I'm always so impressed with the off-trail trip reports, but there may be some readers who appreciate an easy, family-friendly hike. With a car shuttle, the route from Fort Clatsop to Sunset Beach is pretty doable for all ages.
Fort to Sea
JULY 11th, 2009
6.5 easy miles
Overcast but nice weather
10 people, 2 dogs
We drove out Hwy. 26, to a parking lot at Sunset Beach where we left a couple of cars, then drove the remaining 2 cars past Seaside to Fort Clatsop. At the fort, we split into 2 groups: some explored the Fort, while others walked down the trail which follows the Lewis & Clark River. Then we all met back at the parking lot and headed east down the trail toward the sea.
We walked through a large area of blow-down. The local signs mentioned a huge storm which passed through the area a few years back taking out a lot a trees for miles around. The fallen trees opened up space for the foxgloves and elderberries to thrive.
Dogs are allowed at each end of the trail, but not in the middle section because it’s private grazing land. So at a prominent viewpoint, a couple of hikers returned to the fort in order to drive 2 cars down to the lower lot at Sunset Beach. We wandered through woods with plenty of boardwalks to help us through the skunk cabbage-filled swamps.
We went under a Hwy. 101 overpass and past a pretty, brick church and cemetery.
The trail turned south and began to open up as we followed fencelines through fields of cattle.
We crossed a few bridges over more ponds, swamps, and sloughs.
We came to an overlook of the beach, but we didn’t want to stop here. After coming all this way, we went down to get our feet wet in the ocean before returning to the parking lot.
