A Late-Summer Visit to Cannon Beach and Ecola State Park in Coastal Oregon
Cannon Beach, located along the northern section of Oregon’s Pacific coastline, is an idyllic escape. It’s long and wide sandy beach and rocky sea stacks create a stunning backdrop for a day of kite flying, tide pooling, or sitting back to enjoy a glass of vino from the nearby Willamette Valley.
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After arriving at Portland Airport early in the morning, I drove out to the Oregon coast for the day. The beaches are a scenic two-hour drive from Portland with breathtaking viewpoints along the way. There are a number of quaint seaside towns up and down the coast where you can spend the day – or hop from one to the next!
In this post I will share details and tips on the best things to do during a day trip to Cannon Beach. If you have more time, you will likely also want to explore some of the other nearby towns, parklands, and coastal gems.
Where to stay in Cannon Beach
If you are just coming to the beach for the day, as I did, you won’t need to worry about accommodations. If you are one of the lucky ones staying a bit longer, look for a cozy beach bungalow anywhere along the beach front. There are loads of picturesque home rentals that are oh-so-charming. Cannon Beach also has a handful of cute bed-and-breakfast inns and hotel options. Keep in mind that the town of Cannon Beach is a little bit north of Haystack Rock.
Above photos: Beachfront bungalows at Cannon Beach
Top things to do in Cannon Beach
Downtown Cannon Beach
The downtown area of Cannon Beach is as charming as beach towns come. The main street is lined with art galleries, clothing boutiques, surf shops, and cafes. Unlike the busy beaches in the south, you won’t find a slew of cheesy souvenir shops or touristy amusements, which makes it a truly authentic little beach town.
Above photo: Downtown Cannon Beach
The sidewalks are busy during the day with other visitors, locals, dogs, and the occasional elk. It is a very dog-friendly town and beach, which basically means that you can’t help but be in a good mood with so many happy, furry faces around!
If you are a shopper, you can look forward to locally handmade treasures and specialty curations. Otherwise, the art galleries and public displays are great fun to see while strolling along with an ice cream cone from Schwietert’s in-hand.
Above photo: Schwietert’s Cones & Candy in Cannon Beach
Above photos: Seaside charm at Cannon Beach
The Beach and Haystack Rock
The crown and glory of Cannon Beach is the famous Haystack Rock. If you grew up in the ’80s and/or have watched The Goonies, you’ve seen this iconic landmark and much of the surrounding area. The basalt sea stack rises 235 feet from the edge of the shoreline and is one of Oregon’s most recognizable formations.
Above photos: Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock
Besides being a very cool geological landform, Haystack Rock is also home to an abundance of bird life and is part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. The most common birds are the Western Gulls, which aren’t shy about joining people on the beaches. With a pair of binoculars, you can also spot Tufted Puffins, Pelagic Cormorants, Pigeon Guillemots, Black Oystercatchers, and Harlequin Ducks.
Above photo: Western Gull at Cannon Beach
Tide Pooling
Haystack Rock’s intertidal area is one of Oregon’s seven Marine Gardens, indicating its status as a protected area. During low tide, you can walk out to the rocks and get a closer look at the sea creatures clinging to the rocky formations. Additionally, low tide exposes tide pools, which are areas that are filled with water even after the sea level falls.
There are expert nature & wildlife staff at the Marine Garden to answer questions and help visitors identify the marine life in the pools. Common sightings are crabs, sea stars, urchins, anemones, fish, barnacles, mussels, and snails.
Above photo: Outgoing tide at Haystack Rock
Above photo: Sea stars at Cannon Beach
The best time to go tide pooling is about 1 – 2 hours before low tide. This will afford you the opportunity to look for sea life as the tide goes out. Check the tide schedule ahead by visiting the US Harbors website here or download the Tide Tables from the Oregon State Parks website here.
Above photo: Anenome (left) and sea stars (right) seen while tide pooling at Cannon Beach
Ecola State Park
Ecola State Park is immediately adjacent to Cannon Beach. The drive from the downtown parking lots to Ecola Point is just a short 2.5 miles, which will take about 10 minutes. There are several trailheads and interesting history within the park, but most people come for the sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and rock formations along the coast.
I absolutely loved this place! Coming into the park from the southern end, the road winds through a forest of massive Sitka Spruce Pines. It is absolutely enchanting! The first major stop is Ecola Point. You will need to purchase a parking day permit from the machine in the parking area, but the good news is that you only have to do it once. The permit is good for all the other locations you may stop at during your visit.
Ecola Point has a few claims to fame including scenes from The Goonies and Kindergarten Cop. There are short walking paths here that lead out to viewpoints, as well as the trailheads to Crescent Beach and Indian Beach. The downhill path to the left of the parking area has a great view out to Sea Lion Rock. Another path leads out to an opening in the trees where you can see views of the Pacific Ocean and the “Terrible Tilly” decommissioned lighthouse.
Above photo: Viewo of Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock from Ecola Point
Above photos: View of Sea Lion Rock Arch from Ecola Point (left) and view of Crescent Beach (right)
Above photos: Queen Anne’s Lace (left) and view of “Terrible Tilly” from Ecola Point (right)
Above photo: Surfers below Ecola Point
While I loved the views of the other beaches, I didn’t have a lot of interest in hiking down to them. Instead, I decided to move along further north to the Indian Beach parking lot to pick up the trailhead for Clatsop Loop.
Clatsop Loop is a 3-mile loop trail with an elevation gain of 785 feet. The first part of the trail is a wide gravel path within a beautiful, dense forest. There are a lot of huge stumps along the way that were left from when the area was logged 100-150 years ago. I wasn’t expecting to see wildlife, but ended up seeing a few chipmunks and a deer.
Above photos: Clatsop Loop Trail, Ecola State Park
The trail leads up to Hikers Camp on Tillamook Head where there are several log cabins available to hikers. A short spur goes down to a viewpoint that looks out to the Tillamook Rock Light, the most expensive lighthouse ever constructed on the west coast of the United States that was in use from 1881 until 1957.
Above photos: Hikers’ Camp
Above photos: Views of Tillamook Rock Light from Tillamook Head
The other side of the trail that loops back to the Indian Beach parking area follows the Oregon Coast Trail and has breaking views of the Pacific Ocean and other sea stacks. Honestly, I was just glad to finally be walking downhill:). The views are gorgeous tho!
Ecola State Park trail map can be downloaded and printed from the Oregon State Parks website here.
Above photos: Oregon Coast Trail of Clatsop Loop
Where to eat in Cannon Beach
Cannon Beach has a nice variety of restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, and bars. Still, it is a small town so don’t expect endless choices.
The first place I hit after arriving in town was Sleepy Monk, a quirky coffee house that brews a great cup of coffee with a selection of bakery treats. A warm cup of coffee in your hands as you stroll along the beach is what dreams are made of.
Above photos: Sleepy Monk Coffee Roasters
I had planned to have lunch at Lazy Susan Cafe, but because I was running short on time, I decided to pop into the Mariner Market and pick-up a few groceries for a car picnic.
After visiting Ecola State Park, I came back to Cannon Beach for dinner and Golden Hour. It is hard to come to the coast and not have seafood. Besides, after completing my hike, I felt strongly that I deserved crab. The Driftwood Restaurant located in the center of town was highly rated, so I went for it.
The Driftwood is a very cozy restaurant (with outdoor seating as well) that offers a pretty enticing seafood and steak menu. I had the Dungeness crab cocktail and the seafood stew. Both were dee-licious. I couldn’t finish the stew. My eyes were bigger than my stomach and the stew was more filling than anticipated. Wonderful dinner and very friendly staff!
Above photos: Driftwood Restaurant
Other useful information
- Parking in downtown Cannon Beach is limited and get be tricky if you come mid-day or on the weekend. Aim for a morning arrival or around sunset to snag the best spots. A parking map from the City of Cannon Beach can be downloaded and printed here.
- Plan your visit to coincide with low tide for best tide pooling. But, come back for Golden Hour to see the glowing light over the Pacific Ocean.
- Bring a pair of binoculars if you are interested in observing the birds. I took these.
- The beach can be windy and quite chilly. My complete packing list can be found here.
Above photos: Golden hour at Cannon Beach
Thank you for reading my post! Please feel free to add friendly comments or questions below!
Btw, if you are visiting the Portland, Oregon area and would prefer a guided tour of Cannon Beach, there are several options available through Viator that include transportation, such as these:
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