Discover Oregon's Scenic Hikes With Heritage Vacation Homes
Best Hiking Trails in Cannon Beach, Oregon
Cannon Beach offers some of the best hiking in Oregon, with trails that wind through lush forests, along dramatic cliffs, and down to the stunning Pacific shoreline. Each hike offers a chance to experience the magic of the Oregon coast, from peaceful woodlands to breathtaking ocean views.
At Heritage Vacation Homes, we’ve made it easy for you to explore these incredible trails. Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly walk or a more challenging traverse, Cannon Beach has something special for every hiker. Pick your trail below and set out for a day of adventure, discovering tidepools, wildlife, and more.
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Ecola State Park
Ecola State Park boasts the classic view of Cannon Beach: Ecola Point! The lookout deck is perched high enough on Tillamook Head to look down the entire coastline, from Chapman Point directly under you to Haystack Rock and then all the way towards Arch Cape. Be amazed at the breathtaking beauty of the rugged Oregon coast. Pack a picnic lunch and stay awhile, or meander the paved trail to the Terrible Tilly lookout. This infamous lighthouse was named such because of the perilous conditions the crew worked under as they constructed her out in the open ocean.
The lookout parking lot is the access point to the trailheads for both the Crescent Beach hike and the hike to Indian Beach.
You may recognize this scene as the inspiration for Jeffrey Hull’s Golden Evening, which hangs in the main entryway in The House at Arch Cape.
Know before you go:
• Enter the park from the north end of Cannon Beach. From 5th Street, head north on Ecola Park Road for 1.5 miles to the fee station. At the fee station, turn left to drop down into the Ecola Point parking lot or venture right and drive two miles to Indian Beach. A $5 day-use permit is required to park in Ecola and permits may be purchased at the fee station at the park’s entrance.
• This park can get very full during the busy summer season, so it’s best to get an early start!
• Elk are often seen in the meadows surrounding the lookout parking lot. Please check out our Oregon Wildlife Page for everything you should know about these magnificent locals!
Crescent Beach, Oregon
Crescent Beach, a fairly quiet beach tucked directly under Ecola Point, is a hidden gem in the Cannon Beach area! This 2.1-mile out-and-back trail starts at Ecola Point, paralleling the road through the park before dropping you down the hillside to the beach. Hemmed in between Ecola Point and Chapman Point (at the southern end of Cannon Beach), this not-often-visited beach offers tidepools at low tide, as well as frequent seal and sealion sightings from shore.
Know before you go:
• Park in the Ecola Point parking lot. The trailhead is unassumingly marked with a wooden sign next to the restrooms.
• The trail involves hills and switchbacks, as well as muddy portions so be sure to have good footwear.
• Deer and Roosevelt Elk frequent these woods, so always keep an eye open for them!
Indian Beach Trail
The 4.7mile in-and-out hike to Indian Beach from Ecola Point is a moderate hike that offers a variety of terrain within one hike! Flat trail, switchbacks, stair steps, old-growth Sitkas, secondary growth, breathing ocean views, peaceful forest views, and a footbridge over a bubbling stream make this the quintessential Oregon Coast hike! Once you reach the cove, stay a while to watch the surfers or explore the tidepools that appear at low tide.
Know before you go:
• The trail meanders from Ecola Point to Indian Beach or the other way around. Park in one of the parking lots and prepare for the entire adventure to take a couple of hours.
• The hike is considered moderate, but there are stairs and switchbacks, as well as patches of muddy trail. Come prepared with good footwear!
Watch Hiking Guide Adam Sawyer
Oswald State Park, Oregon
Cape Falcon Trailhead
The hike to the end of Cape Falcon is a 2.4 mile trail that winds first through Oregon old growth forest before popping out to meadows full of salal edged by sheer cliff faces. Traipse along the path cut into the salal to one of various viewpoints looking at the ocean that runs into the horizon. Keep an eye out for whale spouts in the distance! This trail can be very muddy in fall, winter and spring. We highly recommend adding it to your summer hiking list!
