While a winter storm was impacting much of the country the Oregon Coast was experiencing clear skies and high in the low 50’s, which was too good to pass up so I headed out for another solo hike. I decided to head out to Cape Lookout State Park to check out the recently reopened North Trail along with the Cape and South Trails. Heather and I had visited the park way back in November 2011 but had not hiked the North Trail that day (post).
A section of the North Trail was closed in December 2024 after a tree fell and damaged the suspension bridge over Cape Creek and as of this post both the Oregon Hikers Field Guide and AllTrails still show the trail as closed, but when I checked the park’s website there was no longer a closure notice for the trail. (There is a notice that the park will be closed starting April 1st for improvements which will likely last into the Summer.) With no closure notice listed on the website I was pretty confident that the trail had been reopened. Worst case scenario would be that there would be notices posted at the trailhead in which case I would still be able to hike the Cape and South Trails allowing me to still get plenty of hiking in.
I made the hour and a half drive from Salem to the Cape Lookout Trailhead which is open from either 7am to 9pm or Dawn to Dusk depending on who you ask. Regardless with first light not being until 7:12am and sunrise at 7:44am I had timed my departure to arrive in between and was ready to set off just before 7:30am.
The trailhead signboard says Dawn to Dusk.
Unsurprisingly I was the first car in the lot and after double checking for any closure notices for the North Trail I started off on the Cape Trail.
My plan was to hike the Cape Trail out to the end of Cape Lookout first to avoid the crowds that would surely be arriving later. After hiking the Cape Trail I would take the North Trail to the Cape Lookout Day Use Area where Heather and I had parked for our Netarts Spit hike in 2020 (post). Assuming I had anything left in the tank after returning from the North Trail I planned on hiking the South Trail down to the beach for the up-close view of the basalt cliffs of Cape Lookout’s southern side. It’s 2.4 up and down miles to the end of Cape Lookout with occasional views to both the north and south.
In between views the trail passes through a coastal forest.
Looking SE toward Sand Lake.
Looking south to Haystack Rock and Cape Kiwanda (post) with Cascade Head further south (post).
Haystack Rock with the tip of Cape Kiwanda to its left. Cascade Head is next and the headland furthest south is Cape Foulweather.
A little over a mile and half in the trail passes a memorial plaque for an Army Air Force plane that crashed nearby claiming the lives of the crew.
The trail is almost always muddy in spots and downed trees sometimes require less than ideal reroutes of the trail.
Coming up to the first view to the north.
View north along the coast.
Three Arch Rock across from Oceanside (post) followed by Cape Meares (post), and then Cape Falcon (post). The inland peaks starting with the rounded one of the left are Neahkahnie Mountain (post), Angora Peak, Rock Mountain, West Onion Peak and Onion Peak.
Wells Cove
It was close to freezing so the trails weren’t as muddy as they can be on warmer days. The good news was there was no ice to deal with.
Here comes the sun.
Along this section I heard a blowing sound in the ocean below.
At 400′ above the water I could see something swimming around but couldn’t make out what it was. I had the larger camera that I like to use at the wildlife refuges in my pack, so I pulled it out and started taking pictures. The way it was coming up out of the water and making a blowing sound I mistook it for a small whale, but it turned out to be a sea lion.
The sea lion was attracting seagulls which began arriving en masse.
The sea lion eventually moved on and so did I.
Seagulls and cormorants.
Barrier at the end of Cape Lookout.
There is a small bench and viewpoint at the end of the trail where I paused briefly to appreciate the views.
View south.
View north.
I headed back toward the trailhead stopping to get a few pictures with the bigger camera now that it was unpacked.
American kestral
I’m fairly certain this is a ruby crowned kinglet in the salal.
Hermit thrush
Three Arch Rocks
Varied thrush
Back at the trailhead I turned left and headed down the North Trail.
It was clear from the trail tread that this trail hadn’t been used much recently however there were signs of recent trail maintenance. Aside from a few trees that I needed to watch my head going under the trail was clear as it dropped down to the suspension bridge over Cape Creek.
There was a lot of blowdown, mostly older, along this section.
Reenforced trail along this switchback.
It was 0.8-miles to the bridge with an elevation loss of 550′, but the bridge is worth seeing and would be a worthy turnaround point for a shorter hike.
Camp Creek
The trail made a quarter mile climb on the north side of Camp Creek to a signed junction at an old roadbed.
Sea stack out on the ocean.
This junction is where the trail had been closed coming from the day use area.
