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Ecola State Park, Cannon Beach, OR

Photo: Brmuchim, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureFamily Favorite

Ecola State Park

Ecola Park Rd, north of Cannon Beach · Cannon Beach, OR

Why you should go…

Ecola State Park wraps around Tillamook Head, with 9 miles of coastline between Cannon Beach and Seaside. You can walk an 8-mile segment of the Oregon Coast Trail through Sitka spruce forest, picnic on the bluffs, or head to Indian Beach for tide pools and surfing. Captain William Clark and 12 members of the Corps of Discovery crossed this headland in 1806 in search of a beached whale. Watch for deer, elk and eagles, and for gray whales offshore in winter and spring.

  • #state park
  • #oregon coast
  • #coastal hiking
  • #tide pools
  • #whale watching

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Ecola State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Haystack Rock

    Free

    Walk the sand at low tide to a 235-foot basalt sea stack ringed with tide pools and nesting seabirds.

    2.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Cannon Beach

    Free

    Chamber of commerce and visitor center for the artist beach town of Cannon Beach, Oregon.

    3.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Captain Kid Amusement Park

    Under $25

    Family-owned outdoor amusement park in Seaside with go karts, mini golf and a small roller coaster.

    4.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Forest Park

    Free

    Hike, run or bike more than 80 miles of wooded trails and firelanes in the hills above northwest Portland.

    65 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    Oregon Zoo

    $25–$50

    A hillside zoo in Washington Park known for its elephants and a summer concert series.

    67 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Date Night

    Portland Japanese Garden

    Under $25

    A meticulously tended traditional Japanese garden called one of the most authentic outside Japan.

    67 mi awayMore like this