Filling gaps in the Oregon Coast Trail

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By Brie Thiele, KCBY News

Story Published: Aug 27, 2010 at 2:21 PM PST

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department wants your input to help fill Oregon Coast Trail gaps.
So to do just that, the department held a series of public strategy meetings to get input from the people who know it best.

The trail is 382 miles long and runs along the entire Oregon Coast, starting in Astoria and ending at the California border.
Along that trail are 33 gaps, which requires hikers to walk along highways and roadways as opposed to forests or on beaches.

Rocky Houston, the state trails coordinator, says many people don't even realize they're on the Oregon coast trail.

Houston says, "it's a 30-day hike if you hike the whole thing, but we get millions of of users who are hiking the beach, hiking sections of trail in the state parks, and the forest service, and the BLM parks and county parks along the way and just don't even know it. It's there and they're not even aware of it."

Wednesday's meeting was held at the North Bend Public Library from 6 to 8 PM.
Residents showed up to give their opinions of where the trail should wind through the South Coast.

Houston says, "this whole process has been driven by stakeholders and so we've finally opened it up to everyone to insure and make sure we've been hearing everything right and hopefully energize local community's about the Oregon Coast Trail."

Next, Houston says, the Department will edit all the public feedback into a final draft and present it to the Oregon State Parks Commission, which will hear it in November.

If you missed the series of meetings, you can email your input to Rocky Houston at rocky.houston@state.or.us.

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