I double checked to make sure it wasn’t still signed closed at this end.
Most of the next 1.2-miles to the day use area followed the old roadbed as it descended to the beach. This section was in good shape except for a short section along a slide approximately a half mile from the day use area.
Netarts Spit and Bay.
A rerouted section of trail near the slide area.
This small stream appears to be the reason for the slide which is now being funneled over the hillside. On the far side the trail drops steeply down wet rocks next to wire covered rocks.
Looking down at the continuation of the trail on the far side of the stream.
Looking back up from the bottom. Coming down this was a lot harder than going back up due to how slick the damp rocks were.
After getting past the slide it was an easy half mile down to the day use area.
The sign of a good coastal trail is it going through a tree.
Bridge over Jackson Creek.
Jackson Creek
The parking lot at the day use area.
I took some time to read some of the interpretive signs/plaques and take a short break at one of the picnic tables before starting back.
Cape Lookout from the day use area.
I made the 2.2-mile, 800′ plus elevation gain return trip to the Cape Lookout Trailhead and decided that I would go ahead and hike down the South Trail as well. That trail started a little under 100 yards from trailhead where it split off from the Cape Trail.
Turning onto the South Trail.
Like the North Trail the South Trail loses over 800′ to reach the ocean which it does in 1.8-miles.
Spotted towhee
Good use of switchbacks keeps the trail from ever being too steep.
Halfway down the trail passes a bench with a nice view of Cape Lookout through the trees.
Camp Clark (Scouting America) below the trail to the south.
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Getting closer to the beach.
Self-heal
Columnar basalt on Cape Lookout.
The view south towards the sun.
When Heather and I visited in 2011 we continued a little to the south so this time I headed north toward Cape Lookout and then found a nice rock to take a seat on.
My view.
One of three bald eagles that flew over.
After resting and psyching myself up for the climb I headed back.
The trail is marked by a colorful buoys and ropes.
Today’s hike came in at 13.2-miles with approximately 2000′ of cumulative elevation gain.
Of course, there are plenty of shorter options available, but you could also go further by heading north along Netarts Spit or south along the beach to Sand Lake. If you do visit be prepared for muddy conditions and crowds on the Cape Trail. Having been the first car at the trailhead I didn’t see anyone until I was headed back from the end of the cape. I passed just eight people on the way back, but it wasn’t yet 9:30am when I turned onto the North Trail. I only saw three people on the that trail and then another eight on the South Trail, plus a few more on the beach itself. By the time I was ready to leave at 1:15pm the trailhead was overflowing and cars were parked along the shoulder out to Cape Lookout Road. Score another one for early starts. Happy Trails!
Flickr: Cape Lookout State Park
We started with this hike in part due to it being the first day of the final king tides, abnormally high tides, for the season. High tide for Smelt Sands was going to be 9:45am so we were hoping to see some of the wave action.
It was just before 8am as we hiked the 804 Trail.
We made a mistake and turned right on the paved path here, but we should have continued beyond the large signboard to a second path marked by a wooden post. You can see the small white and black to the left of the green signboard. We may have been distracted by “Free Coffee” being printed on the bottom of the green sign.
This post is similar to the one along the 804 Trail where we should have turned right.
Boardwalk over Mitchell Creek.
Grandmother Spruce
The upper end of the preserve trail.
Mushrooms
Approaching Starr Creek.
Starr Creek
The upper gate at the junction.
Ya’Xaik Trail
The right hand fork here is the trail leading down to the fire station that dog owners can use to make a loop. A local had warned us that this trail can be pretty slick. We went left to remain on the Ya’Xaik Trail.
There was a little climbing involved before the trail headed down to Diversity Drive.
The Ya’Xaik Trail at Diversity Drive.
The Woodland Trail continues to the left while the right connects up to a road.
A footbridge over the Red River below with a disc golf hole on the opposite ridge. We were able to use the OregonHikers Field Guide map to identify this connector trail as one we did not want to take. That map had many of the connector trails identified in red which helped keep our position located as well as keep us on the correct route.
The old roadbed at the bottom of the switchbacks.
Woodland Trail on the left and our next stop, the Lint Slough Trail, on the right.
Memorial plaque
There was a bypass uphill for this short flooded section.
There were a number of bufflehead ducks, a pair of geese, and one noisy great blue heron at the slough. All of the wildlife seemed to be positioned as far away from the trail as possible.
The great blue heron in a tree across the slough.
This little group of buffleheads was the exception.
