Skip to content

Seaside Stories

Near Seaside: Reviewing Klootchy Creek Park

June 30, 2017 | by

Klootchy Park's Sitka Spruce Tree

Located adjacent to U.S. Highway 26, about 2.5 miles east of U.S. Highway 101, is the famous and previous national-record-breaking, Klootchy Creek Park. The moderate-level trails and secluded creek offer relaxing strolls and incredible scenery. A quick drive inland will see you at the root of this historic tree and park.

A Piece of History

The 25-acre, Clatsop County-owned park once held the largest Sitka Spruce tree in the United States. Standing at 216 feet tall and 56 feet around. A portion of the tree, believed to have started its life at the year 1218, met an unfortunate demise in 2007. Fell by a severe windstorm in December of 2007, the tree serves as a constant reminder to the abundant amount of nutrients the forest offers. The 17-foot-diameter stump can still be seen at the trailhead of the park, and two of its fallen sections can be found throughout the park.

After visiting the grand stump, make sure to walk through the various trails. One of my personal favorite walks in the park is to keep right at the trailhead. This will allow you to walk right alongside the creek. Some parts of the trails will overlook the water, offering astonishing camera angles for the curious photographer. The local flora and fauna make for the perfect pair at Klootchy Creek.

Looking for a quick and scenic walk? Want to see a part of Oregon’s natural history? Klootchy Creek Park fits the bill and may just become a part of your regular visits to Seaside. You can learn more about the historic tree and its significance to Klootchy Creek Park here.

and so much more!

Going for a Dip in the 1920s

Seaside ocean antics in the late 1920s

Your Home Base for Saddle Mountain Hikes

Multitudes of wildflowers. Glorious ocean and mountain vistas. Some of the nicest trail time in the Coast Range. Reopened in 2023 ...

Fun Street Foods in Seaside

With its compact streets and plenty to explore downtown, Seaside is the perfect place for walking or rolling along in just about a...

Riders of the Storm

Winter weather on the Oregon Coast is the flipside to flipside to golden summers, but it can be just as beautiful.

Northwest Travel Magazine: The Fresh Side of Seaside, Oregon

Feature story on Seaside Oregon, highlighting top attractions in Seaside OR

I’ll See You at the Nat

A brief look at Seaside history of Natatoriums

Digging for the Bounty!

Razor clamming on Oregon

Oregon Coast: Lodgings with a Tale to Tell

Historic coastal inn in Seaside, Oregon

Tillamook Head Trail
Seaside’s Very Own Rainforest: Tillamook Head

Hiking the Tillamook Head trail offers pure bliss for this local hiker

The Iron Horse Comes to Town

A look at the train that connected Seaside to Portland in 1898

Clamming Chronicles

History of clamming in Seaside, Oregon

Paddle Neawanna Creek
How to Paddle Seaside

Spend a little time in Seaside, and you’ll find yourself itching to paddle on the rivers and ponds.

How to Treasure the Beach

No one owns the Oregon Coast — it belongs to everyone. Thanks to 1967’s landmark Beach Bill, Oregon has some of the most prote...

Fishing Adventures In and Around Seaside

Fishing on the Oregon Coast near Seaside

All About Storm Watching in Seaside

Having grown up in Seaside, Keith Chandler knows and appreciates the beauty and the power of watching storms and high tides on the...

Ice Cream for Dinner

More than a dozen frozen treat shops, the thought of brain freeze is likely.

Fruits of Your Labor

Picking blackberries on the Oregon Coast, local coastal berries

How to Be an Earth Steward in Seaside

An estimated 14 billion pounds of discarded plastic and garbage — from cigarette butts and water bottles to food wrappers and pl...