{"id":3594,"date":"2020-12-28T20:50:32","date_gmt":"2020-12-28T20:50:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/?p=3594"},"modified":"2021-05-13T18:08:54","modified_gmt":"2021-05-13T18:08:54","slug":"gods-thumb-and-the-knoll","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/2020\/12\/28\/gods-thumb-and-the-knoll\/","title":{"rendered":"God&#8217;s Thumb and The Knoll"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Friday, November 27, 2020<\/p>\n<p>While staying at the coast this weekend we decided to take advantage of a gorgeous day to hike up to God&#8217;s Thumb in Lincoln City.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p><strong>NOTE<\/strong>: Most people who hike to God&#8217;s Thumb park at the end of NE Sal la Sea Drive (there&#8217;s even a &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/goo.gl\/maps\/ssH5GBsuGgtYcYcv6\">The Knoll \/ God&#8217;s Thumb Trailhead<\/a>&#8221; marker on Google Maps; it&#8217;s also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oregonhikers.org\/field_guide\/Sal_La_Sea_Trailhead\">described<\/a> in the Oregon Hikers Field Guide). As of this writing it&#8217;s legal to do so as long as you obey the signs at the very end of the road where parking is not allowed. You can park alongside the road before those signs. It is approximately 1.8 miles one-way to hike from the end of the road to God&#8217;s Thumb.\u00a0The other place to park is at the end of NE Devils Lake Blvd (there are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oregonhikers.org\/field_guide\/The_Villages_Trailhead\">directions<\/a> in the Oregon Hikers Field Guide). A description of the hike can be found <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oregonhikers.org\/field_guide\/The_Thumb_via_The_Knoll_Loop_Hike\">here<\/a>. Hiking in from the end of Logan Road is no longer recommended, which we didn&#8217;t know until after we did this hike.<\/p>\n<p>We parked at Road&#8217;s End State Recreation Site and hiked one mile up Logan Road to its end. We took this route because it&#8217;s the way I went last time and I didn&#8217;t think parking at the end of NE Sal la Sea Drive is allowed (it is).<\/p>\n<p>At the end of Logan Road we walked around the gate where this nothing except a &#8220;no parking&#8221; sign.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50809932768_ba1671dc5b_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50809932388_e436fdd5ee_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>But about 0.1 mile further we reached a &#8220;no trespassing&#8221; sign. The Siuslaw National Forest boundary was just behind that sign, so we kept going:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50809932003_b57bd6a621_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The trail was, as expected, quite muddy:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50809930483_4608728fcb_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50810787562_4e9743b524_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Lots of mushrooms:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50809976873_a699339e51_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50810718931_0118a518ce_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50809974808_dc6dab54e1_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Almost there:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50809977333_e48cef7150_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The sun shining on the spray from the waves was pretty:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50809992553_047e4ca9fd_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>God&#8217;s Thumb came into view:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50810720856_a30728c590_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50810734511_217b16c709_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50810848752_2ba2b673ed_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>1.7 miles from the car we reached the top. The view from up there was great! Cascade Head to the north:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50809993213_975b0cdef4_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Looking south over Lincoln City:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50818450158_3340d040ae_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Looking west:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50818465553_4427b8b4e9_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We sat and enjoyed the view for a short while, but it was quite windy:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50819188866_939ae7d32b_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We were making a loop out of this hike so rather than returning the way we came we hiked east. This is the way we would have come if we had parked at the end of Sal la Sea Drive:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50819196211_c85d7aa04b_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>There was a very muddy hill to climb going this way. Descending it would be really challenging because it&#8217;s so slippery:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50819195881_05f15bb534_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>At the top of that muddy hill is this grassy knoll, which makes a great turnaround spot if you don&#8217;t want to navigate that hill:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50818456763_a682e0c3f6_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>More mud:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50818456278_63864a051b_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We saw signs of recent maintenance:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50818463423_57f756cc1a_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We reached a big grassy viewpoint known as The Knoll:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50819312297_1d78b84d7d_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50819311502_1e1cf9a7bb_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50819213416_96d276ae39_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50818473108_f4ee1519db_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50819212556_8b799d9cb3_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Descending from The Knoll:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50818469293_08c20a1a52_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50819207456_48e2892524_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We reached the gate at the end of Sal la Sea Drive:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50818468098_f57d9d11c3_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Then we road-hiked back down to Road&#8217;s End where the car was parked. From there we had a nice view looking up at The Knoll:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50819307912_646fb70b0e_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>And a view of God&#8217;s Thumb and Cascade Head:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50819210096_2193ac1160_c.jpg\" alt=\"God's Thumb\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/50819209391_b33b2d0e6c_c.jpg\" alt=\"Road's End State Recreation Site\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Gaia stats: 4.2 miles, 650&#8242; elevation gain<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Friday, November 27, 2020 While staying at the coast this weekend we decided to take advantage of a gorgeous day<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/2020\/12\/28\/gods-thumb-and-the-knoll\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">God&#8217;s Thumb and The Knoll<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3708,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[159,193],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3594"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3594"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3594\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3709,"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3594\/revisions\/3709"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}