According to the trail signs, the "Hiker Camp" is 4 miles. This seems about right. The GPS is saying about 3.5 miles. We'll check Google Earth w/ their "path" function and look at the GPS track
Trail was "boggy" in spots, fairly nice and well maintained in most places. In most places the trail is gorgeous! But some of the bog was long/wide slogs through soupy goop. Some of the bogs allow side tracks.
Mid Point on the trail -- I way-pointed it and here's a photo -- there's a tree down, 20 foot root ball, and getting past requires climbing UP and across several fallen trees. At one point passage requires standing on wet, slippery, downed logs, well off the ground (8 ft), straddle over limbs, and some exposure to falling between the downed trees. I wouldn't call it "dangerous," but it's not appropriate for small children (10 yr old would be fine), or the timid. It's WET, and muddy in this pitch.
The trail can get slippery! I slipped on the "plank traverse" a couple times -- wet boards. I slipped three times on muddy roots, slick clay surface. Falls, skinned a knee, fell pretty hard.
The hike in to the camp at the south end (Radar Road) went quickly. It seemed shorter than I expected. Also, the climb out of Seaside to the crest seemed less arduous -- although muddy, and boggy.
Here is the trail on Earth Google, looking south. Yellow trail is hike from Seaside to Hiker Camp. Red trail is Radar Road (trail) from Hiker Camp to Indian Beach. 3.14 miles from Seaside to Hiker camp according to GPS tracking. Radar Road is posted as 1.5 miles, but that could be "Clatsop Loop" which is longer:
Interestingly, coming back, the descent down to Seaside seemed long, muddy, endless. I was getting tired, and wanted mostly to get off the trail. The trail seems endless when tired.
I have a 1.5 quart Platypus hydration system. The 7 some mile hike and lunch used all my water. Warm, clear day. There is no water at the Hiker Camp. I think no water at either trail head (Seaside or Indian Beach). There is no trash can at the Hiker Camp -- which strikes me as entirely strange.
I'm less than impressed with the trail signage. No distance marked on the Ecola Loop. The signage and "display maps" at the Hiker Camp can be mis-leading. The continuation of the trail to Seaside is right on the signage location, but not pointed out and easy to miss.
Heading up the hill from Seaside, there are a few "side trails" and sometimes it's possible to get off the main trail. This is caused from day recreation looking at scenery or "exploring."
Like the other Tillamook Head hike last week, the aftermath has me stiff. Not sore, and I'll be fine tomorrow. But stiff, and tired.
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