I turned around at this bench due to not seeing an obvious continuation of the trail here. I had also lost Heather who had stayed up to avoid the flooded section and instead of returning to the trail I was on, on the other side of the flooded bench, stayed up on the higher path. That path began leading up uphill away from the actual trail without another way to get back to the correct path. She wound up backtracking and we met shortly after I had started back.
The slough from my turn around point.
Yarrow
Bull thistle (non-native)
Rose (probably non-native)
Looking north along the beach.
The view south.
The wet sand and debris from the high tide was up to the vegetation along much of the beach.
We decided to turn back at the creek partly to avoid crossing it, but also because we had been walking into the wind. It wasn’t a particularly cold day, but the wind chill was almost making it uncomfortable.
Seagull with a crab.
Cape Perpetua (
Buckley Creek
We had to ford Buckley Creek which was only a couple of inches deep at most.
Semipalmated plovers
Western gull
Heading back north.
The path back up to the parking area at Driftwood Beach.
The highway from the parking lot.
The D River from the highway bridge. The river flows between Devil’s Lake and the Pacific Ocean and at high tide has a length of approximately 40 yards.
Hostetler Park.
Several interpretive signs were located along the boardwalk.
One of the interpretive signs.
Nearing the campground.
Orange cones, and a cat, at the far end of the path.
Program area in the campground.
View North from the beach.
Cascade Head (
Seagulls at the mouth of the D River.
There were of course plenty of seagulls present.
There weren’t very many ocean rocks along this stretch of beach.
Surf scooters
Loon, probably a common loon.
Baldy Creek
The inn on the left with the rocks extending into the Pacific.
Cormorants and seagulls
This was a big tree that we were able to walk under.
Salishan Spit across the Siletz.
Asters on the beach.
Pelicans on the left and seals on the right at the end of Salishan Spit.
Pelicans and seagull
Seals and a seagull
Drying off
Pelican mouths are a sight to behold (righthand side).
Cascade Head and God’s Thumb both in the sunlight now.
The Story Circle
Trail Challenge sign #8.
The trail ends at SE 3rd St (no parking available).
While there are more trails to choose from here the total milage is just about 1.25 miles. We opted to loop around the outside with detours to the Salt Marsh Overlook and Pond’s Edge.
To the left is the very short spur to the Salt Marsh Overlook which was too overgrown to really see anything.
Interpretive sign at the overlook.
A noisy little hummer near the overlook.
There was pretty good signage at the main trail junctions.
Boardwalks helped cross the wet areas.
Pond’s Edge spur trail.
At the edge of the pond.
We hadn’t expected to see any blooming rhododendrons.
Arriving at the signboards at the start of the loop.
From left to right: Storm, Finely, and Shag Rocks.
Cape Lookout (
Maxwell Point
View from beside Maxwell Point.
The Tunnel was built in 1926.
The Tunnel from Tunnel Beach.
Three Arch Rocks from Tunnel Beach.
The end of Tunnel Beach. At higher tide it’s not possible to get around the point here.
Getting closer to the end of Tunnel Beach. This set of ocean rocks are part of the 
Bald eagle on top of one of the rocks.
Seal
Agate Beach
Cape Lookout from Agate Beach.
An assortment of sea birds.
Maxwell Point and Cape Lookout
Sun starting to hit the Three Arch Rocks.
Sand dollar
Cormorants. There was a steady stream of flocks of birds heading south along the coastline.
Footbridge over Fall Creek.
Fall Creek
Frosty leaves near Fall Creek.
Great blue heron in a tree above Fall Creek.
Happy Camp
Hodgdon Creek
Seagulls and common mergansers near Hodgdon Creek.
Buffleheads
Netarts Spit
Happy Camp from our turn around point.
Three Arch Rocks and Maxwell Point now in full Sun.
The beach only extends a short distance to the South.
The sea stack and Short Creek Spillway to the North.
Starfish
The sea stack
Cape Meares (
I didn’t notice the little waterfall along the cliffs below Cape Mears until I looked at the pictures.
Red-throated loon
The area ahead in the shade is where things started looking a little sketchy.
Apparently there used to be a metal gate here instead of a the rope/chain.
Bald eagles in the tree tops.
Bald eagles
This is where the dike/path turned South. Our best guess is that there has been additional wetland restoration since the entry in the field guide and some of the dikes that the guide route followed have been removed.
We weren’t getting across that.
Somewhere out that way, beyond the slough, was the Wilson River.
