Saint Perpetua Trail

A moderate round trip which includes a 700 foot elevation gain. A beautiful hike which takes you through spruce woods carpeted with beautiful wild flowers and delivers you to a place where you are treated to 150 miles north-to-south panoramas of the awe inspiring Oregon Coast. This hike takes place at Cape Perpetua on the St Perpetua Trail behind the visitor center. Start out going down a beautiful trail which offers lush green flora. After a short walk down the trail there is a fork in the trail and you need to follow the St. Perpetua Trail which has you cross over Cape Creek and two paved roads. The first paved road takes you out to the camping area and the second paved road will have road traffic so be aware when crossing. After you cross the two roads you come to the St Perpetua/Whispering Spruce Trail which takes you up a set of switch backs, there are about 11 of them and it is a straight up hike - moderate to difficult- the hike gains 700 feet in elevation. You will be rewarded with wildflower meadows of beautiful Blue camas, red Indian paintbrush and lupine blowing in the wind. On a and clear day when you reach the top you will be treated to a fabulous view at 803 ft - 150 miles of north-to-south coastal panoramas - the beautiful Oregon Coast. Once at the top take the Trail of the Whispering Spruce and you will find the grounds of a former World War II Coast Guard lookout that was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1933. From the lookout you will be treated to a view of Cape Foulweather to the north and to the south Cape Blanco. The trail out to the lookout loops back around to the return trail. The walk back to the visitor center is all down hill. While this is a difficult trail on the way up it is well worth the trek, don't give up!