Oregon's Idyllic Coastal Preserve Is A Lush Natural Gem With Breathtaking Scenery

The Oregon coast is the ideal spot for a road trip. It has 363 miles of gorgeous, rugged shoreline. The only problem is that you'll want to break constantly along the way. As you plan your stops, be sure they include Cascade Head Preserve. It's part of the only UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the state.

Cascade Head is a piece of land jutting into the Pacific Ocean along the central coast of Oregon. It overlooks an estuary where the Salmon River empties into the sea. It's also full of dense coastal forests, which include Sitka spruces and western hemlocks. These forests led to the creation of Cascade Head Experimental Forest in 1934 for scientific studies and research. The Nature Conservancy purchased private land to create the 270-acre Cascade Head Preserve in 1966. Congress expanded the area's protection, adding prairie headlands and the estuary, in 1974. More than 100,000 acres are now part of the UNESCO Cascade Head Biosphere Region. Sea lions, five salmon species, and the endangered Oregon silverspot butterfly call it home.

Cascade Head sits in between Neskowin and Lincoln City. The protected area borders U.S. Route 101, the 1,540-mile road extending down the beautiful Pacific Northwest coastline from Tumwater, Washington to Los Angeles, California. You don't have to plan an extensive road trip to visit Cascade Head, though. Portland International Airport (PDX), receiving nonstop flights from cities all over the world, is just two hours away by car.

There are two hiking trails in Cascade Head Preserve. The Lower Nature Conservancy Trail begins in Knight Park. The county park, which sits along the Salmon River, has a boat launch to access the water. The beginning of the nearly five-mile, out-and-back trail runs alongside Savage Road. After crossing a wooden bridge and climbing steep steps, you'll head into an old-growth forest managed by the U.S. Forest Service.

You'll officially enter Cascade Head Preserve and its open grasslands after crossing Teal Creek. From here, it's only 0.6 miles to the lower viewpoint. What an extraordinary sight it is. Your view looking south includes the Salmon River Estuary, Three Rocks, and waves crashing into the shore. Lincoln City is in the distance. Then another half mile, up a ridge and over switchbacks, leads to the upper viewpoint. The view expands to include a salt spray meadow and an uninterrupted stretch of the Pacific Ocean.

At this point, you can either follow the same trail back out or continue for another mile to the preserve's second trail. This longer route, adding up to 6.7 miles, is currently the only way to access the Upper Nature Conservancy Trail because of a landslide on Forest Service Road 1861. But it heads into Siuslaw National Forest and opens up at two more stunning viewpoints. Also, to protect the fauna, the U.S. Forest Service closes this trail from January 1 to July 15 every year.

Since Cascade Head Preserve covers just a small portion of Cascade Head, the Nature Conservancy's two trails aren't the area's only hikes. Hart's Cove Trail is a 5.4-mile, out-and-back hike that descends nearly 1,000 feet through the rainforest. You'll cross two creeks before the trail opens into a wide meadow. At the overlook, there's a great view of Hart's Cove and Chitwood Falls dropping into the ocean. The loud barking sound is sea lions in a nearby cove.

Another trail, the Rainforest Trail, is in the Cascade Head Scientific Research Area. It's also part of the longer 362-mile Oregon Coast Trail, extending the entire length of the state. This 12.2-mile, out-and-back hike is farther inland, so it doesn't have a coastal view, but it does move through old-growth forests. After hiking, you can stop at the Cascade Head Interpretive Wayside. The picnic area, on the edge of U.S. Highway 101, has useful information about Cascade Head. Since all of these spots are managed by Siuslaw National Forest, you'll need to purchase a National Forest Day Pass for $5 to use them.

Then the Neskowin Ghost Forest is less than 10 miles north of Cascade Head. The underrated 'ghost forest' along Oregon's Tillamook Coast is a quiet, eerie escape. From there, it's only about 30 more miles to Tillamook, an underrated Oregon town with the world's best cheddar cheese. It seems like you planned your stops along the Oregon coast perfectly.