Trails

An overlooking view of Yachats and the ocean.Yachats Trails Committee Mission

To establish, maintain and promote a system of trails to serve the City of Yachats for the safety, health, spiritual well-being and enjoyment of residents and visitors alike.

In support of our mission the Yachats Trails Committee uses people counters to gather data about trail use.  This data helps us to better understand and manage our trails, and will also be used in support of our applications for grants and other funding. To find out more about the counters that we use, click here


Who Are We?

The Yachats Trails Committee reports to the city’s Parks and Commons Commission, and receives funding from the city. We are a group of volunteers who work to promote, maintain, and develop trails in and around the beautiful coastal Oregon city of Yachats. Even well-established trails need regular maintenance, to cut back encroaching vegetation, remove fallen limbs or trees and make repairs to the trail surface itself. YIPS!, the Yachats Invasive Plants Subcommittee, falls under the Trails Committee and works mainly on removing invasive weeds from city property  in Yachats. As you enjoy our trails, be aware that many of the steps, boardwalks and adjacent plantings were done by us. Our work parties normally meet from 10 am to 12 noon on the first and third Saturdays of each month, weather permitting. The first Saturday meeting is normally for trail work, the third Saturday is for weed work. Following our work events we adjourn to the Drift Inn for complimentary drinks and snacks.

Some of our pet projects:

Trails

We do regular maintenance, repairs and improvements to all the trails listed on our Trails in Yachats page.

Whale Tail Park

Until a few years ago this park was overgrown with ivy, morning glory and blackberry. Through our efforts these weeds have been replaced by beautiful shrubs and flowers.

Prospect Garden

This garden lies at the top of Prospect Avenue, between 2nd and 3rd Streets. Like Whale Tail Park, this was formerly a giant weed patch. The weeds are under control, and have been replaced with shrubs, bulbs and a few trees.

Commons Wetland Park

Our volunteer efforts have led to big improvements in this park. The boardwalks have been covered with non-slip material. Several large stands of blackberry were cleared some years ago and lawn grass is now growing in those areas. In the woods on the west side of the park we continue to remove large amounts of ivy, along with other invasive plants. 

Yachats La De Da Parade

We participate in this weird annual 4th of July extravaganza, marching through the streets of Yachats with the cheers of the adoring crowds ringing in our ears. 

Collaborations

We have valuable collaborations on trail maintenance and weed removal with the US Forest Service, Oregon State Parks and the Overleaf Lodge. The popular annual New Year’s Day Peace Hike involves a partnership with local First Nation groups.

Special Events

We also have occasional special events - you can find out more about all our activities on the Upcoming Events page.