You will need to get up early if you want to explore tide pools and caves in the Summer months on the North Oregon Coast. There are numerous opportunities this year with 20 negative tides in July and 16 in August! 

If you look in a tide book the negative tides are usually highlighted in red and it simply means the tides are going to be significantly lower than usual, which exposes beaches and areas you can’t typically get to along with sea life you don’t get to see very often. Memorial Day weekend and the Fourth of July always seem to be when the negative (super low) tides hit, which perfectly coincides with an influx of travelers and explorers. 

We met up with some friends in the parking lot in Oceanside at 6:30 this morning then walked…

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If you haven't been to Cape Lookout State Park, you must put it on your list of places to visit in Tillamook County. It's fun for the whole family! There is a day use area with a gazebo perfect for family picnics, old growth forests to explore, a wonderful 3+ mile sandy beach and multiple well-groomed trails throughout the park.

There are two segments of the Cape Lookout trail; the North Trail and the South Trail which offer hiking through the forest above the ocean. The North Trail begins in the day-use area of the State Park campground and continues 2.3 miles north to the Cape Trail trailhead. The South Trail continues south of the trailhead another 1.7 miles. Or explore miles of ocean beaches along the Netarts Spit, north of the campground. On…

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Shortly after moving to Tillamook, my boyfriend and I joined the watershed council on a tour of Anderson Hill, a beautiful hiking area behind the airbase at the Port of Tillamook. We quickly fell in love with the 0.64-mile understory loop which only takes about 20 minutes to complete (with a few stops in between to admire blooming shrubs, tasty berries and wildlife) and includes moderate and well-maintained trails, native plants, and a variety of song birds.

While you hike along the understory, ferns and other small shrubs sprinkle the trail while large old growth hemlock, spruce and Douglas fir tower over you. Anderson creek also flows through this enchanting landscape which you encounter over a few different foot bridges. 

Since many…

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I love hiking and one of my favorite hikes is up to see the Munson Creek Falls. It's the tallest waterfall in the Pacific Coast Range (319 feet tall!).  We are so fortunate to have it nearby; just 9 miles South of Tillamook. It’s an approximately ½ mile hike through old growth forest and is fairly easy to walk. There is a large parking lot at the trailhead and is well marked with signs.

While walking along the trail, I love the views of giant ferns, moss covered boulders, wildflowers and sunlight streaming through the forest. The trail winds around the creek providing the soothing sounds of water. There are tons of picture opportunities along the way with short trails that lead to the creek formed by the falls.

After a quarter of a mile the…

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