Overview
Hike through a unique dunescape, sculpted by the wind, on your way to the Pacific. The Oregon Coast Dunes National Recreation area is a place like no other—with a feeling of vastness, like the ocean itself. The John Dellenback trail is a favorite for hikers, as no motor vehicles are allowed in the vicinity. Forests, sand, and sea—enjoy the beauty and solitude this trail has to offer.
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Distance: 5 miles
- Terrane: 300 feet elevation gain
- Open: Anytime.
- Trailhead: John Dellenback Dunes Trailhead (43.584311, -124.185018)
- Contact: Siuslaw National Forest Service. Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area Visitor Center.
Highlights
Unique dune landscape; beach access; solitude/no vehicles; wildlife tracking.
Need to Know
Northwest Forest Pass or equivalent required at the trailhead. There is plenty of parking, and vault toilets available. No bikes are allowed on the trail. March 15-September 15 is western snowy plover nesting season. Trail users must remain on the trail and walk close to the water’s edge while on the beach during nesting season. No dogs are allowed during this time as well.
Hike Description
Forest Walk
A placard marks the start of the hike at the far north corner of the parking lot. From here, follow the trail across sandy-bottomed Eel creek on a wooden planked bridge and enter a forest of Shore pine (Pinus contorta) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii).
Once an open sand dune itself, the forest is now thick with trees and shrubs that reach overhead. Showy, pink-flowered Pacific rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum), thicket-forming salal (Gaulthoria shallon), and edible evergreen huckleberries (Vaccinium ovatum) proliferate here, as well as red-barked Columbia manzanita (Arctostaphylos columbiana).
Ignore a turn-off to the left, following a small wooden trail marker right. Pass a wooden bench that looks out on a small pond.  Cross the campground road and re-enter the forest. A few lone madrones twist upwards amongst the conifers—red bark ablaze.
Dunes
Shortly, the path leaves the forest, spilling out onto open dunes. Mouth agape, begin heading west toward the ocean following a set of spaced-out wooden trail markers with a blue stripe near the top.
Here is where the fun begins! You can follow the marked route exactly or choose your own path through this surreal landscape. Sand shifts underfoot as you walk. Human and animal prints trail across the ground, impressions of the past.
To the left of the markers, a large oblique dune parallels the path. Oblique dunes are the largest dune type and can reach heights of 180 feet and lengths of up to a mile. Formed by the northwest winds of the summer and southwest winds of winter, these massive piles of sand are slanted and constantly shifting. Climb up the dune’s steep rippled side for a better view of the expansive sandscape.
Continuing west, notice a tree island to the left of the large dune and a low vegetated area to the right. Tree islands are remnants of past coastal forest that has since been buried beneath the sand.
Eventually, the sandy undulations head downhill toward a tree line in the distance. Mounds of sand with dune grasses—called hummocks—appear. Small water-filled depressions hide between the mounds, likely the result of a rising water table. Look for small plants like seashore lupine, beach strawberry, and dune tansy growing in the sand.
Deflation Plain
Upon reaching a forest of shore pine, the trail takes a sharp turn to the right following the edge of the woods. Songbirds flit from branch to branch in this transition zone.
Again, the trail turns sharply, this time taking a left and diving into the forested deflation plain—a low wind stripped area full of wet sand and thick with vegetation. The area is swampy enough that a boardwalk covers a portion of the trail but be prepared to get your feet wet. Large puddles block the path frequently during the wet season.
Moss and lichen inhabit the sandy environment, and red bearberry or kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) grow in low dense patches—redberries stand out brightly against the narrow evergreen leaves. Shore pine trees crowd overhead, along with mossy Oregon myrtle trees in the swampy forest. Evergreen huckleberry, salal, and rhododendron reoccur here as well.
Foredune to Beach
Eventually, the trail opens to a grassy foredune with occasional shrubs. Much of the grass that makes up the foredune is European marram grass (Ammophila arenaria)—brought to the coast intentionally to stabilize the otherwise dynamic environment. Fast-growing European marram grass has spread through much of Oregon’s central and south coast via a network of roots and rhizomes.
Dropdown off the grassy mounds of sand near a bright yellow sign marked 121—placed there for emergency responders, but also a handy way to remember the route back. Walk the beach for a while or simply enjoy the sound and sights of the rolling ocean waves before returning the way you came.
Optional:
After crossing the dunes on the way back, look for a small sandy trail that leads off to the right where you enter the forest. Follow this trail to hike the remainder of a small loop that will take you back to your car.