PETS: On leash only
QUIET HOURS: 10 p.m.–6 a.m.
FIRES: In fire rings only
ALCOHOL: Permitted
OTHER: 14-day stay limit
Just south of Netarts, the lovely and linear Cape Lookout State Park is one of three campgrounds on Three Capes Scenic Drive. The route actually encompasses two more state parks with (as you may have guessed from the road’s name) magnificent headlands—Cape Meares on the north and Cape Kiwanda on the south—but these are day-use facilities only.
Capes Lookout, Meares, and Kiwanda are the centerpiece of more than 2,500 acres of coastal rain forest, sheer cliffs, wide sandy beaches and dunes, narrow spits, rocky points and outcrops, protected bays, and estuaries.
To accommodate the sizable numbers of seashore enthusiasts, the well-maintained and efficiently designed Cape Lookout State Park offers a whopping 173 tent sites, many of which are accessible all year. In addition, it offers a separate (and quieter) hiker/biker camp not far from the central camping grounds. Group camps are also available, as well as a meeting hall and four cabins. Despite the number of campsites, there is a spaciousness and openness about the place so that it feels—dare I say it?—uncrowded. That’s not likely to be the case on any given summer day, but enjoy the feeling when you can. It’s due in large part to the fact that when you have your back to the cape, the view is mainly of sand dunes, saltwater, and sky, a heady combination that encourages mindless meandering and musing. For those of you who insist on a mission, consider shell collecting, bird-watching, or whale spotting (at the right times of year).
Views of sea and sky are part of what makes Cape Lookout so alluring.
Geologically speaking, it may come as a surprise that the exquisite cape formations in this area and all along the Oregon Coast are the wind-, weather-, and wave-carved remains of ancient volcanoes. Geologists speculate that massive Cape Lookout, which many people consider one of the most scenic capes in the Northwest, was originally formed as an island off the coast when a huge lava flow cooled and congealed at different rates above and below sea level. You can observe the geologic layers from the base of this 700-foot promontory. The Cape Meares formation occurred similarly.
Cape Kiwanda, however, is essentially compressed sand made into rock and then shoved upward. Its sandstone composition would normally make Cape Kiwanda a fragile target of the pounding surf, but, as if by a master plan, nature provided the lofty point with its own Haystack Rock. (The more famous one is farther north, off the coast of Cannon Beach.) This giant piece of basalt encumbers incoming waves so effectively that fishing boats can head directly into the subdued breakers. In honor of this phenomenon, Pacific City (south of Cape Kiwanda) holds the Pacific City Dory Days festival each summer, showing off the seafaring talents of its famous fleet of flat-bottomed boats.
The Cape Meares cliffs are the nesting grounds for a wide variety of shorebirds that are protected, along with their forest-dwelling counterparts, by Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge and Three Arch Rock National Wildlife Refuge in Oceanside. Between the two refuges, more than 150 species of birds are known to inhabit the shores and uplands. Cape Meares is also the site of the Octopus Tree, a Sitka spruce gone wild, with an inordinate number of drooping branches—well worth the short trek out to see and snap a photo. Historic Tillamook Rock Lighthouse on Cape Meares is the structural centerpiece of this park. You’ll also have a decent chance of seeing elk on the Cape Meares Hiking Trail.
The average 90 inches of annual rainfall keep things fairly wet in winter and struggling to dry out in summer. If you dress for the weather, hiking the headlands and watching storms roll in can be an exhilarating winter adventure along this stretch of Oregon coast. The Cape
Lookout Trail alone traces the headland for more than 2 miles and winds up at a clifftop 500 feet above the sea. There are a total of 8 miles of trails through old-growth forest in the park. Several trails offer interpretive signage noting indigenous foliage and salmon restoration efforts. Keep in mind that many of these trails are steep and slick in places. Probably safer, and equally interesting, is the 5-mile stroll along Cape Lookout State Park’s sand spit, between the ocean and Netarts Bay. You should also consider taking a trip from the upper trailhead down to South Beach.
In the bay’s calm waters, you’ll find conditions ideal for crabbing, either by boat or from the shore. Supplies can be found in town, and several places will cook your catch for you. Clamming and fishing are other options.
If you run out of things to do (which is unlikely) and want to play tourist, Tillamook is nearby. It has a history museum, and you can take a tour of the renowned cheese factory. If you’re wondering about those huge aluminum barns you can see from US 101 out in the middle of a pasture, that’s the Tillamook Air Museum, which features more than 30 warbirds and actual pieces of the Hindenburg.
GETTING THERE
From Portland take I-405 to Exit 1D, and head west on US 26. Go 20.2 miles, and turn left onto OR 6 W. In 51.1 miles continue straight onto First Street in Tillamook. In 0.4 mile First Street turns left and becomes Birch Avenue. In 0.1 mile turn right onto OR 131 W/Netarts Highway. Drive 4.5 miles, then turn left onto Whiskey Creek Road. Drive 5.2 miles, then turn right into the park. There are signs for Cape Lookout State Park the entire way.
GPS COORDINATES: N45º 21.707' W123º 58.153'
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Nestucca River Recreation Area Campgrounds
Beauty
The main attraction of the Nestucca River Byway is the river itself and activities that relate to it, but the coast and all its fascinations are not far away.
KEY INFORMATION
CONTACT: Bureau of Land Management: 503-375-5646; blm.gov/visit/nestucca-river-recreation-area; blm.gov/visit/dovre-recreation-site; blm.gov/visit/fan-creek-recreation-site; blm.gov/visit/elk-bend-recreation-site; blm.gov/visit/alder-glen-recreation-site
OPEN: Year-round, depending on snow levels (not maintained and no fee December–March)
SITES: Dovre: 10; Fan Creek: 11; Elk Bend: 5; Alder Glen: 11
WHEELCHAIR
