Bayocean Peninsula is a 7.5 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Tillamook, Oregon that offers the chance to see wildlife and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
kid friendly
fishing
hiking
horseback riding
nature trips
walking
bird watching
running
beach
forest
views
wildlife
off trail
This hike on Tillamook Spit can take you all day - but you'll see lots of different habitat while you're there. Starting off at the parking lot, you'll pass through bulrush tidal flats. The bulrushes and other plants that grow here are incredibly productive, able to hold together a loose, sandy sediment with masses of roots. Look offshore in the bay for crab boats and other fishermen. As you head out onto the end of the spit, the scenery changes from the tidal flats and inner Tillamook Bay to a sandy, wave scoured point. Indeed, the jetty at the end of the spit keeps the sand from closing off the shipping channel during large storms. Heading back on the ocean side of the spit, you'll see the typical flat Pacific Northwest beach, able to take the huge waves of winter. Finally, after cutting back across the dunes to the road, you'll come back on the high side of the dike and find a freshwater pond, Cape Meares Lake. The area surrounding this pond is frequented by elk coming down from the hills to feast on tidal flat grasses.
I really like this flat gravel road for walking.
Jimmy B.
Beautiful walk in the fog.
Troy Quillin recorded Recording - Oct 13, 11:04 AM
easy hike, ocean view is excellent, bay side is just a nice stroll through the woods.
Megan Bickel recorded Recording - Sep 28, 07:24 PM
Late September, started almost 2pm. made it all the way to the end of the peninsula which was a great feeling! This was a pretty good hike for trying to walk farther with flat ground. the bay side is pretty for a bit then its just a whole bunch of dune brush and gravel walkway, so unfortunately, going by myself it was a bit boring. the bay side is longer than the beach side. everyone talked about how it was cold so I saved the beach side for the last bit which was a good choice because of the afternoon sun except for the fact that the trail that AllTrails has marked for going back to the parking lot from the beach is not well marked at all its just a bunch of trampled and cut brush. I think if you go all the way to the last trailhead it would have been better, that leads you straight to the parking lot i think. So my advice: make sure to bring interchangeable warm clothes because its hotter on the bay side, lunch or snacks for it youre going all the way around, rain gear as it drizzled heavy several times, and something to listen to offline or bring a friend!
Elizabeth Plata recorded Bayocean Peninsula
Such a pretty hike.!Greenery, sandy, sunny, waves, nice people on their hike. Just awesome.
Beautiful walk, on a dirt road along the bay with gorgeous views of the water and coastal range. Then around the tip of the peninsula on a sandy trail, finally to a spectacular and empty stretch of beach. Drift wood, sea grass, views of Caoe Meares, it was all just amazing. And my Portuguese water dog was in heaven. Terrain is flat and hike can be shortened as there are paths across the peninsula along the way.
Manda Draper recorded Bayocean Peninsula
Absolutely gorgeous trail, so much diverse scenery from wetland, to forest, to ocean. So much beauty that my time was extremely slow for this flat cruisey trail
Noah Esposito recorded Bayocean Peninsula
Good for biking or day trips.
I started from the parking lot and over a short dune to the beach side. The beach is wonderful. I walked about 3 miles and then crossed over another dune listed as .5 miles wide on the map to get to the bay side. The trail is like a gravel road here and crossing the dunes is loose sand. I finished at 7.5 miles but never got to the jetty on either side. According to my tracking on the map I was only about 1/2 way when I decided to cross the dune to get headed back. I’m a little confused on how they get 7.5 miles for the entire loop. It’s a nice walk though.
Cool dirt/gravel path along the bay. If you’re running it, you’ll prob make it to 3.25 out and then have to turn around. If you run down the gravel road taking you to the parking lot, it will add 2 miles. Did 2 8.5 or so mile runs on this trail in 2 consecutive days. Very nice, very flat
well worth it. we did the whole loop, but I forgot to hit record for the first day. hiked out, camped, and hiked back. good backpacking! bring warm clothes.
we’ve done this tons of times with all the dogs! great if you want to head to the coast, but not in the mood for an elevation gain hike. I suggest doing the loop that takes you bayside and then finish the loop at the beach!
didn't do the whole trail
Sara Hendrickson recorded Bayocean Peninsula
Nice, quiet, peaceful trail. There were more people on the bay side than the ocean side. The beach was pretty empty.
A beautiful hike though the Bay side path is a bit rocky which was hard on the dog. However, we were treated to a pair of eagles hunting smaller birds at low tide and a large hawk trying to take away their catch.
I hiked this with my husband and my three-year-old dog in August. It was an easy hike, and flat. We chose to start the loop on the bay side. The first 3.5 miles along the bay were on a gravel road. In hot weather this would be difficult for dogs. About the last mile of the gravel road our dog was seeking shade. The rocks were also a little sharp for her paws. She managed. The bay side of the walk was comfortably warm. The ocean side was windy and we used our sweatshirts and wind breakers. The last 4 miles were on the beach and most of the time we were the only ones on the beach. Toward the end we saw a few people. It was beautiful and I would recommend this hike. I’d say it’s more like a long walk (8 miles for us). Bring a lunch and rest on the beach for a bit!
Michael M.
This is a nice easy trail to bike on with the family. About half the trail is packed but the second half is sandy beach. We returned the same way we came up to the point. Not a lot of folks on the trail.
Nice trail on beach without lots of people.
Mom and I did this loop hike for the first time in 2011. It was very enjoyable and not difficult at all due to no elevation change. It was perfect weather for us. The scenery on each side of the "spit" is varied and beautiful. The bay is to the east and the ocean to the west. We saw some crabbers doing their business in the shallow bay, and there were pelicans in flight.
Excellent trail but watch out for sunburn!
Great mix of scenery along the bayside and finishing on the beach side. Dogs loved it :)
Wonderful day hike with beautiful views. Recommend starting on east side of the trail and ending the hike on the beach side.
We hiked this day before yesterday. The weather was perfect for it. I had never heard of this place before and it really was a great combination of scenery for one hike. We started on the ocean and walked all the way up to the jetty. Google maps makes it look like there is a road that goes out onto the jetty which we had planned on walking out on, but there isn't a road there and we didn't feel like navigating the rocks. Then we continued back walking alongside the bay. The road is very rocky which isn't as pleasant on the feet after the nice beach walk but the view was really nice. If we do it again, I think I would go in the reverse order and start off along the bay and finish with the beach portion. We had our 7 year old with us and he did great, not getting very tired until the last mile or so.
We found this on a day in February with amazing weather. We did the whole thing and it took the afternoon. Bring a snack and enjoy the ocean, the rocks, and the bay.
Very fun area to explore! On one side you have the beach and Ocean, in the middle steep hills, thick with trees, and on the other Tillamoook bay with trails all around the spit. Great spot to have some fun for the day!
First time here. The day was cloudy, dark & misty and we loved this walk. There was the main path and several side paths that take you over the dunes to the ocean. Scenery was beautiful and we took many photos. Will definitely go again.
Linda H.
It's a wonderful trail. you can walk it, run it, hike it or just sit and enjoy the view. this is a gem of a trail. Bay view on the east side and Sandy beach on the west side. we were able to catch a herd of elk that had walked down the beach and we feasting on the grass on the hilly section. a true treat and we'll worth the time. Gorgeous views all around.
It's a fun ride and the views are awesome.
Super easy to do. We took a large group(about 15 people) of differing skills on this trek and it was a glorious way to spend a saturday.
Easy!! Slow! And beautiful!
