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.