Schooner Cove Trail

Schooner Cove Trail is a 1.24-mile out-and-back from the Highway 4 trailhead to Schooner Cove. It descends through young and old cedar and hemlock forest, then a Sitka spruce fringe, and ends on a broad Pacific beach. Allow about an hour for the return walk, plus time at the water. It is a good pick when you want rainforest and coast in one compact outing; the long stair flights make it more work than the mileage suggests.

A brief gravel approach gives way to wooden stairs and raised boardwalk. The path crosses small creeks on bridges and rolls through a series of shallow forest valleys, with long stair climbs between them. Near the shore, another steep stair section drops to the flatter beach boardwalk. On the way back, expect to climb the same stairs out of those valleys.

From the beach, you can glimpse Esowista, a Tla-o-qui-aht village; Tla-o-qui-aht people have lived along this shore for centuries. A rocky point beside the beach is reachable only at low tide, and the water can rise quickly. Check the tide before exploring the point and leave a safe way back. For a cove photo, include the forested headland above the wet sand rather than framing only the water.

Start at the Schooner Cove Trail parking area off Highway 4. A national park entry pass is required in the Long Beach Unit. Dogs are permitted on leash. The distance is short, but repeated wooden stair flights make this a moderate walk and a poor fit for anyone who cannot manage stairs.