Oregon Coast Trail Thru Hike

Experiences You Should Have Podcast Show Notes

Brian Tanzman is a serial hiker and hiked very well-known thru-hikes like the PCT and CDT as well as lesser-known hikes. A hike that many hikers may not know about is the Oregon Coast Trail or also known as the OCT. Brian hiked the OCT in August of 2019 and came onto Experiences You Should Have podcast to tell his story and provide helpful tips for those considering taking on the Oregon Coast Trail. Listen above to the full episode (or wherever you listen to podcasts) or read on for top tips and information about this hike.

Brian Tanzman hiking the Oregon Coast Trail (OCT)

Oregon Coast Trail Length and Time to Hike the Trail

The Oregon Coast Trail is about 382 miles long and takes about 25 days to hike if you average 15 miles per day. Brian is an experienced thru-hiker and averaged 17 mile days and was able to complete it in 23 days. A little known fact is that if fire season has smoked out the Oregon section of the Pacific Crest Trail, some years, hikers will head to the Oregon Coast and hike the Oregon Coast Trail (OCT) in lieu of the Oregon section of the PCT.

Not everyone has copious amounts of time off to hike a longer distance hike, so the Oregon Coast Trail is a great alternative. It starts at the Oregon/Washington border and goes down to the Oregon/California Border. Below is an overview of the Oregon Coast Trail map but highly recommend checking out detailed maps of the Oregon Coast Trail that you can download if planning on hiking this trail.

Oregon Coast Trail Map

North, Central and South Oregon Coast

The northern part of the OCT was Brian's favorite part of the trail (the first week). It was a stunning combination of beach trails and forested trails and he loved coming upon the wreck of Peter Iredale in Hammond, Oregon. The middle part of the hike on Oregon's central coast felt more urban and it included more road walking (see below). The bottom third of the hike was much more remote and the beach sand changed as it was more gritty and harder to walk through.

Wreck of Peter Iredale on the Oregon Coast

How Does the OCT Differ From Other Thru Hikes

This isn't your typical thru-hike. By the name, you may think that the hike is mostly on the coast or beach walking, but about 25% of the OCT is road walking. Therefore it may not be right hike for everyone. Brian and his partner hiked about 43 miles on Highway 101 and got creative to avoid some road walks. There are many obstacles along the Oregon Coast Trail which is why a quarter of the hike is on roads and some parts you can ferry across to save yourself walking on the road. Note that walking on the road can be a safety issue so it's recommended you use some of these transportation options when available.

Brian suggested taking a packraft if you are familiar with packrafting as this could reduce some road walks and help you get across estuaries.