Hike: North Neahkahnie Mountain Trail, Nehalem, OR

 

Getting There

Originally I was heading to Dog Mountain the Gorge but when I started the drive I realized the air quality in the area was crap! The AQI on Hwy 14/Vancouver was 130+. I turned around before getting to Camas.

I looked at the AQI map and saw that only the coast had breathable air. Fuck!

I considered God's Thumb in Lincoln City but was already late to start. I knew a drive to the coast was going to take over an hour. I figured Neahkahnie Mtn was a good bet.

I stopped for gas and this awesome dog (bulldog?) brought me his toy. He put his left paw on my foot. His owner scolded him to get off my foot but the pup ignored it. I pet the dog a bit and laughed. When the fuel was pumped I followed the owner inside to pay. I apologized to the dog for not playing with him.

When I finished paying, I walked back outside to my car. Another driver arrived. The dog was already on his way to greet this new person and present this toy.

The drive was nice. No tailgaters.

I took OR-53 to Wheeler. This was easier than going all the way to Hwy 101, then south to Short Sands.

Since the North Trail was closed last year, I figured I'd head up the South side. I pulled over at the turnoff and looked at the AllTrails. There was a trail report from the day before. Woohoo.

I continued north on 101 to the trailhead parking lot and found a spot.

The Hike

Length: 4.60 mi
Elevation gain: 1,253 ft
Moving time: 1:54:15
Avg. pace: 24:51
Calories: 1,148
Total time: 1:59:43

I hadn't hiked this trail since my early days in Portland. On my blog I put April 10, 2009 but I really have no idea. It could be even longer.

The first section is steep and the views are great. I passed 6-7 other hikes on their descent.

When I got to forest section, I could see why the trail was closed for so long. There were freshly-cut logs everywhere; big trees, like 24" - 36"+ in diameter.

"The section of trail between the North Neahkahnie Mountain Trailhead and the Neahkahnie Mountain Viewpoint had been closed since September 2020 due to considerable blowdown from a windstorm. Thanks to the hard work of Trailkeepers of Oregon volunteers and our partners, this trail has officially been reopened to the public as of October 2022!" 

- https://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guide/Neahkahnie_Mountain_from_North_Hike

The route was longer than I remembered and I thought was near the Lookout several times on the trail. I felt the sunlight was waning and felt rushed.

I made it to the Lookout and got some amazing photos (see below). I only spent a few mins before setting out on my descent. I wanted to get through the forest section before the sun set.

When I got to edge of the forest, I sighed some relief to make to where I didn't have to worry about daylight, it was the home stretch.

On the switchbacks, I enjoy the views and setting sun.

So good to be back on the this trail. Success despite low quality air.

From Lookout

Near the North Trailhead

OR coast/Short Sands

Hike + Road Trip: Neahkahnie Lookout, Nehalem, OR

AllTrails map

 

Length: 2.8 miles
Elevation Gain: ~ 905 feet
Type: Out & Back
Steps: ~10,000

Getting There

I left Portland with a vague plan of where I was heading. Once I was got to North Plains, I knew I was going for a hike. I kinda of wanted to see the ocean but I knew that Saddle Mountain had recently reopened after being closed for several years(? or maybe just since the pandemic).

When I got to the Saddle Mtn turn off, I kept going. Another time. Neahkahnie Mtn was my destination.

Then, when I got the Necanicum Hwy (53) I took it to Hwy 101 (Nehalem, Wheeler, Mohler). The tank was running low on fuel but still had ~100 mi worth in the tank so kept going.

I've hiked from the North Trailhead so I made that my goal. There was a car following pretty closely and I passed by looking for a place to turn around. I went all the way to the Oswald West State Park lot to do a U-ee.

It wasn't until I was parked at the trailhead that I noticed it was closed. I'd seen the sign for the South Trailhead and headed there.

Up the gravel road I see a few cars and an open space and took it. I realized when I got out to get suited up that there was a larger parking lot ahead.

The Hike

The trail was muddy and overgrown in spots and kept at eye open for poison oak. There might have been some that I missed but it was mostly ferns and other broad leafed plants. I used my hiking pole to whack the lowest branches.

I only saw three people in the first 2/3rd of the trail. Then a few more groups on the way to the lookout.

I completely missed a 180 deg turn and started climbing under and over fallen trees. The trail was barely visible and it was getting sketchy. I heard a couple of voice from above so guessed I'd missed a turn somewhere close.

I did but I never saw the people whose voices I'd heard.

I saw the ridge to the lookout but it was blocked by a couple of downed trees. I thought maybe there was another access trail and keep trekking. Unfortunately my phone battery was low so I wanted to save juice for some photos but quickly checked the map and found I'd had in passed the junction.

I had the lookout to myself. I chilled out for about 10mins.

Requisite selfie

U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey marker (1926)

View of Nehalem from the first clearing

View of Nehalem Point

Afterwards

I rarely backtrack on these trips so I started north to either take Hwy 26 or Hwy 30. I still needed fuel for the return trip. I guess I've never paid attention that Cannon Beach does not have a gas station. It was cool to take a spin through town but knew I'd have to get into Seaside if I was going to take Hwy 26.

Traffic wasn't bad and the weather was nice. I zoomed by gas stations that were on the left side of the street. I quickly realized that I could make it to Astoria so I stopped looking.

I finally found a self-service place on the east side of town.

My perception of the drive between Astoria and Portland varies. This time it seemed to go on and on. Sometimes I'll hop on I-5 at Longview but not this trip.

I came across the St John's bridge and got stopped for about 15min at a train crossing on N Columbia Blvd.

Hike: Neah-Kah-Nie Mountain Trail - North Trailhead, Nehalem, OR

Distance: 3.9 miles
Type: Out & Back
Elevation Gain: 1,240 feet
High Point: 1,615 feet
Duration: 2 hrs

The Hike 

There's a little parking lot on Hwy 101 just south of Short Sands. It's also a good place to park for the Elk Flats Trail.

The trail starts out with a series of switchbacks then follows the ridge to a point before traversing across the lower face of the Neah-Kah-Nie Mountain. Epic views of Neah-Kah-Nie Beach and Manzanita.

Maps

Links

https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/oregon/neahkahnie-mountain-via-north-trailhead