To truly appreciate the rugged majesty of the Oregon Coast, take a walk through the coastal forest. Immerse yourself in the cool forest air, rich with fresh oxygen and the scents of the nearby ocean. Feel dwarfed under the thick trunk and distant canopy of a Sitka spruce. Watch the ceaseless crash of the surf from atop dramatic bluffs. Discover things growing in surprising places: crowded colonies of mosses perch in the corrugated bark of Douglas-firs, and scraggly huckleberry shrubs reach up from ancient stumps. Even the ocean itself seems alive.

Find all of this on the Clatsop Trail, a 2 1/2 mile loop hike at at Ecola State Park. The trailhead is a scenic ten-mile drive up the coast from Arch Cape Inn and is just north of Cannon Beach, making it a perfect day-trip destination. Pack a lunch for a picnic on the beach, and plan for dinner in town.

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