Cannon Beach & Haystack Rock

Cannon Beach is a small coastal town on Oregon's northwest shore, approximately 80 miles from Portland via US-26, and is home to one of the most distinctive natural landmarks on the Pacific Coast: Haystack Rock. The 235-foot (72-meter) basalt sea stack rises directly from the shoreline, surrounded by smaller formations called the Needles, and is accessible on foot at low tide across the wide sandy beach. Haystack Rock is designated a Marine Garden and bird sanctuary; the exposed rocky base hosts some of the richest tidepools on the Oregon coast, sheltering sea stars, purple and green anemones, hermit crabs, chitons, and limpets. During spring and summer nesting season the upper volcanic faces support tufted puffins, common murres, and pigeon guillemots, making the rock a premier birdwatching destination on the northern Oregon coast. Haystack Rock Awareness Program (HRAP) volunteers station themselves at the rock from May through September to answer visitor questions and protect marine life from accidental damage. The beach itself stretches 4 miles south of downtown, with the Tolovana Beach State Recreation Site at the southern end. Cannon Beach's compact downtown on Hemlock Street offers galleries, specialty food shops, and restaurants in a pedestrian-friendly village that draws visitors in every season. Storm watching from late November through February attracts its own following; winter swells can reach 20 feet and the drama of crashing surf against the sea stack is spectacular. A visit centered on two to three hours at the beach and rock, plus time in the village, covers the essentials; many visitors extend to a full day.