The increasingly popular 400-mile-long Oregon Coast Trail relies on a combination of public beaches, forest trails, water taxis, and backroads to take hikers from the Columbia River to the California border. Seaside cliffs and stretches of private land still require hikers to walk along the shoulder of US 101 in several stretches. But recent improvements in bus service along the coast now provide hikers with a safer alternative at every significant highway shoulder section while minimizing hikers’ miles off the trail’s beaches and footpaths.
A network of six transit agencies has long provided uninterrupted service along the Oregon Coast, but using only official bus stops would take hikers off the trail for long distances, making bus use less attractive to hikers. Transit officials have recently expanded their use of unofficial but safety-vetted flagstops for hikers along the entire OCT route. Among those sections most beneficial to hikers:
- From the trailhead at the south side of Cascade Head to hikers’ return to the beach at the north end of Lincoln City, eliminating 4 miles of highway shoulder walking.
- From the north end of the tunnel at Heceta Head to hikers’ return to the beach north of Florence, allowing hikers to bypass a tunnel with no sidewalk a particularly dangerous highway section.
- From Humbug Mountain State Park to Ophir, the longest continuous highway stretch on the OCT.
Using the bus requires planning, as some routes run infrequently. Be prepared to pay bus fare in cash (typically $2.50 or less).
Approved OCT flagstops can be found here.