Oregon
Wilderness-like adventure through landslide to Harts Cove, Cascade Head on Oregon Coast
Normally, the adventure begins once you arrive at the trailhead.
At Harts Cove Trail, just reaching the trailhead is an adventure.
Located just north of Lincoln City on Cascade Head, Harts Cove has long been considered one of the Oregon Coast’s most beautiful hikes.
Old-growth forest, barking sea lions and a meadow that seems to hang above the ocean makes it a trip worth taking. Add views of its namesake cove, where a thin waterfall drops into turquoise waters, and you have an Oregon gem.
Problem is, reaching the trailhead has become an ambitious undertaking.
In December 2021, a landslide damaged Forest Service Road 1861 in three areas and obliterated the road prism just off U.S. Highway 101. Siuslaw National Forest, which manages the land, said a short-term fix wasn’t viable. The federal agency is just beginning a project that may, or may not, restore vehicle access in coming years.
For now, Road 1861 is closed to cars but open to bikers or hikers. The trails are open as well, including Harts Cove, at least during its open season of July 16 to Dec. 31. But to reach it requires navigating around the landslides, dodging countless downed trees and traveling far longer than in the past.
The reward is a wilderness-like experience, which is rare on the coast, and one of Oregon’s most beautiful views in solitude.
Bike and hike to Harts Cove
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I loaded up my bike with a plan to ride Forest Road 1861 to Harts Cove Trailhead, hike the trail and then ride back.
All totaled, it was roughly 13.4 miles with around 3,000 feet of elevation gain. The road is 4 miles each way and the hike is 5.4 miles round-trip.
I wouldn’t recommend this trip for kids or adults that aren’t fit or conformable navigating in a wilderness-like setting.
“Tillamook County emergency response is limited in the Cascade Head area due to restricted access to FSR 1861 and cell service is limited,” the Forest Service wrote.
In other words, if you break an ankle climbing over one of the numerous trees blocking the road and trail, you might well be on your own.
As in previous years, Harts Cove Trail closes from Jan. 1 to July 15 to “protect sensitive nesting habitat.”
On the road
From a parking area on the side of Highway 101, I rode my bike up the closed road and shortly reached the landslide.
It lived up to the hype.
Cascade Head is prone to landslides, apparently, and the size of this one proved it. An entire chunk of the roadbed was gone in one place, leading to an avalanche of dirt that covered the lower road.
A narrow pathway tightropes above and through the landslides, and it wasn’t too difficult to navigate.
Beyond the landslide, the road rises at a pretty steep grade. I could ride my bike occasionally, but it was often easier to just push it uphill.
There hasn’t been any maintenance on the road for two years now and this being the coast, the forest is doing its best to reclaim it. Countless trees have fallen across the roadbed, necessitating a lot of bobbing and weaving above and below them. At points, having the bike began to feel more like a hassle.
But eventually, I reached the crest of the road and began speeding downward. I still had to dodge a lot of trees, but between views of the ocean and the salty air, the ride was a thrill.
Additional routes to Harts Cove
On the ride, you pass the trailheads for the Rainforest Trail and Cascade Head Trail. Both could work for a combination hike.
For example, it would be difficult but scenic to hike a Cascade Head Trail-Road 1861-Harts Cove route. Beginning from Knight’s Park Trailhead, you could hike Cascade Head Trail, managed by the Nature Conservancy, for 3 miles to Road 1861. Then, you’d hike the road about 1.5 miles to Harts Cove Trail, do it, and return the way you came. That would be around 15 miles all totaled, far more than 3,000 feet of climb and quite a workout. But it would be more scenic than the road.
Adventure to a stunning spot
After riding down the road, I reached Harts Cove Trailhead. At this point, and others, the solitude was striking. In the past, I’ve traveled this same road on busy summer weekends and found it jam-packed with so many cars it was difficult to find a good spot.
Now, on a sunny holiday weekend, there was absolutely nobody. No cars in the parking lots. Fews sounds except birdsong and occasional airplanes.
I locked my bike to the trailhead sign, to discourage the local cougars from getting any ideas, and headed down the trail.
The trail was the same as ever, with a lot more bobbing and weaving through downed trees. It begins in second-growth, but eventually drops into old-growth groves of titanic sitka spruce and hemlock.
The trail reaches a bench on one side of Harts Cove, where you can see it through the trees and listen to the bark of sea lions, but it’s another mile to the real show-stopping view.
There’s no place on the Oregon Coast that quite compares with the meadow and view of Harts Cove. The meadow, which protects rare butterflies and wildflowers during its closed season, seems to hang above the ocean. It has views as far north as Cape Lookout and you can explore or lay in the sunshine.
The view of Harts Cove itself requires a bit of navigating, down to the trees that stand just above the dramatic cliff walls. It’s precarious in places, but peers into the turquoise cove and boasts one of the few waterfalls that drop directly into the ocean. In this case, it’s Chitwood Creek flowing off the cliff edge.
The trip is a long one, but when you’re sitting above the ocean, without having seen another person all day, it’s a pretty unique moment.
