Hiking the Cape Lookout Trail on the Oregon Coast
Distance: 4.9 miles / 7.9 km
The Cape Lookout Trail, just north of Pacific City, is one of my favorite day hikes across all 362 miles (583 km) of the Oregon Coast!
I say this because the Cape Lookout Trail traverses a relatively easy but towering peninsula above the ocean, meaning the beautiful views along the trail are easy to come by, as the elevation change is fairly mild throughout the hike.
Now, this all goes without saying—Cape Lookout State Park, including the Cape Lookout Trail and South Cape Lookout Trail, is one of the more popular destinations on the northern Oregon Coast. For this reason, I recommend visiting early if you have the option, in order to enjoy a quieter, less crowded experience in the park!
Cape Lookout Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Cape Lookout Trail is located just off Cape Lookout Road in a large open parking lot for the state park.
Even though these photos make the parking lot look very big, Cape Lookout is a popular destination, and the lot will fill up fast during the busy summer season.
Google Maps Directions: Cape Lookout Trailhead
Hiking Checklist - Oregon Coast
Black bears can be found up and down the Oregon Coast, but hiking with or without bear spray is truly up to your own discretion and comfort level when adventuring in black bear territory.
Furthermore, here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike on the Oregon Coast.
Hiking the Cape Lookout Trail
The Cape Lookout State Park Trailhead is the start of three different trails, which all begin right next to each other.
Follow the Cape/ South Trail for the hike out to Cape Lookout.
South Cape Lookout Trail Junction
Shortly after the trailhead, the South Cape Lookout Trail will split off from the flatter, more popular Cape Lookout Trail.
Know that the hike out to Cape Lookout is entirely downhill, but I never felt that the hike back up to the trailhead was ever too steep, especially when it was cool in the morning.
In my opinion, some of the best views were well before the end of the trail, but it entirely depends on the cloud conditions.
Wells Cove Lookout
The Wells Cove Lookout is a very popular turnaround spot for many hikers, as the rest of the trail gets a bit more muddy and exposed in sections.
However, the severity of the mud will likely depend on what season you’re visiting in, with the wetter winter months being worse than the summer.
Toward the end of the Cape Lookout Trail, the exposure off to side gets much more dramatic than the beginning of the hike.
This may not be the best sections of trail to hike with young kids, as a fall would very likely be fatal.
Cape Lookout
Like I said, I had the trail entirely to myself, but that was only because I started first thing in the morning.
As I was hiking back, I passed many more groups, as the park became busier and busier.
Additionally, I would also consider Cape Lookout to be a great place to watch sunset if you’re lucky enough to get clear conditions in the evening.
