The trailhead for the Hobbit Trail will begin at a humble parking pull-out just north of the Heceta Head State Park, and you will need to watch closely as you can easily miss it. SIGNUP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER AND IMMEDIATELY GET 10% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER, AND THE BEST OF OREGON WEEKLY. Don't miss out on discovering the best spots in Yellowstone park. Just off the Oregon coast near Florence, you will find this short but gorgeous hike from Hobbit Beach to Heceta Head. A short spur leads to a view over shallow Beaver Lake. Elevation Gain: almost 1000 ft. Notes: Trailhead can fill up easily on a nice day. The beach can be accessed via the Hobbit Trail that begins in a Sitka spruce forest and leads to the base of dramatic coastal cliffs. We feel it's hugely important to our local economy to still support local business and travel, please keep these places in mind for when this passes. Watch for a pullout with a small parking lot, then cross the highway (carefully!) You have to watch your footing so if you hurry, you’ll miss the sylvan grandeur. mdi-home-outline Go Home Brochures and Maps; News Media; Contact; Commenting Guidelines; Find us on Facebook Continue up past a garage, which now hosts a gift shop, and look to your left down into a hidden cove. Important: the trail head is across highway 101 from the trail head sign. The trail traverses up and takes a couple flights of steps to switchback six times under older multi-limbed spruces cradling beds of leathery polypody ferns. Return to the junction of the Heceta Head Trail and the Hobbit Trail, and head out to Highway 101 and the Hobbit Beach Trailhead. Hobbit Trail Near Florence J We / Flickr. Allow yourself at least a couple of hours to appreciate the beauty. From where you pick up the Hobbit Trail to the beach, itâs actually quite short â a 1/2 mile is all. He has been blogging since 2011 & created That Oregon Life as a passion in 2013. Then sign up for our Newsletter and get Updates on Events, Places to Explore, Discounts, Giveaways and More!Sign Up. If you are coming from Florence you will travel 12 miles north on Highway 101. After 2.5 miles the trail emerges at an upper parking lot located alongside Highway 101. Pass above a deep gully carved by China Creek, and reach the campground entrance road for Washburne State Park. Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park (Oregon State Parks), Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint (Oregon State Parks), Oregon trip – day 2 – Heceta Head Lighthouse and Hobbit Beach (Ryan and Debi & Toren), Camping and Hiking in Oregon’s Washburne State Park (Moon Travel Guides), Hike the Magical Hobbit Trail to a Secluded Oregon Beach (That Oregon Life), Florence, OR: Haceta Head and Hobbit Trail (Backpacker), Hobbit Trail to Heceda Head (Hike Oregon), Heceta Head Lighthouse Bed & Breakfast (Heceta Head Lighthouse), https://www.oregonhikers.org/w/index.php?title=Hobbit_Beach_to_Heceta_Head_Loop_Hike&oldid=96223, Campground, restrooms, picnic tables, interpretive signs. The Hobbit Trail Summary See Pictures of this Hike Directions: On Hwy 101, travel North of Florence past Heceta Head. Then you'll cross a truss footbridge over Blowout Creek and hike through a small sedge swamp. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Heceta Head Lighthouse to Hobbit Beach is a 3.6 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Florence, Oregon that offers the chance to see wildlife and is rated as moderate. In light of COVID-19, many attractions featured on That Oregon Life are temporarily closed. The road at Heceta Head goes around "The Devil's Elbow," down a small hill, and straightens out. The distance is about 4 miles round trip to Heceta Lighthouse from the trailhead on 101. 2018 03 17 Heceta Head Lighthouse to Hobbit Trail - YouTube It was an absolutely fascinating hike! When you reach the junction with the China Creek Trail, go right. Switchback up twice into a dense thicket of rhododendron, salal, and evergreen huckleberry. While it’s a short walk up to the lighthouse from the parking area at Devils Elbow Beach (See the Heceta Head Hike), you can enjoy more of this part of the coast by beginning your hike at Carl G. Washburne State Park. Take the paved trail past the restrooms through a tunnel of stunted Sitka spruce and shore pine. Just off the Oregon coast near Florence, you will find this short but gorgeous hike from Hobbit Beach to Heceta Head. At a junction with an unofficial trail, keep left to hike above a sedge swamp and descend to another footbridge over salmonberry-verged China Creek in a grassy opening. While we make every effort to fact-check, information found here should be considered anecdotal. You’ll eventually come to the Heceta Head Lighthouse, which offers personal tours every 20 minutes. Sweet Creek Falls Trail. A short spur leads to a view over shallow Beaver Lake. After