The Awesome Peter Iredale Trail In Oregon Will Take You Straight To Abandoned Ghost Ship
By Sarah McCosham|Published May 06, 2021
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
Oregon hikes will lead you to some truly exceptional places. There are some bucket-list level hikes here that will take you to some of the most wondrous places in the entire world. However, many of these treks require a more advanced hiker, or at least someone willing to log some serious hours on the trails. That’s what makes the Peter Iredale Trail in Oregon so truly unique. This hike, less than a half-mile long, leads straight to one of the state’s most mysterious wonders, an abandoned ghost ship located off the Oregon coast. Known as the Wreck of the Peter Iredale, this attraction is one of Oregon’s most infamous ruins, and the eponymous Peter Iredale Trail will take you right to the shocking scene.
Located in Warrenton, Oregon, Fort Stevens was once an active military base; the primary military defense installation of the Harbor Defense System at the mouth of the Columbia River.
You'll wander through a sand-covered path (part of the park's six miles of hiking trails), going over sand dunes and grassy knolls along the way. In no time at all, the shoreline comes into focus, and a ghost ship materializes, seemingly out of thin air.
This is the Peter Iredale -- or at least, what remains of the Peter Iredale -- a four-masted, steel barque sailing vessel that was quite impressive in its day, part of a well-known shipping fleet.
But after several weeks, the ship had become embedded in the sands. The salvage rights to the ship were sold in 1917, though the wreck was never actually broken up.
Like many before it, the ship was destined to become part of the infamous Graveyard of the Pacific.
The Graveyard of the Pacific stretches the Pacific Northwest coast from Oregon all the way to Vancouver. Known for its tempestuous tides and unpredictable weather patterns, this area has historically acted like a bit of a vortex, claiming countless ships and fleets.
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A shadow of its former self, all that remains of the Peter Iredale is the bow, some ribs, and a few masts.
The Peter Iredale Trail really is one of the most unique adventures in the state — an accessible hike to an extraordinary abandoned ghost ship in Oregon everyone must do at least once! If you’re looking for another abandoned ruins hike in the state, there’s a hike in Portland that leads to a rumored witch’s castle.
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