Messages

1

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Pacific Coast, Section 2, Map 15 Cape Lookout State Park extended closure

« on: December 19, 2024, 12:45:04 pm »

Cape Lookout State Park will be closed from June 1, 2025 until June 2026 for renovations. (Note that Nehalem Bay State Park is also closed from November 1, 2024 until June 30, 2025.)

https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=134

2

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Pacific Coast, Section 2, Map 15 Nehalem Bay State Park extended closure

« on: November 06, 2024, 03:04:55 pm »

The Nehalem Bay State Park will be closed from 1 Nov 2024 until 30 June 2025 for infrastructure updates. No hiker/biker or other camping is available. See the "Construction advisory" on the park website.

https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=142

There are some camping sites available in the area. See the park provided list at

https://bit.ly/m/NehalemBayAlternateAcommodations

There are also a couple of intermittent WarmShowers hosts in the area.

-John

3

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: Pacific Coast Section 2, Netarts, Three Capes Scenic Route, Cape Meares

« on: March 21, 2024, 04:40:56 pm »

Yes, those signs were removed when the new portion opened in Nov2023. They were there since portions of the old road were used for construction vehicle access.

The water tower is just north of the north entrance, on the west side of Bayshore Rd. It is visible on GMaps satellite view.

Yes, it is easy to walk a loaded touring bike around the closed gates.

I contacted the director of Tillamook County roads about signage for the gated-off section and he said, "The old road is an active slide zone and is officially closed.  We don't endorse using the old road (as signs would imply), but we are not forbidding its use."

In a somewhat separate matter, he also happened to mention that Bayocean Rd NW (which connects to Bayshore Rd) will be closed for a month sometime during the summer for a bridge repair. That is a bummer since their vehicle detour will direct folks to Hwy 131 which is awful for biking (high speed, curvy, narrow, no shoulder). I would recommend that cyclists use Elkhoff Rd to bypass the most awful section of Hwy 131. That detour can be seen on

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44349299

-John

4

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: Pacific Coast Section 2, Netarts, Three Capes Scenic Route, Cape Meares

« on: March 19, 2024, 07:50:11 pm »

Ah, I rechecked my RWGPS and found that I had put the south entrance at the wrong location. Sorry about that. I fixed that POI. The south entrance (closed gate) to the old road is at the turn-off into the Cape Meares Lighthouse. The north entrance (closed gates) to the old road is where I've indicated with POIs.

Sadly, the only signage is "No Hunting" on the south and north gates. There are at least two signed hiking trails within the closed portion but there is no indication from outside the gates. The trails are on some maps but are otherwise local knowledge. If you know that you're looking for an old gated road on the right beyond the water tower, it is pretty obvious.

It's a pretty confusing area map-wise. Sometimes the road is referred to as Bayshore Rd and sometimes as Cape Meares Loop. (And there are still some small detour signs indicating the road is closed.) I'll check with the county road folks to see if there are any plans to sign the old road and clean up the detour signage.

-John

5

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: Pacific Coast Section 2, Netarts, Three Capes Scenic Route, Cape Meares

« on: March 19, 2024, 01:39:43 pm »

Hello Amy. Here's a RWGPS route that includes POI marking the north entrances to the old road, the landslide area, and the south entrance. You can see the new road adjacent. The old road is open for hiking and there are no restriction signs. Here's an image of the landslide area. It has been filled in with a section of rideable/walkable gravel about 50 yards wide. The rest of the old road is old asphalt paving with several years worth of forest debris. It should be rideable for most loaded touring bikes.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44326655

Cheers! If you need more info, let me know. I'm down that way frequently.
-John
Manzanita, OR

6

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Pacific Coast Section 2, Netarts, Three Capes Scenic Route, Cape Meares

« on: March 18, 2024, 04:04:49 pm »

After a long closure of the Three Capes route between Cape Meares and Oceanside due to a landslide, the new re-routed road (called Cape Meares Loop on GMaps) is open. The new road is nicely paved but has 12% grades. The good news is that the old road (now called Bayshore Dr on GMaps) is also open but for bikes/peds only. The landslide is still there but it is easily passable by bike. The old road is not signed but is accessible via the 2nd yellow gate beyond the water tower. I would recommend the old road since it is car-free, less steep and is more direct to visit the Cape Meares lighthouse.
-John
Manzanita WarmShowers