I really enjoy my hike to this beautiful lighthouse coast and beautiful pine trees. Drive to the end of the road at Yaquina Head and park near the lighthouse. Monkey flower and cabbage-like sea kale, a European transplant, bloom on the cliff side. It is suggested that wheelchair/mobility equipment and stroller users stay on this route and avoid going on the trails further south because the steep greatly increases there, up to 25%. Cobble Beach: Head back down the road, cross the access road, and pass the tunnel leading to the interpretive center. This page was last modified on 30 June 2020, at 16:51. Nice walk to the lighthouse with great views. I first visited this year in August and hiked from Hwy 101 to the head to take pictures. The summit is right above the interpretive center. No one else was on the trail. I will definitely recommend. The road switchbacks at a power shed and curves around to the top and its Coast Guard communications tower. Head back up the trail to the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. I highly recommend . An interpretive sign explains the crystalline basalt, basaltic breccia and columnar basalt formations. We did not have to pay to get in. The Salal Hill trailhead is at east end of the parking lot. WHEWWW! The short walk from the end of the parking lot up to the Lighthouse is closed due to a new paint job that is underway. The 93-foot lighthouse has been guiding ships along the coast since August 20, 1873. The gpx file for the Yaquina Head Lighthouse can be downloaded – please note that this and the GPS Coordinates are for reference only and should not be used as a sole resource when hiking this trail. Description. BLM has basically kept the place shut down due to Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic. Now, it's pavement and fences. Yet the BLM has named this area the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, one of several in the U.S. and one of three with a lighthouse. This week, we take you on a tour of the inside of the lighthouse, learn its history, and help you plan your visit. Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area is a federally managed park three miles north of Newport, Oregon, offering lighthouse tours, hiking, tide pools, and bird, seal, and whale watching from the cliffs. To the left, there’s Yaquina Head. when I went in 2017 it was a great outing w 1 and 2 year old :), Great views and gorgeous old lighthouse. Yaquina Head Lighthouse: Back up the stairs, go left past the Yaquina Head Light Trailhead in a lush landscape dominated by cow parsnip. To be honest, it makes me sad to go there. Visitors can tour the lighthouse itself, as well as a gift shop in its basement and its antique period furniture. Visit the grounds for free, or pay for a tour (check hours at the Westport Maritime Museum) and climb the lofty lighthouse. If you have to choose between the movie and the lighthouse tour , watch the movie and just visit the outside of the lighthouse without taking the group tour. Salal, blue-eyed grass, irises, and cow parsnip bloom on this luxuriant hillside. The trail they have listed is not the only one at this location. Take the quick .6-mile round-trip hike from the lighthouse parking lot for stunning views of the entire head, including the coves on either side, the lighthouse and … Due to this, a few ghost stories have been told about this particular lighthouse. From the parking area at the end of the road, work your way up the wide, paved path toward the lighthouse. The lighthouse was built in 1873, and the volunteers often dress in period costumes for guided tours that’ll take up you to the lantern. A viewpoint on left a short distance from the parking area offers views south to sea stacks and the coastline. There are great views of the Yaquina Head Lighthouse to the west. 6. Visit it on the Newport Bayfront Hike. Tide was low so easy to see the seals with the pups. Walk along the paved paths and roadways through this park toward the bay bridge. 3: Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area Tidepool exploring, hiking and climbing Oregon’s tallest lighthouse are among the attractions at this “outstanding” area north of Newport. Simple trail, Yaquina Head Lighthouse and Cobble Beach Loop Trail. 3. Book your tickets online for Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, Newport: See 1,783 reviews, articles, and 1,640 photos of Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, ranked No.1 on Tripadvisor among 46 attractions in Newport. Restrooms are open. 4. The trail becomes shady under Sitka spruce and shore pine, but there are openings with views to the north. Heceta Head Lighthouse. Yaquina Head is a beautiful area with an interpretive center, cove, lighthouse, Cobble Beach and amazing waves. Hiking trails at this outstanding natural area lead to spectacular views, and the on-site Interpretive Center sheds some light on the still-operating lighthouse. Walk up some steps and then take a gravel trail alongside the road. Interpretive center and tide pools also closed. Walk around a gate and past a sign for hang gliders and paragliders. Reach the viewing area at the historic Yaquina Head Lighthouse to view the murres, cormorants, and gulls which nest in the spring on Colony Rock. At the eastern end of the headland, a short stroll up a road leads to splendid views and the Coast Guard navigation tower at the top of Communications Hill. Yaquina Head is a beautiful area with an interpretive center, cove, lighthouse, Cobble Beach and amazing waves. Very cool to go to the top of the lighthouse. It was mostly through forest. It is narrow and steep but the view is worth it. The trail makes three switchbacks as it ascends the small hill. The rounded lava stones are the product of millions of years of wave action. (Photo by John Sparks) Yaquina Bay Lighthouse in Newport. The trail is primarily used for walking, nature trips, and bird watching and is accessible year-round. Yaquina Head Lighthouse and Cobble Beach Loop Trail is a 0.4 mile lightly trafficked loop trail located near Newport, Oregon that features beautiful wild flowers and is good for all skill levels. An information sign tells about the formation of this lava headland about 14 million years ago. A fault lies about where the interpretive center is, and the eastern part of the peninsula was raised above the western part. 1. This is also a prime site for observing gray whales during their winter and spring migrations … Continue around the lighthouse to another viewpoint, with more views of sea stacks and Beverly Beach. The 3.4-mile hike takes you to the lighthouse, Quarry Cove, Cobble Beach, Communications Hill, and Salal Hill. Please. Go left from here, looking down on Quarry Cove. I parked near the top area and walked around the whole time. The beautiful whitewashed 93 foot tower has been in continuous use for the last 144 years. Yaquina Head Lighthouse GPS Coordinates. I spent a lot of time there as a kid when it was truly wild. The Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. Oregon Hikers Field Guide is built as a collaborative effort by its user community. Visitors can take tours up the spiral staircase to the original 1868 Fresnel lens that is visible from 20 miles out at sea. After purchasing your $7.00 pass, or using one of your travel passes, you’ll find yourself driving along the cliff that loops out to the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. In the spring, look for harbor seals and their pups out on Seal Island and cormorants perching on the guano-splashed rocks. Accessibility: The trail surface is paved and it is typically at least six feet wide. The lighthouse, at 90+ feet, is the tallest on the Oregon Coast. 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