Hike Fort to Sea Trail, Oregon

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The "Fort to Sea Trail" follows the 6.5 mile route used by the Lewis and Clark Expedition when hiking from Fort Clatsop to the Pacific Ocean, ends at Sunset Beach. Explore the forests, travel along the coastal rivers and lakes, and traverse the coastal dunes. The Fort To Sea Trail starts from the Visitor Center at Fort Clatsop. The first two miles take you up a gentle climb to the top of Clatsop Ridge, where on a clear day you can see through the trees to the Pacific Ocean. From there, you descend through deep woods and reach wooded pasture dotted with small lakes. The wooded pasture leads to the crossing tunnel under U.S. Highway 101 and near Camp Rilea. This stretch of the trail marks the beginning of sandy soil and gentle dunes and leads into beach woods before arriving at the Sunset Beach/Fort to Sea Trail parking lot. From there, travel the 1-mile path to the beach. While the Fort to Sea Trail is navigable in any weather, please note that rain can make the trail slick in some places and muddy in others. Also, while the abundant wildlife that you might see, such as deer, elk or eagles, or bear, bobcat or beaver, might be shy, the domesticated animals, such as cows, you can encounter in the pastures on the south side of U.S. 101 might not be. Finally, a one-way trip requires pickup at one end of the trail. A cab or wait car should be arranged. If you want to trace the corps trails in a shorter amount of time, or simply take in the scenery and get some exercise, you can shorten up the Fort to the Sea Trail trip by making Clatsop Ridge your destination from the Fort Clatsop Visitor Center. This hike is about 4 miles round trip, with a gentle climb up, and nice downhill stretch back. A more relaxed hike perfect for children or a some quick exercise features a short, ½ mile loop immediately adjacent to the Visitor Center that also starts from the same trailhead. Yet another short hike is the 1-mile trail that leads from the Sunset Beach/Fort to the Sea Parking lot down to Sunset Beach and up again. Source: NPS

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