Ecola Point to Indian Beach Trail Open

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Sugar Pine
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Joined: April 28th, 2017, 12:23 pm

Ecola Point to Indian Beach Trail Open

Post by Sugar Pine » December 24th, 2020, 1:33 pm

Hiked from Cannon Beach to Indian Beach in Ecola Park and found the trail from Ecola Point to Indian Beach to be open and significantly rerouted. Don't know when the reroute was completed and the trail officially reopened. The new route adds about 0.9 mile and elevation gain. The trail heads east to overlook Ecola Park Road and there are no views on the rerouted section. Trail is wide and getting wider with hikers trying to avoid the pooling water and deep mud. Glad to see a route open, but it really lacks the scenic nature of the previous route.
Ecola Park info. https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm ... 043637.pdf
Attachments
Ecola Point.PNG
New trail in orange and original route dotted line (Gaia).

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bobcat
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Location: SW Portland

Re: Ecola Point to Indian Beach Trail Open

Post by bobcat » December 29th, 2020, 1:55 pm

My wife and I did this yesterday. The new section was opened just a couple of months ago. It's by far the muddiest trail I've been on in many years. New trail needs compaction from hiker use, but there are dozens of little dips where the rainwater pools and creates a soggy mire. Ironically, the most solid tread is at the beginning and end - on the remains of the old trail.

It might be a work in progress. I saw no serious attempts at proper drainage (outsloping, shallow ditches, etc.) and maybe they'll bring in gravel, puncheons, turnpikes, box steps, and the like to beef it up a little. It gets a considerable amount of use. Both parking lots (Ecola Point and Indian Beach) were full/almost full.

My wife refused to walk back on the trail from Indian Beach, so we hiked the road!

johnspeth
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Joined: July 30th, 2013, 8:33 am

Re: Ecola Point to Indian Beach Trail Open

Post by johnspeth » December 29th, 2020, 3:39 pm

Does this mean the former trail route is now closed?

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bobcat
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Location: SW Portland

Re: Ecola Point to Indian Beach Trail Open

Post by bobcat » December 30th, 2020, 9:47 am

A few years ago, part of it slid into the ocean. It's been officially closed since then.

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