a short descent, the trail forks left to Haceda Head and right to Hobbit Beach. Just as you cross the road to escape traffic, you will immerse yourself into a deep and luscious coastal forest, lined with Sitka spruce and rhododendrons. Hiking Near Heceta Head Lighthouse. The road passes the Heceta Head Trail, which switchbacks numerous times up over the headland to the Hobbit Beach Trailhead, whence you can hike down to Hobbit Beach (see ⦠A spur leads right to a viewpoint. The hike back up to the freeway is much harder, so save some energy. A paved trail takes you through a picturesque woodland of twisted shore pine and Sitka spruce to reach the parking area. Watch for the junction with the Heceta Head Trail. We really appreciate all the support and the donation, thank you from the bottom of our hearts! There's very little and awkward parking. Ralph Arvesen / Flickr The distance is about 4 miles round trip to Heceta Lighthouse from the trailhead on 101. Go right here, and drop above a leafy bowl of salal and Sitka spruce. Use extreme⦠A false trail leads up to a restoration area; keep left to switchback down three times and get an eye-level view to the first order Fresnel lens of the Heceta Head Lighthouse. swoodson/Tripadvisor. If you are looking for more easy hikes, don’t miss this article for other beautiful places to explore in Oregon! The trail to the beach is short and shady, and you'll start by meandering through moss-covered Sitka spruce along fern-lined trails. But for the best scenery in my humble opinion, cross the highway from the parking lot and head toward the beach on the Hobbit Trail. This steep, winding path leads up and over Heceta Head. The route follows wide Hobbit Beach and picks up trails that wind through the spruce forest to the headland’s ridge crest before dropping to the lighthouse area. Cross a small creek, and see emergency locator number 93 at the bluffs. Saturday, March 9, 2019 . ⦠Tyler Willford is a native to Oregon and is currently living in the Eugene area. That will be a distance of about four miles over well maintained trails. The trailhead for the Hobbit Trail will begin at a humble parking pull-out just north of the Heceta Head State Park, and you will need to watch closely as you can easily miss it. Switchback three more times, and then make an undulating traverse to the junction with the Heceta Head Trail: this is just a few yards from Highway 101 and the Hobbit Beach Trailhead - you'll be returning here to complete the loop. We found ourselves alone on Hobbit Beach and wandered south in the direction of Heceta Head. The Hobbit Trail is downhill from the parking area and will be entirely uphill climb on the return. 4 miles round trip to Heceta Head. Then sign up for our Newsletter and get Updates on Events, Places to Explore, Discounts, Giveaways and More! We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The lighthouse here was the last of Oregonâs dozen coastal lighthouses to be built. Heceta Head and Hobbit Trail Hike. From the lighthouse, you can look south to the Devils Elbow, Devils Elbow Beach, and the Cape Creek Bridge, one of several magnificent coastal bridges designed by engineer Conde McCullough. This hiking journey begins on the Valley Trail at Carl G. Washburne State Park and follows China Creek to a meadow. The trail continues on for 2 miles total and takes you all the way to hobbit beach. The Heceta Lighthouse Trail continues behind the lighthouse and descends steeply on its way to Washburne campground and the beach. Please share your favorite local business that could use some love right now. View from Hobbit Beach Trail heading toward Heceta Head . Hood Turns The Hill Into A Dance Floor. The trail is uphill most of the way, and if it has rained this part can become slippery. Return to the junction of the Heceta Head Trail and the Hobbit Trail, and head out to Highway 101 and the Hobbit Beach Trailhead. You should cross-check against other references before planning a hike. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Allow yourself at least a couple of hours to appreciate the beauty. But it was absolutely gorgeous, so green and lush, and the views are breath taking! Emerging from this magical tunnel onto Hobbit Beach, you will see to the south the towering walls of Heceta Head, where sea stars and anemones cling to rock walls and a few small tidepools delight the careful observer. © 2021 | That Oregon Life LLC | All rights reserved, Hike The Magical Hobbit Trail To a Secluded Oregon Beach. After exploring Hobbit Beach, you will take Hobbit Trail back to the sign at the trailhead, and head up the hill to Heceta Head Lighthouse. Note the mouth of the trail is at marker 93 (you canât miss the large metal sign). One hiker, a girl with a really great blog at hikeoregon.net, took a great shot of some faces that have been carved on the side of the dunes. 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