Neahkahnie Mountain from North Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
This page is marked as a Closed Hike. Some or all of this hike has been closed by a governing body and hikers may be liable for fines or even arrest. At least part of this route may be dangerous and hard to follow, or it may cross areas with sensitive plant life or wildlife habitat. Trailkeepers of Oregon does not endorse or recommend hiking this route. When restrictions are lifted, this notice will be removed. |
- Start point: North Neahkahnie Mountain Trailhead
- End point: Neahkahnie Mountain Viewpoint
- Trail Log: Trail Log
- Hike Type: Out and back
- Distance: 5.0 miles
- High point: 1,631 feet
- Elevation gain: 1450 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: Year round
- Family Friendly: Yes
- Backpackable: No
- Crowded: Yes
TAKE CARE OUT THERE: Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, this trail is experiencing extremely heavy use. Be prepared to wear a mask during the many portions of this hike where physical distancing is not an option.
DO YOUR PART: Services are extremely limited at this time, so please bring a trash bag with you so you can pack out what you pack in, including any dog poop from your four-legged hiking buddy.
Contents |
Hike Description
NOTICE: The section of trail between the North Neahkahnie Mountain Trailhead and the Neahkahnie Mountain Viewpoint has been closed since September 2020 due to considerable blowdown from a windstorm. You can still access the viewpoint from the South Neahkahnie Mountain Trailhead. Check the Oswald West State Park webpage for updates.
The Oregon Coast Trail crosses Neahkahnie Mountain and the summit is reachable from either side. The hike from the north requires a little more elevation gain, but it ascends through a more varied landscape, passing below the south summit of Neahkahnie, and gaining great views north in the process, to reach the Neahkahnie Mountain Viewpoint, which offers sublime views south to Nehalem Bay. NOTE: Parts of this trail are badly eroded with many exposed roots. Proper footwear is a must, especially when the trail is wet.
From the North Neahkahnie Mountain Trailhead, cross the highway and start up the Oregon Coast Trail. The first section of the trail is cut through an otherwise impenetrable thicket of salal along a telephone line corridor. A wide variety of flowers bloom here each spring including Columbia wind flower, trailing blackberry, candy flower, coast fawn lily and, of course, the ever present salal. As the trail switchbacks higher in spruce/hemlock woodland, there are views of the ocean, including a look north to the stunning coastal cliffs at the Devils Cauldron and Cape Falcon.
The trail enters the forest near the top of the meadow. You'll soon cross a small creek of iron colored water and then the trail slabs across the north face of the mountain through carpets of sorrel and trilliums in season. The trail continues to switchback higher. The north, higher summit of Neahkahnie Mountain is heavily timbered and not accessible by trail. The trail winds around the south side of the northern summit into a woodland of moss-covered spruce. Next, it ducks under a low log and enters a section of very dense, dark forest completely devoid of undergrowth. You'll drop into a saddle, and then begin climbing to the south summit. There's a small switchback and finally you'll come to a rare open rocky area, the Neahkahnie Mountain Viewpoint. There's a very steep and potentially dangerous use path up to a peak, but the view to the south is really good from here. You'll see Neahkahnie Beach, Manzanita and the coast all the way to the Nehalem Bay Mouth. Take in the vista and then return the way you came.
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Oswald West State Park (Oregon State Parks)
- Oswald West State Park (Northwest Coast Trails)
- Adventure Maps: NW Coast Trail Map & Guide
Regulations or restrictions, etc
- Trails closed 10:00 p.m. - 6:00 a.m.; no overnight parking
- Dogs on leash
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Neahkahnie Mountain from North Hike
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Neahkahnie Mountain from North Hike
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- 25 Hikes on Oregon's Tillamook Coast by Adam Sawyer
- Exploring the Oregon Coast Trail by Connie Soper
- Hiking the Oregon Coast by Lizann Dunegan
- Take a Hike: Portland by Barbara I. Bond
- Day Hikes in the Pacific Northwest by Don J. Scarmuzzi
- Pacific Northwest Hiking by Craig Hill & Matt Wastradowski
- Portland Hikes by Art Bernstein & Andrew Jackman
- 120 Hikes on the Oregon Coast by Bonnie Henderson
- Day Hiking: Oregon Coast by Bonnie Henderson
- Trips & Trails: Oregon by William L. Sullivan
- Hiking Oregon's History by William L. Sullivan
- 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Oregon Coast and the Coast Range by William L. Sullivan
- A Walking Guide to Oregon's Ancient Forests by Wendell Wood
- Best Hikes Near Portland by Fred Barstad
- 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles by Paul Gerald
- 75 Hikes in Oregon's Coast Range and Siskiyous by Rhonda & George Ostertag
- 50 Hikes in Oregon by David L. Anderson
- Oregon Hiking by Sean Patrick Hill
- Pacific Northwest Hiking by Scott Leonard & Sean Patrick Hill
- Oregon Coast Hikes by Paul M. Williams
- Oregon Campgrounds Hiking Guide by Rhonda & George Ostertag
- The Oregon Coast Trail Guide by Jon Kenneke (eBook)
- Oregon Coast Trail: Hiking Inn to Inn by Jack D. Remington
- A Hiker's Guide to the Oregon Coast Trail by David E.M. Bucy & Mary C. McCauley
- Oregon State Parks: A Complete Recreation Guide by Jan Bannan
More Links
- Oswald West State Park (Oregon State Parks)
- Neahkahnie Mountain (Oregon.com)
- Neahkahnie Mountain (Outdoor Project)
- Neahkahnie Mountain Trail (M.D. Vaden)
- "Neahkahnie Mountain on Oregon coast is No. 9 on list of Oregon's best landscapes" (Oregon Live)
- "Oswald West State Park tempts with Neahkahnie Mountain, Pacific Ocean views" (Oregon Live)
- Neahkahnie Mountain (South Peak) (Summit Post)
- Oregon Coast Trail Maps (Oregon Parks and Recreation Department: State Parks)
- Oregon Coast Trail (Wikipedia)
Contributors
- Stevefromdodge (creator)