One normally hikes at the coast to get expansive vistas and admire interesting formations. This hike, only a few miles from the ocean, affords neither. The Cascade Head Trail (not the Nature Conservancy trail of the same name) crosses that headland inland and used to run for six miles, from Three Rocks Road to an old logging road above Fall Creek near Neskowin; it forms a section of the Oregon Coast Trail. The northern 2 ½ miles was abandoned a few years ago when a windstorm toppled a number of large trees over the tread.
The trail runs through the Cascade Head Experimental Forest, part of the Siuslaw National Forest, and one of only four United Nations Biosphere Reserves in the Pacific Northwest. The coastal habitat here, including the Salmon River Estuary, protects breeding range for four endangered species: the spotted owl, marbled murrelet, coho salmon, and Oregon silverspot butterfly. To keep conditions optimal for murrelet/owl/silverspot procreation, most of the headland that is under Forest Service jurisdiction is closed to hiking from January 1st to July 15th: that includes the Hart’s Cove Trail. The Cascade Head Trails (both the Nature Conservancy and Forest Service ones) are still open during that period, however.
The main feature of the trail as it ascends to FR 1861, which splits the headland, are the old growth forest areas. One is down at the trailhead, and another is about three miles up in the vicinity of Calkins Creek. While the area was scorched by the vast Neskowin Fire of the 1840s and later there was some logging, these pockets of large Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir, and western hemlock have survived. In other areas, there is 80 – 100 year-old coniferous forest interspersed with thickets of alder and salmonberry.
At times, since there were no blooms or views, I amused myself by examining the undersides of fern fronds:
When I got to FR 1861, signs told me I could not proceed farther west up the road, ruling out the possibility of a loop with the Nature Conservancy Trail (Oregon Coast Trail hikers have to go east for a about a mile to reach Highway 101). Thus, I decided to tackle the abandoned section of the trail. After an initial plunge through a salmonberry thicket (good that I was wearing protection on my arms and good gloves), the tread is obvious although now very soft and uneven as it proceeds along a slope that was heavily logged a few decades ago leaving one remaining area of old growth. Someone has been coming in and doing some minimal maintenance as there was flagging in places and the salmonberries have been more or less kept at bay; I took out my trail saw and added some improvements here and there. There were a couple of small slides and a few branches to toss off the trail but then, before and after the only switchback, I had to make a few detours to get around some significant windfall. Eventually, however, I arrived at the bottomland near Fall Creek and hiked out to 101 where I found the former trail post lying in the dirt.
Time was getting short as I had to be back home early, so my bailout plan was to hike the highway the four miles back to Three Rocks Road – hitching is not a real option as there really isn’t any space for speeding cars to pull off safely. As I was emptying my boots of various ferns, mosses, and conifer needles, however, Tyler pulled up in his Subaru. He’s a local and, after we talked about the abandoned section of the trail a little, he offered to give me a ride back to the trailhead after he completed a short stroll up the trail. Since he was wearing flip flops, I guessed that wouldn’t be taking too long, so I gladly accepted the reprieve. Thanks for the ride and the conversation, Tyler!
), I just want the facts.