Tag Archives: hike

Hike to Short Sands Beach

01 Monday Dec 2014

Posted by in Beach, Cannon Beach

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If you have driven along the Oregon coast highway between Manzanita and Cannon Beach then you have gone past the parking areas for Short Sand beach. The parking lot is often filled with cars and so if you do not get here early in the day you will likely be parking off on the side of the road and walking back towards the head of the trail. A popular surfing cove is located at Short Sands beach and during optimal surfing weather and surf conditions, it can be one of the busiest places on the North Coast. Lots of surfers will be out riding the waves, but even more people will just be hanging out on the beach watching the action in the water.

main beach access at short sands beach

Despite all the visitors there are many trails and unless you are going to get in the water the extra traffic should not stop you from being able to enjoy this peaceful and beautiful place.

There are several trails that branch off from the main path, so make sure to check out the trail maps near the parking lot and down near the beach before venturing off. The creek that runs through the forestland along the trails is large enough that it splits off part of the beach. The main trail leads to the large section of the beach at the north section of the cove and will have more people. The Sitka Spruce trail heads over to connect with the South Beach access point and requires crossing over a cable bridge over a large creek. The south beach access puts you in the sand south of the creek so you can explore that side of the beach and view the impressive cliff that jut out into the ocean making the southern boundary of Short Sand beach. The various trails running through the forest are easy to moderate in difficulty, must due to the consistent moisture of the soil, good hiking shoes are a must as the trail can get muddy and slippery at certain places.

This is one of the most popular places to surf on the entire Oregon Coast, the cove is protected from lots of the weather on the coast and has the right underwater features that generate waves big enough for people to ride. Due to the limited number of awesome spots to surf on the coast, Short Sand beach should not be your first choice if looking for a place to go surf perch fishing. While the fishing can be really good in the cove, you might not make many friends chucking large weights and hooks in between the surfers.

A street view map of the Short Sands Beach trail parking and access:

Warm Winter Day Beach Hike’s

24 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by in General, Outdoor Location

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The Winter this year has had several nice long spurts of decent weather, a few days even have felt warm out in the sun. This has made enjoying walking on the beach and getting outdoors along the coast for a hike a possibility without having to endure getting drenched on your weekend adventure. These couple of pictures were taken south of Cape Meares lighthouse, the tide was exceptionally low and it was possible to walk all the way through the tide pool areas to where the beach meets the cliff that leads up to the area where the Octopus tree is.
sunset at oregon tide pools

waterfall into the ocean

Get out and enjoy the Oregon beaches. Even when it is a little stormy the coast can make for fun exploring and if you luck out on a warm winter day, it is a true treat.

Ecola State Park Near Cannon Beach

18 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by in Cannon Beach

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Ecola State Park

How to get there:

Located just a few minutes north of Cannon Beach.


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There are a lot of Parks to be seen and visited in Oregon which are truly breathtaking and worth the travel, but one of the best would be the Ecola State Park. This park is reachable through the main road and is located around two miles north of Cannon Beach’s downtown.  The name of this park was obtained from the word “ikoli” which means whale because of beached whales that were one of the things that many earlier visitors saw. It is known that the park was discovered by Capt. Clark together with twelve members of the Corps of Discovery when they went through thick shrubs and trees and were climbing on rocky cliffs. Nowadays, the park has a paved road which leads through a thick forest and is much easier to pass. After passing the lines of Sitka Spruce Trees, you will be greeted with the view of the Pacific Ocean. Parking lots are available near the entrance and at the northern end so guests would not be worrying where to park their cars.

There are a lot that Ecola State Park has to offer throughout the year. These include exploration, nature tripping, site for photography, tide pooling, surfing, swimming, picnic, trailing, and a lot more. This park surely provides something for everyone. There are a lot of breathtaking views of the Ocean. When winter and summer migration comes, whales are also a view. Beside these, there is also the Indian Beach which provides enjoyment especially for surfers and kayakers. This is also where families can go to for picnic and use the picnic tables scattered around the area or the covered barbecue areas. The Indian Beach is also very enjoyable for exploration of tide pools and interesting rock formations. Beside all these exciting adventures, the park also has restrooms which the guests could use.

There is no better way to live life as compared to enjoying the beauty that nature has to offer. We must look around us and marvel in greatness of the nature and see for ourselves what we can discover through them.

Grab breakfast in Cannon Beach at the Lazy Susan and enjoy a hike around the park.

Cape Meares Lighthouse and Octopus Tree – Oregon Coast Day Trip Destination

14 Saturday Jan 2012

Posted by in Outdoor Location

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An excellent place to include on a trip through the Oregon North coast is a stop at the Cape Meares Lighthouse.  The lighthouse is located about 15 – 20 minutes outside of Tillamook and is nestled in between the coast and the forest. The park is free to enter and is open from 7AM to Dusk, when the weather is nice the view of the coast line north and south from viewpoints wonderful.  There is the off chance to see migrating whales if you are there the right time of year, but there is plenty of other wildlife and plants to enjoy.

Take a walk down to the lookout points to see the historic lighthouse or go the other direction from the parking lot and visitor center and see the largest Sitka Spruce in the state of Oregon, the Octopus tree, which is just a massive tree that sits right near the edge of the cliff.  There is another great viewpoint at the end of the trail to the Octopus tree.  If you are looking for a unique place to hike, there is several nature trails and other activities to enjoy depending on the time of year.  Check out the designated website for the Cape Meares Lighthouse for more information about what is available at the park. http://capemeareslighthouse.org/


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