The majesty of the Oregon coastline unfolds around every bend along the 362 mile long distance Oregon Coast Trail, also known as the OCT. Hikers cross sandy beaches, meander through forest-shaded corridors, traverse majestic headlands and pass through 28 coastal towns.

The OCT follows the coast of Oregon from the mouth of the Columbia River to the south of Brookings at the California state line. The official coastal guide gives a total length of 382 miles with about 39 percent of the trail on the beach, 41 percent on paved roads and 20 percent on trail or dirt roads. Private ferries can be arranged to shortcut some of the road walking.

One of the greatest features of the OCT are the public beaches, which were created in 1967 by the Oregon Beach Bill formalizing the public nature of the coastal beaches. Another features is that the Oregon coast is bordered by a temperate rain forest, much of which is now second or third growth.

The difficulty of the OCT ranges from easy to moderate with elevation changes of up to a few hundred feet.

More than half of the trail is on the beach, some segments wind through state parks or public lands. There are even landowners who provide trail easements for portions of the trail that is on private property. About 10 percent of the trail is on the shoulders of U.S. 101, county roads and city streets.

The trail was envisioned in 1959 by Samuel N. Dicken, a University of Oregon geography professor, approved in 1971 by the Oregon Recreation Trails Advisory Council and developed and managed by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department as part of the state park system of Oregon.