 4 miles, but the highest elevation is only 434 feet. It follows along the old coast highway and offers good views of Humbug Mountain itself, Red Fish Rocks, and the town of Port Orford. If there isn’t a ‘leader’ for this hike, you may need to do a ‘self-guided’ hike, but there is a detailed trail guide (link below)

Humbug short trail guide Short Trail

Hike Guidelines

Hike groups will be limited to about 15 people (but we’re flexible)
You will be asked to complete a registration form so that we can control the number.
Hikers will be asked to maintain social distance on the trail
Hikers will be asked to have face covering (like a bandana) that can be pulled up at tight spots on the trail
Hikers should step off the trail to let others pass

Other Information

There are no restrooms at the trailhead. The restrooms are open at Battle Rock Park in Port Orford, so you may want to stop on the way.

Location and Time

We will meet at the Humbug Mountain trail head at 10:00 on Saturday, February 26.

Directions: Take the Coast Highway (101) south, past Port Orford. The trail head is about six miles south of Port Orford.

R emember to complete registration form.