Cannon Beach
An Oregon beach with a 72-metre sea stack standing on the sand, where puffins nest and the tide pools are protected.
Saved in this browser only - no account, nothing sent anywhere. See your map
Haystack Rock stands about seventy-two metres on the beach itself, close enough to walk to at low tide and not at all at high, and it is a protected marine garden and bird sanctuary - tufted puffins nest on it from spring into summer, along with common murres and cormorants, and volunteers with scopes are usually on the sand in season. The tide pools round the base hold anemones, sea stars and chitons, and touching or removing anything is prohibited. Climbing on the rock above the barnacle line is banned. Oregon's beaches are all public by law under a 1967 act, which is why the town has never been able to privatise its shoreline. The Goonies was partly filmed here.
What you actually see
- A 72-metre sea stack on the sand - reachable only at low tide.
- Nesting tufted puffins - in spring and early summer.
- Protected tide pools - no touching or collecting.
- A publicly owned shoreline - guaranteed by Oregon law since 1967.
When to go
April to October; puffins arrive in spring. Half a day.
Honest expectations
Access to the rock depends on the tide table - check it. Climbing above the barnacle line is prohibited and enforced. The coast is often foggy and wet. Summer weekends fill the town's parking.
Nearby
Ecola State Park is north; Oswald West is south.
What to pack for Cannon Beach
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