The future: road or trail?
The plan from forest officials is to restore the road to vehicles if possible. But it’s also not a given.
They’re just beginning a geotechnical investigation to get a better understanding of the area’s geology.
“The reality is we won’t know what is and is not possible until our analysis is complete,” Siuslaw National Forest spokeswoman Joanie Schmidgall said. “We don’t want to do all the work of restoring the road just to have another landslide.”
The Nature Conservancy, which also owns land on Cascade Head, is hoping the road is reopened. Spokeswoman Kate Natoli noted having the upper trailheads, via Road 1861, provides public access “that serves people with a diverse range of abilities, including the potential for an ADA-accessible trail to Cascade Head.”
However, Schmidgall acknowledged it may not be possible to reopen the road. In that case, they’d “look at an option to provide for sustainable pedestrian access,” she said.
That would likely mean a more cleaned-up version of the trip I did. They might let the forest swallow much of the road and turn it into one large trail network.
That would mean less accessible views than in the past. But it would also provide that wilderness-like experience so rare on the Oregon Coast. It might also be more in keeping with the head’s designation as a preserve. Cascade Head is, after all, a UNESCO biosphere reserve and experimental forest.
More solitude or better access? That’s one of the questions the U.S. Forest Service is asking people to weigh right now. To comment on the road project, go to fs.usda.gov/project/siuslaw/?project=65206. Another option for comment is to contact Hannah Smith at hannah.smith@usda.gov.
If the Forest Service does decide to move forward with reopening the road to cars, it’s likely to take years. So, for now, a trek to Harts Cove will require an adventure through this wilderness-like landscape.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 15 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. Urness is the author of “Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon” and “Hiking Southern Oregon.” He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.
After winning its first two NCAA Tournament games, USC baseball entered Sunday on the cusp of its first super regional appearance in nearly two decades. With a victory over old Pac-12 foe Oregon State Sunday night, the Trojans would win the Corvallis Regional and head to the tournament’s second weekend for the first time since 2006.
Instead, however, USC suffered a humiliating blowout loss. The Beavers dominated the Trojans 14-1, setting up a winner-take-all game to decide the regional on Monday.
Things went awry from the start for the Trojans. After Brayden Dowd led off the first inning with a single, Ethan Hedges hit a double. Dowd was sent home by the third base coach despite there being no outs in the inning. Dowd was thrown out at the plate, and the Trojans did not score in the frame.
The very next inning, Oregon State was helped significantly by poor defense from USC. Everything the Trojans did so well in their tournament opener against TCU on Friday, they essentially threw out the window. They did the complete opposite in this game and allowed the contest to spiral out of control. Oregon State built a 6-1 lead with some line-drive singles, but also a number of infield hits USC fielders did not handle as well as they could have.
The game’s other turning point came in the fifth inning. Trailing 6-1, USC loaded the bases with no one out, a golden opportunity to get back in the game. Instead, however, the next three Trojans batters all struck out, and they did not get a single run across. The very next inning, Oregon State hit a three-run home run to go up 9-1, and the rout was on.
The two teams will now play a decisive winner-take-all game on Monday. The winner will move on to the super regionals to face Florida State, while the loser will go home. First pitch from Corvallis is set for 3 p.m. Pacific time on ESPNU and ESPN+.
Oregon
Oregon State baseball vs. Saint Mary’s in Corvallis Regional: Preview, starting lineups, how to watch elimination game
CORVALLIS — The top-seeded Oregon State Beavers play the fourth-seeded Saint Mary’s Gaels Sunday afternoon in an elimination game at the Corvallis Regional at Goss Stadium.
First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
(Follow the game live here)
It’s the first outing of a double-header that will see the winner advance to face No. 3 seed USC on Sunday night. The Trojans are 2-0 in the double-elimination event and sit one win away from reaching the super regionals.
If the OSU-Saint Mary’s winner defeats USC in Sunday’s nightcap, the teams would meet again on Monday in a winner-take-all finale.
After suffering an opening-round upset against Saint Mary’s, the Beavers vowed to fight back and “do something special” … and they backed up the pledge in their first elimination game, defeating TCU 7-2 on Saturday to keep their season alive.
Freshman right-hander Dax Whitney was electric and the Beavers’ offense slugged four home runs in the win. Afterward, Saint Mary’s suffered a 6-4 defeat to USC, setting up today’s losers’ bracket rematch.
Here are details about the first game of Sunday’s double-header:
Oregon State Beavers (42-13-1) vs. Saint Mary’s Gaels (36-25)
When: 3 p.m. PT, Sunday, June 1
Where: Goss Stadium, Corvallis
TV channel: The game will not be broadcast on television, but will stream live on ESPN+.
How to watch live stream online: The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ via a subscription. Visit osubeavers.com and click on the baseball schedule for a direct link or visit plus.espn.com for subscription information.
