Whalen Island Loop Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Whalen Island Trailhead
- End point: Sand Lake Estuary
- Hike type: Loop
- Distance: 1.4 miles
- Elevation gain: 75 feet
- High point: 50 feet
- Difficulty: Easy
- Seasons: All year
- Family Friendly: Yes
- Backpackable: No
- Crowded: No
Contents |
Hike Description
Situated on the coast between Cape Kiwanda and Cape Lookout, the Clay Meyers State Natural Area at Whalen Island was part of a small family farm for decades until it was purchased with lottery funding in 2000. This unique area has tremendous diversity. Centered in the Sand Lake Estuary, Whalen Island has grasslands, vast mudflats, white sandy beaches, a coastal forest, and dunes. The short easy loop hike will take you through all of these zones with plenty of places to stop and watch birds, have a picnic and play in the sand. If the weather is good, the kids will love this hike, and it is amazing to witness the tide changes in the Sand Lake Estuary. The only drawback to this hike is the nearby ORV area on the north shore of the estuary. The drone of the sandbuggies - loudest at the apex of the loop- may be irritating to purists. A county campground is located next to the Whalen Island Trailhead.
This description takes you counterclockwise around the island, which is connected to the mainland by an expanse of tidal marshes to the north. Take the trail next to the gate across from the restrooms. A path leads right to a viewpoint over the Lillian Parker Craft Wetland. The marshes are named after the mother of the two sisters - Kathleen Craft Shaw and Karen DeRungs - who sold the land to the State of Oregon. Back on the main trail, enter thickets of evergreen huckleberry, salal, rhododendron, and bracken shaded by Sitka spruce, shore pine, and Douglas-fir. The rooty trail undulates along the low ridge of a former sand dune before reaching a viewpoint which looks out on the marshlands of the Sand Lake Estuary and the green hills to the east of Cape Lookout. As you hike around the west shore of the island, you'll see various spurs leading down to the beach and get views out to the mouth of the estuary.
Hike up a higher sandy ridge shaded by shore pines, keep right at a junction, and then descend a sandy slope that blooms with beach lupine and dune goldenrod in spring and early summer. A spur leading right allows beach access. You can explore far out onto the sand flats at low tide. Later on, another spur takes you to a railed viewpoint near a concrete foundation. Eventually, you'll come to a map sign and the junction with a trail leading to the county campground. Stay left to return to the day use parking area.
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Green Trails Maps: Oregon Coast North #356SX
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Whalen Island Loop Hike
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Whalen Island Loop Hike
Guidebooks
- 25 Hikes on Oregon's Tillamook Coast by Adam Sawyer
- Off the Beaten Trail by Matt Reeder
- Best Hikes With Kids: Oregon by Bonnie Henderson & Zach Urness
- Oregon & Washington: 50 Hikes With Kids by Wendy Gorton
- Day Hiking: Oregon Coast by Bonnie Henderson
- Oregon Favorites: Trails & Tales by William L. Sullivan
- 100 Hikes: Oregon Coast by William L. Sullivan
- Oregon Coast Camping & Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Sean Patrick Hill
- Oregon State Parks: A Complete Recreation Guide by Jan Bannan
More Links
- Clay Myers State Natural Area at Whalen Island (Oregon State Parks)
- Whalen Island (Travel Oregon)
- Whalen Island (Oregon Adventures)
- Whalen Island Adventures (Oregon Coast Magazine)
- "Whalen Island: When an island is not really an island" (Oregon Live)
- Whalen Island County Campground (Tillamook County)
Contributors
- CFM (creator)