Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area

Haystack Rock in Pacific is majestic from any angle. I grew up going to a greasy spoon diner in Pacific City with a view of Cape Kiwanda. Back then it was a fisherman dory boat town. And now it is a surfer’s Mecca. The boys love to climb “Energy Hill” on the Cape’s Dune.

Explore more at www.oregonhikers.org … The brilliant sandstones of Cape Kiwanda are one of the Oregon Coast’s most dazzling features. Offshore is the monolith that has protected the soft strata of the Cape from being extinguished by ocean weather, the “other” Haystack Rock, a classic basalt sea stack. Behind the Cape is the Great Dune, a massive hill of mudstone and sandstone layers cloaked in drifting sand with a toupée of salal and stunted Sitka spruce. Views from here extend north to the spectacular headland of Cape Lookout. On the beach, there is plenty of action on a sunny day at Oregon’s main dory launch site. This walk can be combined with the Nestucca Spit Loop Hike for a longer day. You can also begin the beach hike at the vast and popular Cape Kiwanda Trailhead, but starting at the Pacific Avenue Trailhead gives access to a stretch of beach where no vehicles are permitted.