3 Reasons Neahkahnie Mountain is an Epic Family Friendly Hike
Guest Post by Annika B.
If you haven’t already noticed, Manzanita, Oregon is a gorgeous and popular beach town.
The view of Manzanita from the top of Neahkahnie Mountain is absolutely breath taking.
Majestic Neahkahnie mountain can be viewed from pretty much anywhere in Manzanita. It is even more fantastic at the sunset Manzanita offers overlooked by the Mountain.
But the very best view is from the Neahkahnie Mountain hike. It is a must if you and your family are traveling to Manzanita.
Here are three amazing ways to hike Neahkahnie with all different abilities of family hikers:
The first hike is the Neahkahnie Mountain hike - south route
This is a terrific hike for those that enjoy an easier hike or those hiking with young kids.
At only 3.0 miles and 840' in elevation, this Neahkahnie hike is simply an enjoyable walk for all hiking abilities. I have been doing this Neahkahnie Mountain hike since I was young child. It is friendly for almost all ages and is great if you want a pleasant relatively short trip to a gorgeous viewpoint at the top.
This Neahkahnie mountain hike can even done with the family dog; just remember to keep them on a leash as stipulated by the park.
One thing we like to do on this particular Neahkahnie mountain hike is to make it into a family picnic. It isn’t hard at all to take some sandwiches or light snacks up to the top to enjoy at the viewpoint.
Or this hike makes for marvelous sunset getaways. Hike Neahkahnie mountain before the sun sets and watch the spectacular sunset Manzanita style.
Overall, this Neahkahnie Mountain hike is perfect for a families and of all ages and hiking levels.
The second hike is the north Neahkahnie Mountain hike
This hike is a little bit longer than the south hike, at 5.0 miles and 14,50' of elevation. I would consider this hike to be moderate on the scale of possible hike options.
It is definitely still family friendly, but this may be for the slightly more experienced family hikers. Just like the south Neahkahnie hike, I have done this Neahkahnie Mountain hike countless times from a very young age. I would consider a partial day hike.
An idea to make this trip even more fun and engaging if the kiddos are starting to get a little slow or distracted is to see what kinds of local birds and wildlife the family can find. The scenery all the way up Neahkahnie Mountain is beautiful, but trying to look for wildlife can make the hike even more interesting.
My family and I have found all different kinds of birds that you can’t always find on Neahkahnie beach, and other incredible local wildlife, including the Roosevelt elk that roam this coastal range.
The third and final hike is the Neahkahnie Mountain loop hike
This hike is the most difficult out of the three Neahkahnie hike options. At 8.0 miles and 2,300' of elevation this is the most adventurous.
While some websites state this hike isn’t family friendly, I believe that it depends on the family. I do agree that this hike might not be for a family of first time hikers, but this Neahkahnie loope hike is easily doable for a family who enjoys hiking.
I hiked this trail option at a fairly young age and didn’t even realize the length of the hike. When you’re with family who enjoys outdoor fun, the loop hike seems more like an challenging walk rather than an 8.0 mile hike.
My family even brought our dogs on this hike and they absolutely loved it. Again, be sure when bringing the family pet on your Neahkahnie Mountain hike to have your dog on leash as regulated by the Parks department.
While this hike is personally my favorite Neahkahnie hike route, I would recommend leaving the whole day open to do accomplish this hike. The whole family can even enjoy the evening on Neahkahnie Beach after a beautiful hike up Neahkahnie Mountain.
Besides Nehakhnie Mountain hiking, there's lots to do around Manzanita.
Enjoy family friendly activities in the Manzanita Beach area.
Check out these family friendly Manzanita restaurants.
Oswald West State Park shouldn't be missed when visiting our area.
Your whole family will love Railrider Cycling.
Enjoy your fun day experiencing a Neahkahnie Mountain hike ~
Thanks for stopping by our blog to learn about the wonderful things to do in Oregon!
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