Now heading East toward Sissek Road.
At this point we had left Sissek Road which used to extend straight from Goodspeed Road where the signs and rope/chain is in this photo (ahead to the right at the 90-degree turn).
Hawk above Goodspeed Road.
One path led down to Hall Slough ending in mud at it’s bank.
A second path led north on what the GPS showed as a former road but it was too overgrown and flooded to make it far.
Junction with the spur trail to the power line corridor.
Footbridge and stairs leading back up to the picnic table.
Big Creek in the morning.
A short section of the trail was paved.
At the eastern end of the parking area we came to this new kiosk that is being installed marking the start of the Agate Beach TRACK Trail. There was also a path directly to the parking lot from the kiosk which we used upon our return.
The tunnel under Highway 101. The stairs at the far end lead up to a city street while the trail makes a hard right to briefly follow the highway back across Big Creek.
A series of boardwalks crosses the marshy bottomlands of Big Creek.
While the kiosk was a new work in process there were a number of older looking interpretive signposts. This was one of only a handful that still contained an interpretive sign.
The bottomlands.
There were no signs at junctions but for the TRACK Trail stick to the level fork and ignore anything going uphill.
Further along the trail Big Creek could actually be seen flowing.
A non-boardwalk section along Big Creek.
Approximately three quarters of a mile from the kiosk the trail arrived at Big Creek Road at another new signboard.
The signboard at Big Creek Road didn’t have any information on it yet.
Stellar’s Jay
Northern flickers on the picnic shelter.
Map on the signboard.
Anderson Creek, the footbridge, and signboard from the roadbed.
The Forest Park Trail
A nice sitka spruce forest lined the old roadbed.
Mushrooms
Sunlight hitting the trees.
The Pacific Ocean through the trees near the water towers.
Passing the water towers.
The drop to Jeffries Creek.
Jeffries Creek
Wood ducks in the wetlands.
The gate near Fogarty Street.
The Forest Park Trail from the other side of the gate.
Morning fog was still burning off at 9:30am.
A car by the gravel pile to the left with the road coming down the hillside to the right. Interestingly Google Maps labels this as “Burnt Woods Ridge Road” which both Alltrails & Garmin showed as the left-hand fork where our loop would begin. (Google doesn’t show a road there at all but you can see the road in the trees by looking at the aerial view.) Numerous times throughout the hike we relied on comparing the Alltrails Track to the GPS map and our track to that point to determine where we were and which road(s) to take.
There was some room to park here at the start of the loop (this is not where Google marks the TH) as well as many pullouts along the loop where one could choose to start.
Heading down into the fog.
One positive to the fog is that it can create some dramatic Sun rays.
Vine maple
Blue sky in the upper left hand corner.
The road to the right is an example of a road that wasn’t labeled on any map we had.
Emerging from the fog.
Looking back through the fog to blue sky and the Sun.
The only other “hiker” we saw on the loop.
We couldn’t see it but just over three miles from the start of the loop the road crossed Cline Creek which was the first time we heard what sounded like a decent amount of flowing water.
A little over a tenth of a mile beyond Cline Creek we left Burnt Woods Forest Road and forked uphill to the left onto Cline Creek Road.
Arriving at a clearcut. Much of Cline Creek Road was along different clearcuts.
Mylitta crescent
Red-tailed hawk soaring over the clearcut.
Trying to get the red-tailed hawk in flight.
Lots of Fall colors starting to pop.
The first signs we’d seen (noticed anyway) were at the Cline Creek/Burnt Woods Ridge Road junction.
Arriving at the high point which was actually the first good viewpoint being above one of the clearcuts.
Looking North at more of the Coast Range.
Theoretically we should have been able to see both Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson from here but between haze from the fog and clouds we couldn’t make either out.
Mt. Jefferson is out there somewhere. The fact that the Cascades have some snow again doesn’t help them stand out in the haze and clouds.
Yet another unsigned road junction. Sticking to the ridge is the key.
After crossing a saddle we gained views SE to Mary’s Peak (
The tower and summit meadow of Mary’s Peak.
The hard left prior to the steep descent. The road on the far hillside in the clearcut is part of the road Google Maps has labeled as Burnt Ridge Road but doesn’t show on Alltrails or the Garmin maps.
The end of the loop at the bottom of the hill.
Most of the buildings are gone but this relocated Officers Quarters is being restored.
It was hard to tell at times if it was cloudy or smokey which would be a theme for most of the day.
