Neahkahnie Mountain offers incredible views of Nehalem Bay and the Pacific Ocean overlooking Manzanita Beach. Located in the Oswald West State Park, it’s a perfect pit stop along the coastal highway to get your hike on!
Being conscious of social distancing guidelines during COVID-19, we arrived at the South Trailhead early in the day. We packed face masks, water and a light lunch. Another hiker, who had just completed the 3 mile out and back course with her two dogs, said the trail was narrow in spots so her pups wouldn’t go again. Her advice: “Listen for others and allow passing space.”
There were few people on the trail and all were considerate. Beautiful wild flowers dotted the sunny, open areas, but the somewhat shady trail required concentration to navigate the rocks and roots along the path. Climbing the 1200 feet via switchbacks, the final stretch was a little muddy before taking in the breathtaking view at the top.
We leaned back against the rock wall at the summit to eat our lunch. Two people scaled the rocks to get the very best look of the incredible coastline. Foot traffic increased as we finished up the hike, which proved to be a great leg work out. After months of stay-at-home orders, we deeply appreciated our outing to the mountain that day. We even found a geo-cache near the parking lot before going on to our next adventure!
