Cape Falcon Hike, Oregon

Hiking Cape Falcon

One of the great parts about exploring Oregon is that so much of their coast line is designated as state parks or is open to the public. Hiking Cape Falcon was exactly one of these instances. The trailhead is in Oswald State Park and the moderate hike explores the dense coastal forest, a small waterfall and ends with remarkable ocean views.

Getting Started

The trailhead for Cape Falcon is located in a small parking lot just off of the Oregon Coastal Highway, or highway 101, in the northern part of the state. It is South of Cannon Beach and just north of Manzanita. There isn’t much fan fare to the parking lot and I would have missed it if I hadn’t set my map. Missing this hike would have been missing one of my favorite hikes in Oregon so definitely keep your eyes open for it.

The trail takes you into a thick forest with alternating elevation gains and losses. It is close to the coast and was very humid when I hiked it. Also, the thick forest allowed for considerable overgrowth onto the trail. I would suggest long sleeves to keep the bugs and plant life away from your skin and shoes with good traction to deal with the damp inclines. Bug repellent might also be suggested as well as water and the rest of the ten essentials.

The hike doesn’t take long to let you know what it will be like. As soon as you hit the trail you will find yourself in a fairly dense forest with a 7% incline to get your started.

The Deep Woods

I typically hike in the mountains, where we have a lot of trees but the underbrush is usually a bit lacking. To hike this close to the coast and see such a full, dense forest was really nice and more than I expected. The trees were tall and thick, and there were so many ferns and plants on the forest floor with huge expanding leaves. It was like I was hiking in a new world and it was pretty awesome.

The trail was wide enough in most places to make my way fairly easily up the hills. The ground was a little damp and the inclines were consistent if not extreme. Inclines of 7-9% grade were pretty typical but there were some up and downs to the hills making the elevation gain feel like more than the 500 feet that is listed.

There were a few sections of heavier mud but for the most part, the trails were visible through the thick brush. There were quite a few bugs and I even saw my first ever banana slug, which was an experience. About a half mile in, the trail splits. To the right is the hike to Cape Falcon and to the left is a memorial and some day picnic sites. The hike to right heads back downhill and then up another hill but gives the first small views of the Pacific.

First Taste of Sea

I was a bit surprised that the hike lasted so long before actually having any viewpoints of the Ocean. The first half mile is all deep forest and then you just start to get a peak at the water before immediately heading back deeper into the woods.

I could definitely hear the water before I could see it. The trail is a few hundred feet up when those first views peak through the trees at just a slight glimpse of blue instead of green. Unfortunately, then another turn takes you away from the water before making your way back towards the water. The woods are again deep while you drift further from the crashing waves but the wait isn’t too long, About a mile later the views will change for good and the Pacific will be with you the rest of the way.

One point that was a clear sign of getting closer to the water was Blumenthal Falls. From the trail, in June, it was a relatively small cascade. Just a glance above a small creek making its way down to the sea. This was the point where the rest of the hike was more focused on the views that making it through the woods.

Above the Cape

Ok, now this hike goes from really good to great. The last half mile of the hike, past the waterfall, is still in some woods but the views open up and allow you to really really see the beach and cove for the first time.

This part of the hike mostly follows the edge of the cliff and passes through some thick ferns as the trees thin out a bit. For the first time you get some consistent blue sky above your head as well. There is also another incline, the third and final uphill before you get to the final opening of the hike.

Ocean Views

At just over two and a quarter miles, you will come to a wonderful opening that features some amazing views. On the left, is the cliff, cove and beach and in front of you is wide open ocean. For me, this was the end of the hike. Although, there is a longer trail that extends on past this point. This was my first views of the ocean from the Oregon coast though so I decided to embrace it and enjoy the spot for a long time.

The day of my hike, the weather was mixed. A bit of fog close to land and clouds in the distance gave a magical feel to the whole thing. I couldn’t exactly tell where the sky ended and the ocean began because of the clouds. The fog made me wonder what might have been past that next cliff. It was really an amazing moment and spot.

The clear views were also a nice change to the thick forest I had been hiking in. The water seemed endless compared to the cramped brush encroaching on the trail. It felt a bit free and was an amazing first experience of the Pacific Ocean in Northern Oregon.

Video of the Cape Falcon Hike

I have put this time-lapse video together of the Cape Falcon hike so other hikers can get a feel of what the hike is like. If you enjoy this video make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. It is free to subscribe and you will get the latest outdoor content.

Distance and Elevation

If you don’t have the AllTrails app you might want to check it out, I really love mine. It records your progress and is a great way to search for hikes that are nearby and gives you difficulty measurements. According to AllTrails today’s hike was around 4.72 miles and had a total elevation gain of about 532 feet including undulations. That put the high point at around 234 feet. I was also moving for a total 2 hour and 1 minutes.

I am a Pro member of AllTrails and love it. If you are interested in the platform, please consider using my affiliate link for AllTrails. It gives me a small commission with no extra cost to you.

Effort

For a trail that statistically doesn’t seem to challenging, The Cape Falcon Hike was way harder than it looked. The trail has a lot of ups and downs, including heading to near peak and back down to near water more than once. The trail is also very damp and muddy which can cause some challenges on the hills. I am going to call this one moderate as it is somewhat short but it is more challenging that most moderate hikes.

Terrain

I come from a dry climate so I found the Cape Falcon hike to be really humid. Everything was damp and that included the trail that had a few sections that had mud that seemed to never really dry out. There are also several trees down that need to be cleared, especially through the first part of the hike. A lot of the growth has begun to grow close to the trail making some really narrow areas with a lot of having to brush against the plant life. Overall not bad but you may want to wear long sleeves and pants to protect from all of the plants.

Finding the Cape Falcon Hike

The Cape Falcon trailhead is located on the Oregon Coastal Highway, 101, south of Cannon Beach and north of Manzanita. There is room for about a dozen cars at the trailhead but no facilities. This is part of the Oregon State Park system and permit is required.

Wrap up of the Cape Falcon Hike

I don’t think I could have picked a better first hike on the Oregon Coast. The Cape Falcon Hike had a little bit of everything. It started with dense forests, gave a little hint of the ocean, a waterfall, and finally some epic ocean views. A perfect way to start hiking in Oregon’s Coastal parks.

I also really liked the difficulty of this hike. It wasn’t just a stroll on the beach but made me work for my views. The trail had about three separate hills that had me going up and down through that thick forest. It was a really nice workout and even better views to really give me an experience I will never forget.

I have added this hike and all of my hikes to the interactive map page you can find here. If you have any suggestions for hikes or comments feel free to email me at fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com or you can follow me on any of the below social media platforms. Happy Hiking!

Gallery of the Cape Falcon Hike

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