Cape Lookout State Park in Oregon, USA - map, photos and visitor information

Research checked: 2026-11-05. Check linked official notices before travel.

Cape Lookout State Park near Tillamook, Oregon, offers two hikes from the Cape Trailhead during construction. Start there for the forest walk to the headland tip or for the South Trail. The campground and main day-use area are closed.

Ocean views from the headland

The Cape Trail makes a roughly 5-mile round trip through spruce and hemlock. Breaks between the trees give you views along the coast before you reach the tip.

Know before you go

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

Cliffs and trail footing

Expect mud and rock on parts of the Cape Trail. Coastal cliffs can erode and rocks can be slippery. See Oregon State Parks coastal safety advice for conditions to watch for.

Stay on the open route

Keep to marked paths and stay behind barriers. Use the North Trail spur at the closure if it fits your route. Do not continue toward the campground on the closed section.

Find the Cape Trailhead

The park sits on the Three Capes Scenic Route near Netarts Bay. Use the lot on Cape Lookout Road marked on the state trail map. The map also shows the campground. Use the construction notice to tell which connections are open.

Nearby parks

• Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint. Follow the Three Capes route north for the lighthouse grounds.
• Sitka Sedge State Natural Area. South of Cape Lookout, trails start at the parking area by Sand Lake Estuary. If you travel between the McPhillips Beach and Tierra Del Mar access points on Sandlake Road, allow for the signal-controlled one-lane stretch.

Choose a trail from the open lot

For the headland viewpoint, hike the Cape Trail to the tip and retrace your steps. The South Trail follows the Oregon Coast Trail for 1.7 miles south of the trailhead. Allow time for the return if you plan to come back to the same lot.

Parking and facilities during construction

Use the open Cape Trailhead lot and plan your stop around the hike. The state construction project covers the main day-use lot, campground utilities and work on the barrier that protects the campground from the ocean.

About Cape Lookout

A land gift and a wartime memorial

The U.S. Lighthouse Service donated land on the cape in 1935, the first acquisition for the park. A plaque along the Cape Trail remembers the crew of a B-17 that struck the headland during a coastal patrol in 1943.

Coastal forest and whale watching

The trail guide points to the cape tip for whale watching and highlights designated whale watch weeks in December and March. Bring binoculars if your hike takes you to the viewpoint.

Contact Oregon State Parks

Call 503-842-4981 or use the Cape Lookout State Park profile for the current advisory.