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If you’re looking for a multi-day backpacking trip with some breathtaking views, incredible wildlife watching, and seclusion from the modern world, you won’t want to miss the Corvallis-to-the-Sea Trail. Just like the name says, this route takes hikers on an epic 60-mile journey from the city of Corvallis, Oregon, to the coast. Along the way, hikers will experience the best of the Pacific Northwest, with everything from cityscapes and farmland to wildflower meadows, mountainsides, and verdant, misty pine forests. Maybe best of all, the trail ends with the sound of waves crashing onto Ona Beach, where the land meets the Pacific.
While the sights you’ll see on the Corvallis-to-the-Sea Trail (affectionately known as the C2C) have obviously been there for a very, very long time, and people have been campaigning to bring this trail to life since the 70s, it was only completed in 2021. Hikers who have explored the trail are reporting that its wilderness portions are incredible, reaching the ocean is enormously rewarding, and the experience of making this trek can be brutal at times. If you’re dreaming of one day taking on intensive thru-hikes like The Vermont Long Trail, America’s Oldest long-distance hiking route, or the beautiful but deadly Pacific Crest Trail, but aren’t quite ready to take the plunge, this three- to six-day trek might be your next adventure.
What is it like to hike the Corvallis-to-the-Sea Trail?
Unfortunately, this trail includes some highway and gravel roads along the way, but if you want to be alone in the wild, don’t let that fact put you off. There are still plenty of areas here where your only companions will be trees, babbling brooks, and wild animals — plus, any hikers you meet on the way. This route takes you through the beautiful Big Elk Valley, where you will certainly see people’s homes but also soaring red-tailed hawks. You might hear the sound of cars, but you’ll also hear the creek rushing and the knocking of woodpeckers hunting for food in the trees…