Radio: All games air on the Beaver Sports Network. Pregame starts 30 minutes before the first pitch and you can listen live anywhere via the Varsity Radio Network. Local affiliates include KEJO 93.7-FM & 1240-AM (Corvallis), KKNX 105.1-FM & 840-AM (Eugene), KCFM 104.1-FM & 1250-AM & 104.1-FM (Florence), KLAD 104.3-FM & 960-AM (Klamath Falls), KCFM 103.1-FM (Mapleton), KTMT 96.1-FM & 580-AM (Medford), KCMX 880-AM (Medford), KCMX 99.5-FM (Phoenix), KEX 1190-AM (Portland), KSKR 1490-AM (Roseburg) and KBZY 1490-AM (Salem).
Probable starters: TBA
This and that: Neither team has announced its starting pitcher, but the Beavers are expected to go with sophomore Ethan Kleinschmit, who was their Sunday starter all season. The 6-foot-3 left-hander has been OSU’s most consistent starter this year, going 7-3 with a 3.84 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 72 2/3 innings. And Kleinschmit is coming off one of his best performances, a one-hit, seven-strikeout gem against Long Beach State in the regular-season finale. … Wilson Weber, Trent Caraway, AJ Singer and Tyce Peterson bashed home runs for OSU in Saturday’s elimination game. It was the fourth time this season the Beavers have hit four or more homers in a game and it pushed their season total to 89, tied for the second-highest single-season total with the 2023 club. The Beavers hit a school-record 118 in 2024. … Caraway has belted a home run in each of the first two games of the regional and in three of his last four games. The sophomore third baseman hit six during the regular season. … Gavin Turley enters the game with 179 RBIs in his career, tied with Michael Conforto for the most in program history. … The Gaels have been carried all season by the strength of their lineup — not their pitching — and the depth of their staff will be tested today. Saint Mary’s likely will start right-hander Lukas Sarantos, who is 3-0 with a 5.40 ERA this season. He’s made 15 appearances, including seven starts. … The Gaels’ staff ERA is 6.17.
OSU’s projected starting lineup
1. Easton Talt, RF
2. Aiva Arquette, SS
3. Gavin Turley, LF
4. Wilson Weber, C
5. AJ Singer, 2B
6. Canon Reeder, CF
7. Trent Caraway, 3B
8. Tyce Peterson, 1B
9. Dallas Macias, DH
Saint Mary’s projected starting lineup
1. Eddie Madrigal, 1B
2. Cody Kashimoto, 2B
3. Aiden Taurek, LF
4. Ryan Pierce, 3B
5. Brian Duroff, DH
6. Diego Castellanos, RF
7. Jared Mettam, SS
8. Ian Armstrong, C
9. Tanner, Griffith, CF
— Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman | @freemanjoe.bsky.social | Subscribe to The Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
The Oregon Ducks are in the heat of the recruiting cycle for the class of 2026, with commits landing at schools across the country by the day. The Ducks are in the hunt for one of the most coveted safeties in the country, five-star Jett Washington. Washington is a top recruit and will visit four Power Four schools that will each try and sway him to come play for their team.
Washington, who stands at 6-5, anchored one of the best high school defenses in the country during his time with Bishop Gorman. Washington was awarded the MaxPreps Nevada Player of the Year and won the 5A state title with Bishop Gorman while compiling 38 tackles, 5 interceptions, and a forced fumble.
He is one of the most highly coveted players in the class of 2026. He still has official visits planned with Ohio State, Alabama, and Oregon, according to 247 Sports, and the No.1 recruit in Nevada has recently scheduled a visit with USC. Washington has ties to California; his uncle was the late Kobe Bryant, a five-time NBA champion.
Washington is set to visit Tuscaloosa and Alabama coach Karen Deboer on May 30, then he will turn around and fly to Los Angeles to meet with the USC coaching staff. Washington has a trip planned to Ohio State on June 6.
His final official visit of this cycle will be one week after his trip to Ohio State when he travels to Eugene to meet with Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks. Oregon having the last official visit can only be good news for Ducks fans, as Lanning will most likely have the last impression on the No.1 recruit out of Nevada.
Washington has already been to Eugene once and had good things to say about his trip. Washington had this to say to On3 when asked about his visit.
“My last visit to Oregon was great. It is a great program and they are recruiting me as hard as anyone. coach Hampton is a great coach, coach Lanning has the program going up and I liked it a lot when I was up there,” Washington told On3.
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Oregon has had talented safeties since Lanning has been at the helm with former Duck Tysheem Johnson playing a big role in his final two seasons with the Ducks. Just last year, safety Kobe Savage played a large role in Oregon’s defense. Lanning seems to have struck gold at the safety position again this season, grabbing Dillon Thieneman out of the transfer portal from Purdue.
Washington committing to Oregon by the end of the summer would be much needed good news for Oregon fans. It has been a surprising recruiting cycle for Ducks fans, with much to be pleased about but a sour taste is still in the mouth due to five-star offensive tackle Kodi Greene flipping from Oregon to Washington, and the Ducks losing out on both five-star quarterback Jared Curtis and five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell.
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