Neahkahnie Mountain Trail - GPS
Oswald West State Park
Free guide at Oregon State Parks maps and publications.
After reading, if you enjoy large trees, visit our page about the largest known redwoods. Grove of Titans Redwoods.
Neahkahnie Mountain is near Manzanita and Nehalem Bay, Oregon, south of Cannon Beach. The image below shows a rocky top about 50 above the trail. In the background are Manzanita, Nehalem Bay and the state park between the beach and the bay.
The trail marker is by a parking area along Oregon coastal highway 101 about 1/2 mile south of the 40 mile marker. There is parking for quite a few vehicles.
Here are two videos from my albums: one of Nehalem Bay State Park which can be seen from the mountain - Video: Nehalem Bay State Park and another of Neahkahnie Mountain - Video: Neahkahnie Mountain .
The second trail marker is marked Neahkahnie Mountain Trail. This trail marker is about 1.5 miles south of highway 101's 40 mile marker: virtually on the fringe of Manzanita. If they are not missing, its between mile posts 41 & 42. . At this marker by highway 101, turn west and follow a driveway: signs are posted. Go about 4/10 of a mile. You will see a few residences. There is parking for a few vehicles. Steep switchbacks lead up through meadows for 0.9 mile to a ridgetop junction. Continue straight on the path for 0.6 mile around the wooded mountain before emerging at the summit viewpoint. Total 1.5 miles.
The view includes the ocean, Nehalem Bay, Manzanita, Nehalem Bay State Park and Neahkahnie. Once you reach the top, there is a clearing. Look carefully for small offshoots of the trail that lead to a small ridge that's about 80' higher, where a survey marker is located. If you reach that ridge top, you can even see Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach to the south.
Here are the GPS coordinates near a high point (1680 feet) on the mountain where the photo below was taken at:
45.746865, -123.952159
Click one of these to view area
with Google Map or Google Earth.There are two trailheads. One south near Manzanita and another farther to the north along Hy. 101. One is marked Oregon Coast Trail (free guide link above).
The "Neahkahnie Mountain Trail" is the shorter 9/10 mile hike. Its been described as a short "uphill battle" - basically, difficult. The longer 2 mile trail gains the same elevation, but over more distance: obviously less steep. The 2 mile "Oregon Coast Trail" section up Neahkahnie Mountain is what I'd describe as "moderate to moderately difficult" with some easy level stretches. If you take the Oregon Coast Trail segment, you will reach a fork where you can go straight, or quickly turn to the left. Take the quick left turn to reach the top of Neahkahnie Mountain.
The views make the trail a worthwhile hike for people of all ages. Neither trail is too long.
Fog and mist are common, even on clear days. The fog or cloudiness, typically clears on what will be sunny days - but maybe around noon to 2pm. The positive side of the mist and fog is the the lush vegetation that it supports.
This peak is where the Tillamook Indian tribe believed their most powerful god resided. The name Neahkahnie comes from their words Ne ("place of") and Ekahnie ("supreme deity").
Some areas of the trail are pristine and secluded. Hiking from Bandon to Port Orford, provides several days of solitude and camping.
One popular treasure story from oral Indian legend, describes an old Spanish shipwreck on the Nehalem spit at the base of Neahkahnie Mountain, believed to be the galleon "Xavier". 30 survivors were said to make it to the beach, ferrying ship's treasure ashore in a longboat. Supposedly, they moved the treasure chest up onto the mountain's slope and burried it in a hole. Knowing that Indians feared disturbing graves of the dead, the captain shot his black Caribbean slave, burying him on top of the treasure: later driving away or shooting crew members who could not fit in the longboat. He ordered the remainder of the crew to row him back toward Mexico. (In 1931, near the "Great Depression", two excited treasure hunters died in a collapsed excavation.
No treasure has been found. But thousands of hikers have found a wonderful view.
These trails provide roughly 1000 feet of elevation gain. This area of Neahkahnie Mountain is in Oswald West State Park. Neahkahnie Mountain Trail is basically a day use area, but there is overnight camping at Oswald West State Park 3 miles away (walk-in wheelbarrows often provided), and a full range of sites at Nehalem Bay State Park, a few miles south, with resources for bicyclists or recreational vehicles.
Here are some albums pertaining to Oregon and a little bit over the borders.
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