Get outside this season and enjoy fresh air and beautiful views on these walks.
Whether you’re hitting the trails for the first time or the first time in a long time, the start of a new year is a great time to begin a new habit of enjoying the outdoors in beautiful places.
From easy lakeside strolls to boardwalk paths over saltwater marshes, the Southern Oregon Coast offers visitors a variety of beginner-friendly trails. Here are some great options for winter — or year-round — adventures for folks walking or using assistive devices.
Walk Lakeside Trails Near Winchester Bay
Embrace your inner nature lover on the 1-mile loop trail that hugs the shores of Lake Marie, Umpqua Lighthouse State Park’s gem of a freshwater lake, popular with swimmers, paddlers and anglers in summer. In winter look for osprey, heron and bald eagles as well as shorebirds and other wildlife. Hikers can access the trail from the paved parking lot or one of the entry points in the park campground.
Keep the lakeside vibe going with a walk on the Eel Lake Trail trailhead located just off Highway 101 (6 miles from Winchester Bay). Originating within the day-use area of William M. Tugman State Park, the Eel Lake Trail flanks the southern, more undeveloped section of Eel Lake and keeps hikers tucked into a dreamy evergreen forest with views of the lake through the trees. For this 4-mile out-and-back adventure, simply turn back when you’re ready.
Explore the Sloughs and Marshes Near Coos Bay
On the south side of Coos Bay, the Millicoma Marsh Trail weaves through the fresh and saltwater marshes that separate a residential neighborhood from the Coos Estuary. Along the way, interpretive signs educate visitors about regional wildlife and the impact of human industry, with sheltered benches and a viewing deck for resting along the way. Since it’s popular with birders, be sure to bring your binoculars to catch rare species.
Continue your wetland adventure at the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, located approximately 5 miles south of Charleston on Seven Devils Road. The hiking paths and boardwalks at the reserve wind through saltwater marshes, mudflats and wooded areas. Pick up a trail map in the park’s visitor center, where you can also warm up by the fireplace and borrow the remote that opens the gate to the parking area for the accessible Big Cedar Trail. An out-and-back 0.6-mile hard gravel path, this trail is the best option for groups with strollers, wheelchairs and other mobility restrictions.
New Wooded Trail Network in Coquille
Weaving through a 144-acre plot of city-owned timber property on the edge of Coquille is a network of trails worth checking out. Converted into an outdoor recreation area, the Hundred Acre Wood trails are open to hikers and mountain bikers alike. Your leashed dog can join you on your adventure.
Before you begin, consult the trail map posted near the parking area for each trail’s distance and designation. The yellow route, for example, is a wide, pedestrian-only route, broken into approximately 0.3-mile sections of flat, crushed gravel and highlights like a babbling brook and forests. For visitors with durable strollers or sturdy wheelchairs, both the yellow and red multi-use trail — which features views from the top — are great options.
As you wander through the Hundred Acre Wood forest and the fronds, look for tiny wooden fairy doors placed along the path. There’s even an ADA-friendly covered pavilion near the paved parking lot, perfect for picnic lunches.
Bogs and Native Plant Walks Near Bandon
Eleven miles south of Bandon, the New River Area of Cultural Environmental Concern trail network is separated from the Pacific Ocean by the New River and a rolling series of coastal dunes. This beloved all-season hiking destination accommodates hikers of many interests, ages and abilities. Start your journey from the parking lot near the New River Nature Center, leaving time to explore the interactive and interpretive exhibits.
While the trails at New River make a collective, approximate 3-mile loop, each offers something unique. The Old Bog Trail, a branch path off the East Muddy Lake Trail, leads hikers to the site of a cranberry bog that was active from 1914 to 1950. In the opposite direction, the North Trail and Ridge Trail loop pass through dense rhododendrons, enormous wax myrtles and ancient manzanitas thriving in the salty, temperate climate.
Inspired? The South Coast has even more hikes to enjoy.
Top photo by Danny Kent Alacali
in Hikes
