Detour No. 5 - Tunnel Beach
As I have said before, the Oregon Coast Trail is in flux.
And one major flux is at Cape Meares. I was there August 9 and, because of fallen trees and erosional undercut of the trail, I couldn’t get down to the beach. This also happened in the spring of 2016 when I reported erosional problems to rangers at Cape Lookout.
That section of trail was closed but, fortunately, another route to connect the beach with Cape Meares was established. If this trail cannot be rehabilitated, the OCT might bypass Cape Meares entirely with Highway 131 walked from Tillamook to Netarts.
There have been conversations with the county and ODOT about transferring the portion of Bayshore Drive that has been closed since the slide in exchange for keeping that access for bikes and pedestrians.
This article is written on the assumption that the trail near Cape Meares will be reopened. As a member of Trailkeepers of Oregon, perhaps we will reopen it just like the northern trail section over Cascade Head, or perhaps Bayshore Drive will become the access. The proximity to special Tunnel Beach is warranted.
As you descend from Cape Meares, at the lighthouse parking take the trail to the Octopus Tree. The trail continues on the back side of the tree, crossing a wooden foot bridge at a quarter of a mile and, about 200 yards further, offers a great view of an American bald eagle nest (look perpendicular to the trail and up about five degrees). You join Cape Meares Loop Road a tenth of a mile later and, after two miles, you reach Highway 131 (Pacific Avenue).
The Oregon Coast Trail always had some “wiggle room.” The old map, taken down this spring, had on map 2, instruction 11 “Hike to Oceanside. Return to the beach and go to Netarts.” There were two ways to understand this. Coming down on Cape Meares Loop Road at Highway 131, which is Pacific Avenue, you could turn right, go to Oceanside State Park and reach the beach. Or could turn left, go about a tenth of a mile and reach the beach from Symons Viewpoint. I preferred to go right, as Oceanside has the possibility of a detour.
So, rather than reach the beach at Symons and turn south to Netarts — it’s Dave Detour Time.
Enter Tunnel Beach.
Heading north from Oceanside Park you are confronted with Maxwell Point and a tunnel of roughly 50 yards.
The Rosenberg family bought land at Oceanside in 1922 and spent two years building a resort. Two years later, in 1926, the tunnel was finished and then they built a walkway 20 feet higher to reach the more secluded Lost Boy Beach further north. During World War II it was closed to the public and used by the military. In 1979, a rock slide closed the tunnel completely, and it wasn’t reopened until the early 1990s — and further slides have occasionally closed it. Here is where tide guide is important, in case of a slide, especially if your luck is like mine. You won’t be stranded since you can go around Maxwell Point because of enough sand gain in the summer.
When you reach Tunnel Beach you are in the midst of Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge, was established by a stroke of President Theodore Roosevelt’s pen after he received reports of seabirds being killed. It consists of three large and six small rocky islands just offshore, featuring the largest colony of breeding tufted puffins and a large common murre colony. It has been home to Oregon's largest seabird nesting colony of more than 230,000 birds since established on October 14, 1907.
Tunnel Beach changes day by day. One day, it could be calm, with lots of brown pelicans diving for lunch. Another day-it could be windy, and great for taking pictures of crashing surf over the rocks and even flying kites.
After spending time at Tunnel Beach, go back through the tunnel and continue south on Oceanside Beach and eventually you will rejoin the OCT at Symons Viewpoint.
Final Tally: 1.5 miles of additional picturesque opportunity with Dave’s Detour before walking south to Netarts. It’s your choice.