Hart's Cove Hike Oregon

Hart's Cove Scenic Hike in Oregon Coast

Harts Cove Trail is within Siuslaw National Forest. It is 2.7 miles long and begins at 900 feet altitude. Traveling the entire trail is 5.4 miles with a total elevation gain of 1,275 feet.

This scenic trail descends about 900 feet in elevation through a Sitka Spruce-Western Hemlock rain forest, crosses two seasonal creeks and ends at a prairie headland overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Chitwood Falls cascades off the backside cliff at Hart's Cove. An unseen cove to the south resounds with the barking of sea lions. The strenuous trail traverses steep forested hillsides to a grassy meadow on the ocean’s edge.

Hart's Cove is part of the Cascade Head Marine Reserve and Marine Protected Areas. And the trail is closed seasonally from Jan. 1 through July 15 to protect endangered species.

·        Start point: Harts Cove Trailhead

·        End point: Harts Cove Overlook

·        Hike Type: Out and back

·        Distance: 5.4 miles round trip

·        Elevation gain: 1000 feet

·        Difficulty: Moderate

·        Trail open only on : July 16th to December 31st

The trail loses over 900 feet of elevation as you hike from the trailhead to the shore of the coast, with the steepest section in the first half mile. Most of the hike is through a dense coastal rainforest of Sitka spruce and western hemlock with a thick understory of ferns and moss.

The trail crosses two creeks: the first is Cliff Creek with a sturdy wood bridge, and the second is a bridgeless crossing of Chitwood Creek. The former bridge was washed out and still laying in the creek just down from the crossing. Sea lions can be heard barking loudly, but we never did see them.

Just under 2.5 miles in, the trail breaks out of the forest onto a large, steep meadow with incredible views of the ocean, and at this point you can finally see the sea lions you could hear in the forest previously, as they are all generally sitting out on the rocks in the ocean below the visible ridge to the south. If you descend through the meadow, you'll be rewarded with a view of Hart's Cove, which has a beautiful waterfall cascading into the emerald green waters of the ocean below

In the large meadows, Follow a side trail to a spectacular view of Hart’s Cove, with Chitwood Creek cascading as a waterfall into the ocean. The water is a deep blue-green color, with waves crashing against the steep cliff walls of the cove.

How to Reach: Take Highways 18 towards the Oregon Coast 47.0 miles past Otis, then bear right for Highway 101 North. In 0.2 miles, turn right on Highway 101 North and drive another 3.8 miles up onto forested Cascade Head. You’ll turn left on an unsigned gravel road through an open gate. Keep left at a fork after 2.5 miles, and then look for a Nature Conservancy Trailhead on the left. It’s another 0.8 miles to the trailhead for Hart’s Cove.