Flagpole behind an interpretive sign.
Most of the trail is ADA accessible but not the entire loop.
The forest was quite a contrast from the open hillside.
Lots of fading flowers: yarrow, goldenrod and aster mostly.
Some of the caterpillar tents on the hillside.
The nature trail crossed the service road after half a mile.
The continuation of the nature trail on the right.
We were pleasantly surprised at how forested this entire trail was.
There were lots of frogs hopping off the trail. Can you see this one?
Norther red-legged frog?
A little less than half a mile after crossing the road we passed a junction with a trail leading to the picnic area. We would visit the picnic area on our way back and pick up the service road there.
The Little Nestucca is to the right with the Nestucca River straight ahead.
Cormorants
We disturbed a doe near the picnic area.
The doe leaving the picnic area.
A path here leads down to the bay to provide fishing access (we didn’t follow it).
Ground squirrel
Thistle
Wilson’s warbler
The overlook on the far hillside.
The trailhead from the service road.
Haystack Rock and Cape Kiwanda (
Haystack Rock
Pearly everlasting, spirea, and aster.
View from the overlook.
Bench at the overlook.
Little Nestucca River from the overlook.
White-crowned sparrow
Ladybug
Trask River from the trailhead.
Garter snake near the trailhead.
We followed the pointer here and went right.
Here we again followed the pointer and went left. We failed to notice the pointer on the lower sign not facing us. It was also hard to tell if the rocks were actually part of a trail or just a scramble route. Turns out they are “stone steps”.
The inland clouds were breaking up giving us some nice blue sky.
Ouzel
Big tree along the trail.
Arriving at the picnic area.
The trail to the left.
Huge nursery log.
It’s hard to see here but this section was very steep.
Steps along the ridge.
The stone steps looked more like steps from this direction.
Arriving back at the trailhead.
Skunk cabbage
Bindweed
While there were quite a few people visiting the preserve there were still moments when we had the boardwalk to ourselves.
Tree root along the cedar from another tree that is growing from it.
Another big cedar, but not anywhere near as big as the other.
We passed a “hiker trail” pointer which is a reportedly rough, muddy track that links up to the boardwalk near the big cedar. We had seen the other end near the smaller big cedar but there was a “trail closed” sign at that end so we hadn’t even considered taking it.
Interpretive sign at the viewing platform. There were some benches here which were mostly occupied and not much of a view.
Salal
One of the muddiest sections was just beyond a small footbridge near the trailhead.
Skunk cabbage blooming along Bailey Creek.
Skunk cabbage
A second little footbridge.
Coltsfoot
Closer look at the coltsfoot.
Approaching the footbridge over the unnamed creek.
This creek was really deep here although it’s hard to tell from the photo.
Wood sorrel
Trillium with a resident spider.
More skunk cabbage, also with a resident spider.
Violet
Bleeding heart
Salmonberry
Toothwort
Unfurling fern
Me passing under a mossy tree.
Snail on the trail.
This makeshift damn was not stopping the water from flowing down the trail.
Another of the small stream crossings.
The creek was actually pretty deep here with the recent wet weather we’d had.
A trillium unfurling.
Violets
Several trails have similar markers with most of them being at or near junctions. This one was just alone along the trail.
Rough skinned newt
Time has not been kind to the hitsi.
The trail briefly followed an old roadbed.
Mushrooms along the roadbed.
Another bench with a questionable view at the end of the roadbed segment.
Flowers are a few weeks behind this year but there were quite a few trillium along the trails.
Violets were the other abundant flower.
Red flowering currant beginning to bloom.
Wood sorrel
This looked to be a fairly recent uprooting.
A cute fungus
Looking back after fording.
We made a sharp right here onto the Nelson Ridge Trail.
Skunk cabbage at Berry Creek.
A few bleeding-heart blooms.
At least this bench had a view of the Pacific Ocean.
Passing through a stand of trees along the ridge.
Another bench.
Some easy to walk around blow down.
We couldn’t tell what this road/trail to the left was on the map so we stayed right to be safe at this junction.
I think that is Sutton Lake and beyond the sand is Clear Lake.
The end of another short roadbed section.
I walked on this roadbed for a bit just to do something a little different than on the first visit when I stuck to the trail (on the right).
Starting to descend toward Dry Lake.
Dry Lake
Back at the trailhead.
Junction with the spur Wetlands Trail. The larger sign on the left is a 
End of the trail at East Tide Ave.
The wetlands.
