Cape Falcon Trail to Small Sand Beach
- Tina McLain
- May 26
- 3 min read
A hike to Small Sand Beach from the Cape Falcon Trailhead in Oswald West State Park.
Access: Trail
Distance: 1.56 miles (round trip)
Elevation Range: 67' to 241'
Ascent/Descent: +222 ft/-221 ft
Route: In and out
Trails: Cape Falcon Trail &
Outing Type: Day hike
Permits/Fees: None
Notes: This route could be made into a loop if wanted by taking Small Sand Beach Trail on the way back.
Location: Near Cape Falcon in Oswald West State Park, Oregon, U.S.A.
Administration: Oswald West State Park
Date Accessed: February 28, 2025
I was looking for a hike I could do that wasn't on the beach since it was near high tide. I found the Cape Falcon Trail and decided to give it a go, since I could have a view of a beach even if I wasn't able to walk on it.
I parked at the Cape Falcon Trailhead which was partially filled with cars. Since it was a Friday and sunny I'm assuming that's why there were so many people during the winter. Mid-week on a drizzly day usually means there's far less people out on the trails along the coast.
The trailhead was well marked and easy to find. The trail initially started slowly ascending uphill at a pretty gradual incline. It eventually evened out and then slowly started descending. The trail had lots of exposed roots along the entire length, but mud was nominal the day I did this hike. There was one downed tree that was a beast to get over. It required me bear to hug it and shimmy myself over it, since there was a large hole on one side due to the roots. There was some erosion along the side of the trail, but nothing that inhibited travel. There was some gravel and concrete in portions of the trail, but it was pretty nominal and broken up. It felt more like natural ground most of the trail.
The forest was very beautiful, the greenery and underbrush really popped. There was road noise from the highway for the first part of the trail, then the roaring of the ocean near the last part. There was one section near the start where I was able to see Short Sand Creek way down below.
The Cape Falcon Trail eventually came to a T. I went left (south) and hiked the Kramer Memorial Trail which connected down to the picnic area above Short Sand Beach. The Kramer Memorial had a plaque and bench with a view of the ocean down below through the trees. Kramer Memorial Trail descended rapidly with one switchback.
The tide was in and there was basically no sandy beach so I found a spot in the picnic area with a view of the ocean to sit and eat a snack. It was pretty foggy initially which reduced visibility significantly. I could barely see the ocean. The fog lifted enough while I was there that I was able to see out to the surf break. It was a pretty beach and there was lots of people around for a winter day. It appeared the large majority of people came in via the Short Sand Beach Trail from the parking area further south along highway 101. Since there seemed to be a lot more people on that trail, I decided to just go back the way I came via the Cape Falcon Trail instead of making my route a loop.
I actually enjoyed hiking in the woods alone along this trail. It was really pleasant to meander on and the people I came across were friendly.
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Note: Ascent/descent is inaccurate in gpx due to having to alter elevation information within file to get correct elevation range.
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