Elk Flats Trail Hike on the Oregon Coast
What a wonderful hike! We got the best mix of rocky Oregon coast and Pacific beaches on this visit yesterday to the coast. We did the Elk Flats Trail all the way to Short Sand Beach, with a pitstop at the Devil’s Cauldron on the way.
The hike was rated as moderate and we did about 4.5 miles including the offshoot and walking around on the beach. The most challenging parts were the overgrown roots along the path that we had to be careful around, and the last part descends down to the beach. That means we had to hike up on our way back out. It was a little muddy at times which was only an issue if it got a bit slippery, so we were careful! Lots of surfers were at the beach once we got there and there were a ton of rocks along the shore (which is weird for a Floridian like me).
The offshoot to the Devil’s Cauldron was a really cool bonus adventure with views of the classic Pacific Northwest rocky cliffs. I’m so glad there was a fence up there to prevent people from getting too close to the edge! Being semi scared of heights and fearing for my safety would have prevented me from getting anywhere near the edge of that cliff! (Not about to risk falling in for a photo and neither should anyone else)
After the hike we headed north to Cannon beach for a well deserved lunch and nap on the beach! All in all we had a fun day trying out a new destination, hiking with friends, and relaxing in the sun! Bonus, I got a new phone wallpaper out of it too:
