Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge
Nature preserve
131 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Cape Meares Lighthouse · Photo: Gordon Banks · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Cape Meares
Few parks or trails are on the map in Cape Meares
The biggest trail networks: Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge (0.9 mi), Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint (0.7 mi). 6% of Cape Meares’ land is conserved, about 125 acres. 10 miles of mapped trail cross Cape Meares, 2.9 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
6%
125 acres · of 3.4 sq mi of land
Trails
10 mi
2.9 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
1
2 boat launches
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge, with 0.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint
Managed by Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
111 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Overflow Parking
Who protects it
125 conserved acres
6% of Cape Meares’ land. Water is left out: Cape Meares has 3.4 square miles of land and 0.2 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Cape Meares’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service249 ac
National Wildlife Refuge · 249 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 249 | Restricted |
Things to do
8 places to go in Cape Meares
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Cape Meares
Cape Meares Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Cape Meares
Lower Viewing AreaIn Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint
DirectionsSouth Viewing DeckIn Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint
DirectionsUpper Viewing DeckIn Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Picnic areas in Cape Meares
Picnic AreaIn Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint
DirectionsTrails & water
1 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Cape Meares LighthouseBuilding · listed 1993
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Cape Meares: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.7 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°F) | 50 | 51 | 53 | 56 | 60 | 63 | 67 | 68 | 67 | 61 | 54 | 49 |
| Rain (in) | 14.5 | 10.5 | 11.2 | 8.5 | 5.1 | 3.6 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 3.7 | 9.1 | 14.7 | 16.0 |
July is the driest month (1.1 in) and August the warmest (highs of 68 °F). 16.0 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in Cape Meares →
Questions about parks and trails in Cape Meares
Where can I hike in Cape Meares?
The longest trail networks: Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge, 0.9 miles; Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Cape Meares’ trails?
Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge and Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Cape Meares?
32,998 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Cape Meares or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), almost none of it inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Cape Meares neighbors.
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Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →