I’ve discovered there are good places to set up a hammock on a warm and sunny day, and then there are great places to hang up your hammock and bask in the sun and let the wind keep you cool. There are places in every town that you can just find 2 trees and set up a hammock with a pretty view. I live in Corvallis, so I can go to Bald Hill or Fitton Green, find a nice setting, and look for the 2 best trees I want to hang at. If I have a full day to dedicate to it, though, I want to find the perfect hammock spot.
In Oregon you have many, many options for great spots. You can find the nearest point or mount and get a view of valleys, lakes, rows of trees that seem to go on forever and sway in the wind like soldiers moving in formation. Or you can drive to the coast, and the majority of the population in Oregon lives within 60 minutes of the coast – so no excuse!
Yesterday I drove to Newport and went south on the 101 and went in search of a great spot to set up. I’ve learned a lot of the coast is a huge beach area, so there’s not a lot of clearing to get through the trees to set up and also have a view. There are also a lot of houses getting built along the coast which is taking away more and more of the view for the people that are driving along the highway. I have dueling opinions about that, but that’s a story for another time. This story is about me (oh, and my dog!) finding the perfect spot to hangout.
At some point along the Lost Creek State Rec site I grabbed my dog, my camera, and my pack, and crawled into some troll hole on the side of the road looking for some trees I can take a break with and enjoy the company of.
The Pacific Ocean is just on the other side of the trees there and you can hear her roar with the intensity of a pissed off mother. The smell of blooms in the air mixed with a lingering hint of fish, while the wind danced around me like awkward teenagers who don’t know how to catch the rhythm quite right.
I stayed here for about 20 minutes before I decided this spot wasn’t going to cut it. As with everything in my life, I wanted more. So I packed everything up and headed further south until I reached Seal Rock. I was genuinely curious about the view before I found a spot up on the hill just above the shore. I hiked back up and walked along the vacant trail that lead to this amazing setup.
I was content with this location. I chose not to leave for another half hour. I enjoyed the sun shining on me, as there has not been much sun to go around this year. This has been my favorite spot for my hammock so far. Go to Seal Rock, take the path to the left of the observation deck, and walk to the end. If you know of a better place, then please let me know as I will be happy to make a Best Of series. Click here to send me an e-mail!
Unhidden America 