Oregon State Parks

Three sections of the north coast trail system in Tillamook County will remain closed until at least spring 2023 while crews remove dangerous trees left from the September 2020 windstorm. A trail at Cape Lookout State Park and two sections of trails at Oswald West State Park are impassable due to downed trees and will require extensive work to reopen, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department announced.

The parks department is working with FEMA and other federal partners, Oregon Department of Forestry, private consultants, South Fork Forest Camp and volunteers to map the damage and plan for a safe reopening.

The following trail segments are closed:

Cape Lookout State Park: The entire North Trail at Cape Lookout State Park that connects the Day-use Area to the Cape Trail.

Oswald West State Park: The 1.4-mile Arch Cape section of the Arch Cape to Cape Falcon Trail, from the north trailhead to the crossing at U.S. Highway 101.

Oswald West State Park: A 1.6-mile section of North Neah-Kah-Nie Mountain Trail from U.S. Highway 101 to the summit.

Repairing trails and restoring the landscape will require selectively removing fallen and dangerous trees by helicopter within 200 feet on either side of the trail — a total of 67 acres. Where possible, OPRD will leave downed trees to provide habitat. With helicopter crews committed to wildfire cleanup elsewhere in the state, this winter is the soonest OPRD could begin the work.The closed sections are all part of the Oregon Coast Trail that stretches along the 362-mile coastline. Many other trails on the north coast are open — information on trails managed by OPRD is at stateparks.oregon.gov.