Welcome, OCT Class of 2026!

 TRAILKEEPERSOFOREGON.ORG/OCT.

That's now the best, most up-to-date online guide to hiking the Oregon Coast Trail.

I'm Bonnie Henderson, author of Hiking the Oregon Coast Trail  (Mountaineers Books, 2021) and the FarOut navigational app for the OCT . (Plus more books.)  I have been working closely with Trailkeepers of Oregon to create an online guide to the OCT: for hikers, by hikers. I'm no longer keeping this website updated. My friends and I at TKO have taken over that role, making the TKO website the best place to go for OCT details and updates, including corrections for Hiking the Oregon Coast Trail (inevitable in printed guidedbooks).

Want to join our efforts to further develop and maintain the Oregon Coast Trail? Email us at info.oct@trailkeepersoforegon.org.

The Basics

The Oregon Coast Trail is a roughly 400-mile walking route that capitalizes on Oregon’s 262 miles of publicly owned and accessible sandy beaches. Roughly half the route is on the beach itself. Another quarter follows footpaths over headlands, also publicly owned. The remaining quarter or so follows quiet side roads and, where unavoidable, the shoulder of US 101. Scroll to the bottom of the page for photos and more general info about the OCT. 

WEATHER on the OCT is best April through September.

RIVER LEVELS on the south half of the trail (south of Florence) are typically low enough for wading at low tide only mid-June through mid- to late October. 

If you're flipping off the Pacific Crest Trail to hike the OCT, it's helpful to know that:

• A southbound hike will put your back to the wind,
• Drinking surface water isn't recommended (but you can get tap water every day except on a few stretches on the south coast).
• Dispersed beach camping is allowed in some places but not everywhere (there are other options).
• Dogs are not allowed on many parts of the beach mid-March to mid-September (while the snowy plover, a threatened shorebird, is nesting).
• It's civilized (and sandy) enough that toilet use is strongly encouraged.
• It's easy to resupply along the way.