Oregon Coast Trail - Trail Walking Information

Trail Walking Information

A dedicated guidebook for the OCT has not has been published. In 2009, the State of Oregon posted a set of downloadable maps with brief route descriptions. Local Oregon hiking guidebooks have good descriptions of portions of the route, particularly for the trail segments. Updated route guides are published on a discussion group. A recently published descriptive trail guide can be accessed in the Links at the bottom of the page. The Oregon Coast Trail is a described route and not a continuous trail. More than 150 miles (240 km) of the route is on pavement. The OCT is very poorly signed throughout its length, however it is difficult to become lost since the route is never more than a few miles from a paved road.

The trail is open to hikers, and in some places, to bicycles, and equestrians. As portions of the route lead around headlands or cross river mouths that are only passable at low tide, carrying a current tide table and relevant topographic information can be extremely helpful. Sometimes a hiker must choose between waiting for a lower tide or walking inland to avoid high water.

Many state campgrounds have areas dedicated for hikers and bicyclists at reduced prices. Beach camping is free but only where out of sight of residences and not adjacent to state parks. This limits camping on some areas of the trail to developed campgrounds. The State of Oregon has stated its intention to create more primitive and free camping areas.

The State of Oregon allows the public to use vehicles on some beaches. Dune buggies are used extensively in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, a 40-mile (64 km) stretch of beach from Florence to Coos Bay.

Several portions of the trail are pristine and secluded, such as the segment from Bandon to Port Orford, where several days of relative solitude and free camping exist.

Prevailing winds are from the northwest which makes the trail easier to hike from north to south. Route descriptions are also written assuming a north to south direction of travel.

Cities and towns of various sizes are located along Highway 101 every twenty to twenty-five miles permitting reprovisioning on a regular basis. Public transportation is extremely limited along the coast.