Cape Lookout (Tillamook, Oregon)

Last week a friend invited me to go on a hike to Cape Lookout State Park in Tillamook, Oregon. We chose the only day last week when rain was not forecast. It had rained the previous night but, after a foggy start, the sun came out and it was beautiful. 

This was my first trip to Tillamook. It is about a 2-hour drive from Portland. Arriving at the parking lot, the filtered sunrays were coming through the trees -

We walked down to the beach first. The water was clear blue, a really stunning sight -

Just off the beach was a pile of driftwood amidst a stream of water coming down from the mountains -

A rocky bank and water pipe deposit -

We headed for the wooded forest next to the beach where there are numerous trails -

It was quiet with the exception of bird song and the sound of a rushing stream headed toward the beach -

Todd heads through a split tree trunk -

After trekking up the hill among gigantic trees and lush undergrowth, we came back down to views of the ocean through the trees -

And a lookout point on a small bluff -

We got back in the car and headed up the road to a higher point with more trails. One trail hugged the mountainside with stomach-churning descents along the sides until an area was reached that offered stunning views of the ocean -

Hoping to do more of this as there are a ton of places to see here and so far, I've done very little exploring.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy