Ecola State Park in Cannon Beach
Ecola State Park wraps around Tillamook Head between Seaside and Cannon Beach and has about nine miles of coastline, according to Oregon State Parks.
What the park has
- About eight miles of the Oregon Coast Trail run through the park.
- The Clatsop Loop Trail is a 2.5-mile historical interpretive route.
- The Tillamook Head Trail, a National Recreation Trail, runs about six miles from Seaside to Cannon Beach.
- Indian Beach is a sandy beach with tide pools, popular with surfers and beachgoers.
- Cliffside viewpoints look over coves and forested headlands. The Ecola Point viewing deck was removed because of erosion and landslides.
A little history
Oregon State Parks says Captain William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition visited in 1806, the original 451-acre tract was acquired in 1932, and the Civilian Conservation Corps developed the park between 1934 and 1941.
Before you go
A day-use parking permit is required and can be bought on site. Overnight parking is not allowed. Pets must be leashed, and drones are not allowed because of nesting shorebirds. The road is narrow with many turns, and the park advises against motorhomes and trucks pulling trailers. The park has frequent road and trail closures because of unstable ground. When we checked, the west section of the Clatsop Loop Trail was closed because of a landslide, so read the park page for the current notice.