Caspar Uplands Trail
A sweet walk for those who think they’ve already hiked all the trails
Lovely wild irises along the trail
Last week, we went for a calming stroll along Caspar Beach at the end of a long day. Because sleepiness got in the way, it was an abbreviated version of the fuller walk we had been contemplating, so this week we went back on a day off to explore the trail we had been wanting to add in to our original visit – the Caspar Uplands Trail.
The trailhead across from Caspar Beach
Car once again parked in the sand just off the shoulder of the road at Caspar Beach, we stepped across Point Cabrillo Drive and picked our way up the narrow dirt path climbing the side of the hill. As soon as we were in the trees, we saw the trail switchback and continue rising east up into the shade, but we couldn’t resist a little side arm of the path that promised a lovely view out over the cove. We felt like woodland faeries threading our way over and under the dips and swells of trees branches and roots and then peaking out through the frame of leaves at the postcard view below us. Further exploration in this direction stifled by an abundance of poison oak, we were back on the main trail and heading into the shadow of a huge old coastal cypress tree. A solitary bench sat in peaceful repose under an inch or two of woodland detritus – with a brush or two of the hand, it would have been the perfect spot to pause and spend a few moments simply meditating on life.
A charming view
Life may be short, but let it be cherished
A little further down the trail, we came to another spot well suited to contemplation, a diminutive cemetery dotted with rugged tombstones and tranquilly shaded by the ancient trees towering up just past the bordering fence line. We indulged in a brief interlude of reflection to peer at the briefest of biographies chiseled in stone, wondering about those lives long past and how our own would be remembered. Then we made our way back to the main trail, which soon came around the hill to briefly hug the curve of Point Cabrillo Drive before ducking back into the trees under the flank of Highway One.
Running alongside the road
We were arrested in our tracks by the brilliant red flash of a pileated woodpecker making vigorous headway on some snags not ten yards ahead of us. Trying not to startle it, we softly crept closer to get a better look. It seemed to not be paying us the least bit of heed as its determined pounding tossed chunks of dead bark out like a steady rain behind its back, but it finally decided we were a little too close and swooped just over our heads to some other, more interesting snags a ways behind us. It was so beautiful!
Hmmm… I wish my camera could do more justice to this wooded trail…
Waving goodbye to the woodpecker, we turned and continued up the meandering turns of the trail as it climbed the far side of the little gulch we had entered. Lush ferns, thick trees, and dappling sun made us feel like we were out in the middle of nowhere, even with the intermittent sound of traffic on the highway just out of sight through the trees and the occasional happy screech of a young child in the Caspar Beach Campgrounds below us. Thick patches of wild iris and delicate tendrils of wild cucumbers felt like our own special secret.
The rather abrupt southern end of the sitka spruce forest, which extends down the coast of the Pacific Northwest.
Then, all of a sudden, we popped out of the trees into bright summer sunshine. An educational panel informed us that we had abruptly reached the very southern end of the sitka spruce forests, which range from northern Alaska all the way down to this very particular trail. Open meadow was before us, with a large deer fence surrounding a private vegetable garden. We followed the curve of the dirt trail around the private lot, hunting for the happy yellows and oranges of the dandelions and poppies that were tucked down into the waving, already summer-brown grasses. Stepping through a gate, we found ourselves at the end of the trail where it opens out onto Point Cabrillo Drive almost halfway between Caspar Beach and the Point Cabrillo Light Station.
Cheery little dandelions
We could have turned back and simply kept the day’s walk as an out-and-back stroll, but we were up for a little more adventure, so we continued on to make our own loop…
We turned north along the shoulder of the road, stopping to admire the billows of blooming shrubs that graced several of the private gardens on the way. Not too far along, we turned left/west onto Caspar South Drive and strolled down the easy slope of the road to where it turned right/north. As the quiet road turned again to complete its lazy U, we turned the other way and took a detour through the gate of the Caspar Headlands State Reserve. We meandered out to the picturesque bluffs and listened to the symphony of harbor seals conversing loudly on the large patch of rocks below.
A luxurious patch of yarrow in a front yard along South Caspar Drive
By this point, our tummies were starting to clamor for a snack (Goodlife Café? Frankie’s?), so we headed back east along that final arm of South Caspar Drive to where it met back up with Point Cabrillo Drive. We followed the graceful swoop of the drive down to the level of Caspar Beach, soaking in the last few moments of the ocean breeze on our face.
Enjoying the view as we make the final descent to Caspar Beach and our car
This is a great trail for those looking for a shorter to mid-length walk – from the beach to the end of the trail is roughly 1.3 miles. Our loop was a little over 2.7 miles, so roughly the same distance as just going out and back. It is fairly easy to access as well, with a couple of steep-ish sections. Be aware that you will be walking along the shoulder of the road at a couple of points if you do the full loop that we did.
Words and pictures by Laura Hockett