Description:

(The Oregon Coast Trail (OCT) is scenic and diverse and best experienced on foot. Mark is organizing a series of section hikes to explore the OCT. You are welcome to join all the walks or any that strike your fancy. Please note, OCT trips should be considered as exploratory; flexibility is a must. All of the section hikes are intended to be enjoyed with a daypack, and always return to a central location for tent camping, showers, etc. Trips focus on beach walking, utilizing lesser-traveled side roads and trails. Hiking next to Hwy 101 will be avoided as much as possible. To maximize beach time, and minimize highway walking, we will be car shuttling between start and end locations as needed on the trip.
This trip is a 3-day, 19-mile section hike of the OCT between Newport and Waldport. We will be tent camping at the South Beach State Park group camp. The majority of this trip is beach walking. Bridge crossings include pedestrian walkways.

Registration and payment:A) Online registration opens May 9, 2020.B) Within 5 days of signing up, mail a check payable to "Obsidians" for $30 (members) to Mark Hougardy, 418 Heritage Oak Dr, Eugene, OR 97405. This amount covers the campground fees, firewood, parking, and trip fees.C) The payment is non-refundable unless your place is filled by someone else.
Schedule:Day 1: Sunday - At least 3 miles of hiking today. We will depart Eugene and drive to the Newport area. We will start at the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse near the Yaquina Bay Bridge, and walk a few minutes down to the Newport waterfront. We will arrive close to lunchtime so bring your lunch or plan on grabbing a bite to eat. If the Maritime Museum is open we'll stop in to see some of the exhibits (optional). Around 2 pm we'll make our way back to the Yaquina Bay Bridge, cross over to the South Beach area, then continue on Jetty Road and to South Beach State Park to our group camp. For those who want some flexibility, you are welcome to explore on your own and meet the rest of the group about 4 pm at the Group Camp. The rest of the day is free time.Day 2: Monday - 8 Miles of beach walking today. After making a quick car shuttle run, we will depart camp as a group and walk south on the beach, past the picturesque Beaver Creek at Brian Booth State Park, and continue just beyond to the Seal Rock State Recreation Site. Late that afternoon we will return to camp, enjoy a shower, and have dinner at a restaurant in Newport. The restaurant is optional.
Day 3: Tuesday - Today, we walk 8 miles (or a few miles less depending on the tide). In the morning, we break camp and drive to Seal Rock State Recreation Site to begin the walk. There are two rock outcroppings near Seal Rock which could impede our walk, if the tide is high or incoming we will drive 2.5 miles south at the Driftwood Beach State Recreation Site to start. Our walk on the beach will continue to the community of Bayshore (just north of Waldport) where we will go inland and over to the Alsea Bay Bridge. On the other side, we can take water and restroom breaks at the interpretive center. Depending on the tide we will walk on the narrow beach or a side street to the Governor Patterson Memorial State Recreation Site where we will end the trip. If time and hunger levels allow, we will stop at a local cafe or drive a short distance to Yachats for a mea