Hike: Blacklock Point - Friends of the Umpqua Hiking Club

January 7, 2023
Blacklock Point is one of the most beautiful spots on the Oregon coast, and hardly anyone knows about it. This rugged headland, just north of Cape Blanco, is one of the wildest spots on the coast. Although traffic on Hwy 101 whizzes by just a few miles away, few travelers make the effort to find this lesser-known gem on Oregon’s south coast.
To make this a worthy hike, we approached Blacklock Point from Floras Lake along the Oregon Coast Trail. Prior to reaching the Point, we made several off-trail excursions, each one rewarding us with fantastic ocean views atop sandstone cliffs. These didn’t come easy however, as hikers had to leap swollen creeks and scramble through thick brush to reach lofty precipices that few people ever venture to.
The trail passes through thick coastal forest, affording occasional glimpses of the mighty Pacific Ocean. There are many intersections and different ways to navigate these trails, so it’s highly recommended to hike with someone who is familiar with this area.
Rounding the corner to Blacklock Point, the scenery opens up, grabs you, and doesn’t let go: Before you lies Blacklock Point's dark crumbling promontory, which juts out to a series of rocks and stacks, the most impressive being Tower Rock. Views extend to the large sea stacks of Castle Rock and Gull Rock, as well as the Sixes River Mouth and Cape Blanco, Oregon’s westernmost point. Brave hikers teetered along a sketchy trail that leads along the spine of Blacklock Point to obtain incredible views in all directions.
After a well-deserved lunch, we returned the way we came, this time diverting off the main trail we came in on so we could get some sand beneath our boots. The beach just south of Floras Lake offers views of more golden sandstone cliffs, only this time we were below them, peering up in awe. After a mile or so of beach-walking, we headed inland and back to the parking lot at Floras Lake. We were feeling somewhat fortunate, as we had just journeyed through nearly 10 miles of coastal beauty that very few experience.