Humbug Mountain

Humbug Mountain is a 1759-foot conical mountain astride the Pacific coastline, south of Port Orford in Curry County, Oregon.  About half of the mountain's bulk juts into the ocean; waves crash on bare rock at the base.  The slopes wear old-growth coastal forest: fir, spruce, and cedar trees, and southern Oregon specialty, myrtlewood.

Humbug Mountain State Park offers day use hiking trails, a campground, and a trail to the beach  166  near milepost 307 on US 101.  (Map)  The park facilities are nestled in Brush Creek's sheltered canyon at the north base of the mountain, where US 101 leaves its bluff-top route from Port Orford and begins to climb through the canyon to circle the mountain on the inland side.  Driving south, the mountain trailhead is to the right side of the highway between MP306 and MP 307, and the campground to the left, after MP307.

The trailhead offers a dozen gravel parking spots directly off the highway.  A 5.5-mile loop trail leads to the summit and back.  The climb is strenuous, and long views are limited to glimpses through forest.  Before c.2018, there was a tiny meadow at the top, ringed by tall trees, so no long view from the summit.  This part of the coast is so lovely that a panoramic view from this vantage point is a thing of wonder.  Trees appear to have been cut c.2018 to enhance the views to north and south along the coastline.  C.2019, storm winds knocked down many more of the newly-exposed trees, so for better or worse, in 2020 the view from the summit is fantastic.

William L. Sullivan presents details for climbing the mountain in his excellent 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Oregon Coast & Coast Range book.  There are no facilities at the trailhead, but a side path leads through a tunnel under the highway to the campground with its full facilities.

The campground offers tent and RV camping, a steep scenic trail up Brush Creek's canyon with winter waterfalls, and a trail down the canyon to the beach.  From the base of Humbug Mountain, a sandy beach stretches northward to Rocky Point, halfway to Port Orford.  The bluffs near the point are sculpted from rock strata twisted nearly vertical by unimaginably powerful geologic forces.  Offshore, sea birds claim the scenic sea stacks of Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve.

More at Wikipedia, the Oregon Statesman-Journal, and the Trail Guide showing the day-use trail up the Brush Creek canyon.  View images at Google Image Search.