To find this trail, start at the Cape Falcon Trailhead. A half mile in there is a junction that will take you down to Short Sand Beach and Smugglers Cove, a detour we highly recommend if you have the time! Wander the tidepools at the base of a waterfall in the cove or take a few minutes to watch surfers performing in the waves. When you’re ready, head back up the trail to the junction and go left on the trail toward Cape Falcon.
The trail will meander through the woods and along a couple of streams. In the rainy season, the beginning of the path can feel like a stream itself! The trail becomes a series of switchbacks before bursting into a couple of meadows filled with salal that is oftentimes as tall as a grown adult. At an obvious but unsigned junction, turn left. Brave your way through the cut path before entering the top of Cape Falcon. To your left, you can climb a bit down the hill to sit and enjoy a view south onto Short Sands Beach and beyond. Then climb back up, find the path to the west that will take you to the very edge of the rock where you can enjoy a birds-eye view of the ocean.
Short Sand Beach Trail
Lovingly called “Shorty’s” by locals, Short Sand Beach is known for its easy trails, its beautiful walk through old-growth Sitka spruce trees alongside a bubbly stream, and its almost year-round surfing. Walk 1/2 mile from the parking lot just off of Highway 101 to this small cove. Stroll to the northern end of the cove and stand at the base of Blumenthal Falls as it pours down onto the beach. We consider it to be one of the most-kid friendly nature walks in the area!
This walk is also the start of the Cape Falcon Cove trail.
Know before you go:
• There are two parking lots for access to Short Sands, on either side of the highway. These lots can get filled fast during the busy summer months, so plan to show up early.
• The end of the trail offers picnic tables and restrooms so you can enjoy a picnic lunch with a view of the surfers below.
Devil's Cauldron
Devil’s Cauldron, located in Oswald West State Park, is directly south of Short Sands Beach and is a 1/2-mile walk from Highway 101 down to the overlook. Peer down into the small cove lined with cliffs (including Cube Rock) and watch the water splash and church from your vantage point. The trail will take you a short way along the cliff coastline, where you can peer out to open ocean.
Know before you go:
• The parking for this trailhead is a very small area directly on Highway 101.
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hug Point State Park
Hug Point State Recreation Site is located 5 miles south of Cannon Beach. Explore small caves, a water fall that flows onto the beach, tidepools and the road that gave Hug Point its name!
The sandy coves are surrounded by dramatic cliff formations. Back before Highway 101 was built, stagecoaches and then cars were forced to use the beach itself as the road. The rock point in this area jutted out so far that a road was blasted into its side.
Today at low tide you can still walk along the road, seeing the wheel ruts carved into it but covered with barnacles now.
At low tide, Hug Point is an easy walk from our vacation homes Arch Cape Oceanside Escape and The House at Arch Cape.
Read our Blog Post to learn more about the history of Hug Point!
Unwind After Your Hike
Neahkahnie Mountain
Neahkahnie Mountain, Oregon offers an unparalleled view down the coast, looking onto the town of Manzanita, Nehalem Bay and the hills and trees and ocean beyond. The 1.5 mile hike in allows hikers to surround themselves with the silence of the Oregon forest before bursting through the trees onto the viewpoint at the top of the mountain.
- As you hike, small peeks through the trees here and there reveal Haystack Rock at a distance.
- If you are fortunate enough, the morning fog will get cut through by the sun, creating a picture-perfect scene of tree silhouettes and sunbeams.
- If you hike in the spring, you will get to enjoy the wild roses and berries that grow along parts of the path as well as the dainty wildflowers that are perched at the top of Neahkahnie.
How to Find Neahkahnie Mountain’s South Trailhead:
The easiest approach is on highway 101, between mileposts 41 and 42 there is a brown hiker symbol sign across from Sunset Drive.
Drive .4 miles down a gravel road to the wide parking area.
How to Find Neahkahnie Mountain’s North Trailhead:
A secondary way to approach this hike is to park a shuttle car on Highway 101 and go up and over the mountain towards Devil’s Cauldron. This adds 2 miles and thick, lush forests to your hike- definitely worthwhile!
