Marsh Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Views

There are restrooms at the Pacific City County Boat Launch and at the Bob Straub SP day use parking area. No camping, as Bob Straub is a day use only state park.

Difficult footing due to deep shifting sand.

This trail begins at the Pacific City County Boat Launch, as it is primarily an Equestrian trail and this is where horse trails can unload and park. There is a smaller connector trailhead at the Bob Straub Day Use parking area.

The trail surface is almost entirely deep, dry sand. The horse and camel use (there's a camel riding rental place in Pacific City) have beaten the trail down below the surface of the shrub and grass vegetation and created a deep sandy trough to run in.

Prepare to have very tired ankles, feet, and calves after a few miles of running on this deep sand. In some places there is a foot path next to the deeper horse trail, but in many places the vegetation is too thick to permit running next to the trail. Watch out for horse and camel droppings as you run.

The views from this trail are wide open and delightful. The trail meanders next to the ocean dune, which keeps you out of the wind on a gusty day. To the east you can see the marsh and estuary of Nestucca Bay, as well as the hillside across the bay that is the Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

This is a great trail for bird watching and breathing in some fresh salt air. The trail has several beach access trails that cross the dune and it is part of a great loop opportunity that will take you across the sand spit and into the forest and marsh areas.

Scottish gorse, shorebirds