Christie Kay

Christie Kay

Backpack the Caines Head Coastal Trail

09/07/16

The Caines Head Rec area is truly a hidden gem. It's like the land that time never touched. Definitely take time to study the tides and plan your trip around them, though in a pinch you can take a water taxi (the trailhead at north beach has numbers, in case you need them). North beach can be a bit crowded, and if you don't mind tacking on a few extra miles to your hike, camping at south beach is well worth the effort. If you've got time, hike up the alpine trail, as well. The trail itself is rarely used and marked by pink tape - I'll openly admit, we lost the trail once or twice, but found the pink tape again within a couple minutes. You'll do a bit of bushwacking to follow the trail, but the views from the alpine tundra on a clear day are absolutely breathtaking. Would absolutely recommend any of the hikes in this area. Do bring bear spray, though bear tracks and scat are common, we made lots of noise and took proper precautions, so never spotted any bears.

5.0