North Coast Land Conservancy hosts CoastWalk Oregon

They’re coming. From north, south, east (not west—can’t get more west than Tillamook) they’re coming to walk the coast.

The North Coast Land Conservancy will be hosting its CoastWalk Oregon 2024 from September 20-22. People from all over the country will flock to the noth coast to walk the north section of the Oregon Coast Trail for three days. The north coast section of the trail is 120 miles long, and each year CoastWalk walks a 30-mile portion of it.

The walk is a fundraising event with $42,000 raised last year to support the protection of important land and water in the north coast.

The event has attracted people from Washington, California, Montana and even Texas in the past. This will be CoastWalk Oregon’s eighth year, though 2020 was skipped due to the pandemic.

The route changes every year, with this year’s running between Ecola State Park and Nehalem Bay State Park, walking roughly ten miles a day. It’s led by experts—the main leader being a retired geologist who has done six expeditions to Antarctica—including naturalists and other experts of the Oregon Coast who give participants an in-depth knowledge of the coast. Eleven volunteers have been working since November to organize this year’s event.

All the planning comes in handy in case of unexpected variables, like last year’s wildfires that resulted in the CoastWalk having to make changes to its route.

The walk also includes volunteer nurses and doctors as well as radio operators since part of the trail does not have cellular coverage.

CoastWalk is organized around the tides. So instead of doing a straight walk from Ecola State Park to Nehalem Bay State Park, or vice versa, participants will be walking in segments that best account for the tide.

The hiking will be done in the morning, giving participants the afternoon and evening to explore Cannon Beach, which will be hosting the Earth & Ocean Art Festival at the same time.

Visitors are amazed by the wildlife of the Oregon Coast.” It’s always great to see wildlife along the route, whether it’s shorebirds or the majestic elk,” said Kassia Nye, Development Director for the North Coast Land Conservancy. “For visitors, they are always so impressed with these charismatic megafauna.”

A lot goes into planning the CoastWalk. Nye is grateful to the Cannon Beach Tourism and Arts Commission and Chamber of Commerce for their support, as well as the support of the event’s sponsors which can be seen at coastwalkoregon.org. “We are really grateful because they help. It’s the tiniest little details of the event that make it so special,” said Nye.

The mastermind behind the CoastWalk Oregon is Bonnie Henderson, a former North Coast Land Conservancy staff member who has authored books on hiking the Oregon Coast. “She loves this trail, and she loves this area, and she said, ‘Hey, why don’t we put on a fundraiser to raise money and promote awareness of this incredible place,’” said Nye.

And years later, the CoastWalk is going strong.

“It builds this really lovely community of conservationist people who want to protect this important ecological habitat,” said Nye.

CoastWalk Oregon costs $410 per person, and people can register at nclctrust.org or at coastwalkoregon.org.