Oswald West State Park Overview

Named for the governor who began the successful quest to preserve Oregon’s coastline for public use, Oswald West is a gem of a park located about ten miles south of the crowds at Cannon Beach. A variety of trails wind through peaceful, mature forest to a picturesque cove nestled among mountains that keep beachfront winds at bay. There are no entrance fees at Oswald West; just pick up a park map at the main day-use parking lot (the middle of three lots in the park) on the east side of Highway 101.

Hiking and Backpacking
Park rangers lead guided hikes and tide-pool exploration walks that vary in difficulty. But to get an immediate ocean fix on your own, Short Sands Beach is an easy quarter-mile walk from the main parking area along U.S. 101. Other trails take hikers to the Oregon Coast Trail, where you can get a raptor’s-eye view from Cape Falcon Overlook (an easy five-miler; park at the north parking lot off Highway 101), or along the curving path of Short Sand Creek as it twists and turns and ultimately surrenders to the Pacific. For a more challenging trek, try the 5.5-mile Neahkahnie Mountain Loop Hike, which follows the Oregon Trail and travels over the 1,697-foot-tall mountain. Finally, from the north end of the park, bag a vista-packed six-miler from Cape Falcon to Arch Cape by hiking the well-named Cape Falcon Trail to the Arch Cape Trail.