FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

No. This is not a camping trip; it is a series of three day hikes. You need to find your own lodging. We will offer suggestions for the most convenient towns to base your weekend out of (see LODGING & DINING). There are lots of options, from tent or yurt camping at a state park to staying at a luxurious inn or vacation rental. We urge you to reserve lodging (especially campsites) as early as possible, as September weekends on the Oregon Coast can be busy.

We provide a complimentary grab-and-go breakfast every morning: typically hard-boiled eggs or another protein source; pastry; fruit; and coffee or tea. Breakfast will be available starting at 7:45 a.m., about 45 minutes before buses leave. We also provide snacks around the middle of your hike. Lunch and dinner are on your own. We start early, allowing you to finish hiking before lunchtime, but it may be a late lunch, especially on days with a longer return shuttle. You may want to bring additional trail foods, especially if you have special dietary needs.

You get …

  • Grab-and-go breakfast all three mornings.
  • Midway refreshment stops each day, with generous snacks and opportunities to refill water bottles.
  • A commemorative bandana or neck gaiter.
  • Detailed maps and in-person wayfinding help from people who are experts on the coast and the Oregon Coast Trail.
  • An opportunity to learn something of the human and natural history of this stretch of the Oregon Coast from enthusiastic naturalists and interpreters.
  • Bus shuttles to the start of each day’s walk and back to your car at the end of the walk, allowing you to hike one-way.

And, the best gift of all: the satisfaction of knowing you are contributing to the urgent and important work of conserving Oregon’s coastal lands, forever. That’s really what this walk is all about.

No. We are sometimes miles from the nearest road, on remote trails and beaches. In general, participants are expected to come prepared to complete each day’s 8- to 10-mile walk in 5 hours or less. If you are not already accustomed to walking long distances, you will need to train in advance. That said, we won’t abandon you! Should you be unable to complete a day’s walk, we’ll make sure you aren’t left behind.

CoastWalk Oregon takes place on a different section of the northern Oregon Coast Trail every year. We choose a gathering place central to that year’s hikes where you will check-in on Thursday and park to board buses on all three hiking days. Visit the Route Page for details about this year’s headquarters and parking location.

The Oregon Coast Trail includes both beach walking and headland hiking. Some days may be entirely on the beach. Other days may be entirely on trails, which can be steep and muddy, with roots and rocks. Most days are a combination of both. Come prepared for all types of terrain. Get details on this year’s daily routes on the Route Page.

Our 8- to 10-mile hikes typically take three to five hours to complete. Shuttles to the trailhead and back again can take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes.

It varies. We plan our shortest hike (and shortest shuttle) for Sunday, to help facilitate your return travel. If you are flying in and out of Portland to participate in CoastWalk Oregon, we strongly recommend you don’t plan to fly home before Monday morning.

Our daily route is determined by a complex mix of factors including distance between access points, safety of access points, tides, availability of toilets, and more. We do our best to make each day about the same length (roughly 8 to 10 miles). When possible, we put significant elevation gain at the start of the day, but some years a climb at the end of the day is unavoidable. We start hiking in the early morning, when winds are usually lightest. Sometimes we change the announced direction of a hike to adapt to changing conditions.

No. We love dogs; most of us are dog owners ourselves. But we are a big group (100 participants, plus staff). Our route includes narrow forest paths and road crossings. Adding your dog to that mix might be fun for you but is likely to compromise other participants’ comfort and safety. On years when we have bus shuttles, dogs are not allowed on our shuttle vehicles.

We are one of the largest and most respected private, nonprofit land conservancies in Oregon. We acquire or otherwise care for land on the Oregon Coast to benefit people, plants, and wildlife. Explore our website or talk with CoastWalk Oregon staff to learn more about how we work and the lands we conserve. Your participation in CoastWalk Oregon helps us move a few steps closer to conserving important coastal habitat, including our most recent project: creation of the 3,500-acre Rainforest Reserve, key to a huge conservation corridor that now stretches from the coastal mountaintops to Oswald West State Park and into the Pacific Ocean at Cape Falcon Marine Reserve.

Contact us at coastwalkoregon@NCLCtrust.org. We would be happy to answer any questions you might have about CoastWalk Oregon.