A note: As of 2022, I no longer use the writeup format used herein. I was too lazy to change this one to the new style. The info is all here, but it just took too much time to do each trail like this, so I shortened to the new format used in trail descriptions starting in 2022.
From 2.0 miles to 7.8 miles. There are several cutoff options to make the hike shorter. Elevation – 0 to 50 feet. Family. Multiple Loop Options. Backpackable (yes, backpackable).
Driving Directions: (GPS 45.519593, -123.947535) – https://goo.gl/maps/dqXfiC8okS62
This is a healthy, uniquely isolated and well-preserved coastal ecosystem. Salal bushes, Sitka Spruce and grassy dunes on a mostly sand and gravel trail with the Pacific Ocean to the west and Tillamook Bay on the east. A great place for a family outing.
We got drenched
This could be a very enjoyable and somewhat secluded hike. For us, we picked the 28th of December in 2017 and we got drenched by rain. You can make the hike as long or short as you want. We did the entire 7.8 miles. If we would have taken one of the cutoff trails, then we would not have got so darned soaked. The car was a wonderful site.
We started our hike by going directly to the ocean on the trail that goes west from the parking lot. You can go either direction. The shorter, cross-spit trails are easier to identify by going north on the Bayocean Dike Road, as they are marked by trail signs. Trails on the ocean side are also identified by trail signs on tall poles and an obvious string of footsteps at the trail entrance.
Trailhead Info: Bayocean Spit
Trail Map: https://caltopo.com/m/L4V1
Designations:
Per the article by Adam Sawyer 12/3/2015, in the Monthly Portland, A Guide to Hiking the Tillamook Spits: “The Bayocean Spit is an eclectic stretch of dunes, trees, and understory that is a sand-based dividing line between the Tillamook Bay and the Pacific Ocean. In the early 1900s, it was where a wide-eyed developer envisioned the “Atlantic City of the West.” Those plans were ill-fated, however, and as the spit recessed and reformed, many of the buildings that were constructed near the shore were claimed by the sea or rendered unsafe.
In 1954, the spit washed out and became an island, and in 1960, the last remaining home was destroyed. Today very little remains of the former town. Nevertheless, the spit has rewritten its geography, and if you are in the market for a surprisingly diverse, customizable coast hike that is easy on elevation gain, this is it.
A 7.8-mile loop will take you around the whole thing, but there are plenty of shorter options. Thanks to a number of marked trails that cut across the spit from the gravel road of the bay side over to the beach, you can easily extend or pull the chute on your outing rather easily based on how your contingent is feeling.
Starting up the gravel road from the parking area, enjoy the view across the bay into the towns of Tillamook and Garibaldi. The road soon enters the trees and the path winds and ascends briefly before meeting the bay again. The character of the walk changes numerous times as you pass by shore pine, spruce, and alder trees beset by salal, sword fern and Scots broom. You will walk by a handful of marked trails leading across the spit before reaching the jetty and crossing over to the beach side.
From there, you will enjoy a wide-open walk down the beach with views of Cape Meares off in the distance. The beach is often uncrowded—a reminder of why Bayocean Spit is a favorite getaway for locals.”
An excellent article and best map (that I can find) can be found at the Outdoor Project Website entitled Bayocean Peninsula. If you are doing this hike, I consider this a must-read.