Trip Report: Backpacking Bayocean Peninsula on the Oregon Coast
When: 05/26/2019
Location: Bayocean Peninsula
Conditions: Clear skies and dry conditions!
Duration: 1 night
Difficulty: Easy
Kid Friendly: Yes
Pet Friendly: Yes
Usefull links: www.alltrails.com | www.outdoorproject.com
The Full Report:
I had previously never heard of Bayocean Peninsula until some friends and I decided to search for a leisurely, one-night backpacking trip during Memorial Day Weekend. We were persuaded to try it out on account of the mild nature of the trail, as well as the dry weather reports. It ended up being exceedingly lovely, and I would highly recommend this trip to individuals desiring to try out the wondrous world of backpacking, those seeking to escape crowds, or parents looking to bring kiddos along (either human or in dog-form).
From Portland, the Bayocean Peninsula trailhead is approximately a 2-hour drive, located about 20-30 minutes outside of Tillamook, OR in Cape Meares state park. The trail begins on a distinguishable gravel road, where you can also see a scenic view of Tillamook Bay. As it meanders on, the scenery changes slightly; the trail takes you through some of Oregon's native coastal habitat, characterized by an abundance of Sitka spruce and evergreen fern.
After several miles, the trail becomes a bit less clear as the path turns from gravel to sand (about at the halfway point, 3 or so miles in). At this point, I would recommend continuing along the edge of the peninsula, rather than attempting to cut though the sand dunes as we did. We ended up sleeping in the dunes, as it provided a picturesque view of the bay, but there were also a variety of campsites stationed along the side of the peninsula facing the ocean. We were lucky to be provided a lovely sunset that night due to the clear conditions, and there were only a few other backpackers we saw along the way--most others were day hikers or fishermen.
Depending on where you camp, you can either hike out along the ocean and complete the loop, which entails a bit more physical exertion from walking through the sand, or back along the gravel portion of the trail. Both amount to about 7 miles of backpacking with 20 feet of elevation gain.
Overall, this was a perfect way to kick off backpacking season! Again, I'd highly recommend this to those looking for a scenic, yet somewhat isolated area to backpack, assuming you can deal with the 20 feet of elevation gain. As a side note, I'd also encourage you to bring a rain fly for your tent/cover for your backpack, as even in 'dry' conditions the naturally moist coastal climate will assure that your belongings dampen overnight.
The Full Report:
I had previously never heard of Bayocean Peninsula until some friends and I decided to search for a leisurely, one-night backpacking trip during Memorial Day Weekend. We were persuaded to try it out on account of the mild nature of the trail, as well as the dry weather reports. It ended up being exceedingly lovely, and I would highly recommend this trip to individuals desiring to try out the wondrous world of backpacking, those seeking to escape crowds, or parents looking to bring kiddos along (either human or in dog-form).
From Portland, the Bayocean Peninsula trailhead is approximately a 2-hour drive, located about 20-30 minutes outside of Tillamook, OR in Cape Meares state park. The trail begins on a distinguishable gravel road, where you can also see a scenic view of Tillamook Bay. As it meanders on, the scenery changes slightly; the trail takes you through some of Oregon's native coastal habitat, characterized by an abundance of Sitka spruce and evergreen fern.
After several miles, the trail becomes a bit less clear as the path turns from gravel to sand (about at the halfway point, 3 or so miles in). At this point, I would recommend continuing along the edge of the peninsula, rather than attempting to cut though the sand dunes as we did. We ended up sleeping in the dunes, as it provided a picturesque view of the bay, but there were also a variety of campsites stationed along the side of the peninsula facing the ocean. We were lucky to be provided a lovely sunset that night due to the clear conditions, and there were only a few other backpackers we saw along the way--most others were day hikers or fishermen.
Depending on where you camp, you can either hike out along the ocean and complete the loop, which entails a bit more physical exertion from walking through the sand, or back along the gravel portion of the trail. Both amount to about 7 miles of backpacking with 20 feet of elevation gain.
Overall, this was a perfect way to kick off backpacking season! Again, I'd highly recommend this to those looking for a scenic, yet somewhat isolated area to backpack, assuming you can deal with the 20 feet of elevation gain. As a side note, I'd also encourage you to bring a rain fly for your tent/cover for your backpack, as even in 'dry' conditions the naturally moist coastal climate will assure that your belongings dampen overnight.