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One of the two trails accessing the Drift Creek Wilderness on the Oregon coast.


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Map Key

2.8

Miles

4.4

KM

Point to Point

1,361' 415 m

High

143' 44 m

Low

23' 7 m

Up

1,240' 378 m

Down

9%

Avg Grade (5°)

39%

Max Grade (21°)

Dogs No Dogs

Features River/Creek · Wildflowers

This trail enters the Drift Creek Wilderness and the usual Federal Wilderness Area regulations and restrictions apply here. Practice Leave No Trace (LNT) backcountry skills and ethics. Camp 100 feet from fragile areas; bury human waste at least 200 feet from water, trails, and campsites.

Need to Know

This trail is usually open all year but can be exceptionally wet between November and May. There are no amenities at the trailhead. Note that at high water it may be dangerous to attempt a crossing of Drift Creek.

Description

From the Harris Ranch Trailhead, the trail starts as an old road and continues on the level around Point 1445 where it starts a gradual descent down the ridge. At the wilderness boundary, 0.75 miles from the trailhead, the old road becomes a singletrack trail.

The trail goes down the ridge, through a lush lush coniferous forest with large Douglas-firs and a few Sitka spruce. At 2.5 miles from the trailhead, the trail swings east around the end of the ridge and drops into the bottomland (with undeveloped campsites) next to Drift Creek. Additional campsites can be found downstream.

Most hikers return the way they came, climbing back up the trail to the trailhead. The map shows a connection between the Harris Ranch Trail #1347 and the Horsetail Creek (North) Trail #1362, but much of that is now totally overgrown. Adventurous hikers can either bushwhack (not advised) to the #1362 or (at low water) go 0.3 mile upstream for where the north section of #1362 reaches the creek.

Contacts

Shared By:

BK Hope

Trail Ratings

  3.0 from 1 vote

#30491

Overall
  3.0 from 1 vote
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Trail Rankings

#1,004

in Oregon

#30,491

Overall
7 Views Last Month
345 Since Dec 30, 2018
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Photos

Coastal temperate rainforest along the creek
Dec 30, 2018 near Waldport, OR
Drift Creek
Dec 30, 2018 near Waldport, OR
Entering the wilderness three-quarters of a mile from the trailhead
Dec 30, 2018 near Waldport, OR

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