Kayaking and Hiking Adventures

  Season 6. Hike #1 (First Day Hike) - Luckiamute State Natural Area Starting Location:  North Trailhead (Trail Map) Point of Interest :  wildlife habitat, hiking Distance : 2 mile loop (4 with campground trail) Difficulty : Easy. Flat, a bit muddy after rains, but passable Bathrooms:  Permanent bathroom at South end, porta potty at North Trailhead Parking : small lots EV Chargers :  No This was our 3rd First Day Hike, and while looking at the long list of available First Day Hikes, we saw this one that was pretty close to where we live, and we had never heard of it before. We ended up getting there early, which was good, since there are 3 driveways marked as part of the state park, and we came from the South, so the 3rd time was the charm. Don't go to the middle driveway...that's the ranger offices. The North and South Nature Areas are separated by private land, for now, so there's no trail from one to the other. We had 2 rangers with us for this hi...

 Depoe Bay First Day Hike to Boiler Bay We decided to start off the new year, literally, with a First Day Hike, a special program from Oregon State Parks  Starting Location: Depoe Bay Whale Center Point of Interest : Boiler Bay, possible whale watching? Length of hike: 4 mile round trip Level: Easy The weather was gorgeous, if a bit on the chilly side. But January at the Oregon Coast? We'll take it. We gathered at the Depoe Bay whale watching station in the middle of town, and 2 rangers led us on a hike to Boiler Bay. We met up with some friends from Dallas who were interesting in hiking together once a month, and this seemed like a fun way to get started. We also had some family join us from Albany. Oregon State Parks has several First Day Hikes available on New Years Day. We chose this one.  The hike was 3 miles round trip, and on a sidewalk most of the way. Still, there was a great turnout for the event. We got some weird look from drivers passing us on Hwy 101, but...