Arch Rock Hike (Oregon Coast Trail)

Once again, and to our delight, we found ourselves hiking along the Oregon Coast Trail (OCT), this time on a stretch of Highway 101 between Gold Beach and Brookings. This particular hike centered around Arch Rock, obviously named for its distinctive shape, and identifiable the minute you lay eyes on it. But Arch Rock is just one of many impressive rock formations along this stretch of the OCT, including Natural Bridges and countless other unnamed rock sentinels rising from the sea that don't seem to warrant their own notoriety. Our hike started form a parking lot trailhead and wound in and out of old-growth forests, taking us to cliff-side views of the coast, and at times right along the edge of Highway 101. Along the trail we were treated to many varieties of wildflowers and mushrooms, along with the ever present fern that blankets the forest floor. We packed along a picnic and when it was time to break for lunch, we were lucky enough to find ourselves at Secret Beach at low tide…but that's the subject of my next post.