Devil’s Lake from Regatta Park.
Pointer for a heritage tree.
Another Trail Challenge sign.
Heading out of Regatta Park
Neat dragon sculpture.
West Devil’s Lake Road. The trail is ahead on the right just beyond the driveway on that side.
There was no sign along the road but there was a trail marker just uphill.
The trail briefly leveled out atop the ridge before diving down the other side.
This junction is where our loop began and ended.
Another fork just beyond the one in the previous photo.
Footbridge over the northern arm of the lake.
Spring Lake from the footbridge.
Found another one.
Small trailhead at 14th Street.
Spring Lake from the 14th Street Trailhead.
We had to walk a few feet along 14th Street to find the trail on the east side of the lake.
Approaching the junction at the end of our loop.
This forested loop was full of bright green mossed covered ground.
The connector trail at the south trailhead.
Two short out-and-back trails begin at the north trailhead. We started with the left hand trail.
The left hand spur abruptly ends on a ridge above what we assume was Agness Creek although we couldn’t really make out an actual creek.
Agness Creek?
Approaching SW 19th Street.
This should have been the end of our loop, not the beginning. Had we realized we weren’t on the perimeter trail we would have taken the first left hand trail which would have allowed us to do our planned loop in reverse (clockwise). Instead we headed straight up the ridge.
The Trail Challenge sign here was located at a second junction, near the ridge top. A short distance beyond was another junction with an unsigned trail veering off to the right. We still hadn’t figured out our mistake and thought that the right hand trail was a spur trail shown on the map leading to a neighborhood so we went left.
A lot of clearcuts is what I could see.
We were really surprised that this was the only real obstacle we encountered all day given the recent storm.
An example of the fainter tread along this section.
The spur to the left led to a neighborhood so we turned right.
The trail arriving at the trailhead entrance road. The chain link fence at Taft High is on the left.
Siletz Bay from the brewpub.
A gull and an egret.
It seems this time of year I (we) are always a little ahead of the sunlight which does nothing for photos.
Coming up on the road crossing.
Cascade Head from the trail with the elk at the end of the grass to the right.
Fuzzy (low light) photo of the elk.
Crossing Savage Road with the first view of the Pacific.
View from one of five metal footbridges along this section.
Signboard and donation box at the start of 
First direct sunlight of the morning.
Out of the trees and into the meadows.
Looking uphill
Snacks
Salmon River Estuary
A snail and lupine leaves.
A small viewpoint just before the trail turns uphill.
Going up
The trail gains views as it gains elevation.
The trail through the meadow below.
This knoll looks like the high point as you climb, but it’s a trick.
The high point is actually marked by a post. (Near the right end of the photo).
Wooden arch over the old roadbed.
Nearing the upper trailhead.
When they do reopen the road there will be a few trees to deal with.
There were around 18 trees such as this one across the trail from the trailhead to Cliff Creek.
This large chunk of tree trunk has done some damage to the bridge, but it was still passable.
Cliff Creek
At the 1.6-mile mark I entered the 
Sign near the bench.
Big sitka spruce trunk.
Approaching the Chitwood Creek crossing.
Chitwood Creek
Heading back toward the ocean.
Someone stuck some feathers in this mushroom.
There was a large number of noisy sea lions on the shaded rocks below Cascade Head. Even though they were quite far away they were loud.
Seagull hanging out on a sea rock.
Sea lion heading for its buddies.
A combination of the position of the Sun and the presence of haze made it very difficult to make out the waterfall on Chitwood Creek. I don’t know if the haze was smoke or just the usual coastal haze. (There was a fairly good east wind blowing steadily all morning.)
Sparrow in the meadow at Hart’s Cove.
Pearly everlasting
Varied thrush
A reminder of Spring, a trillium that bloomed months ago.
A monkeyflower along FR 1861.
Back at the upper trailhead.
Candyflower
Mushrooms on a log.
The Thumb, aka God’s Thumb (
Heading for the high point.
Descending Cascade Head
There were quite a few of these (an aster?) blooming along the trail.
Not sure what type of bird this is.
Sulphur butterfly
Wooly bear caterpillar, there were many of these on the trail.
Looking back up at one of the first hikers I’d passed.
Pretty moth on a bush.
View to the east of the Coastal Range.
Heading for the tree line.
Back where I’d seen the bull elk in the morning.
Cars parked along Three Rocks Road, the parking area at Knights County Park was full when I got back to the car a little before 1pm.
wanderingyuncks 
