Ecola State Park
A winding Sitka-spruce approach opens onto sea stacks, surf, and nine miles of headland wrapped around Tillamook Head.
Artwork inspired by C. S. Price
Ecola State Park stretches for nine coastal miles between Cannon Beach and Seaside, but its drama begins before the ocean appears. The narrow entrance road threads through dense Sitka spruce, then breaks onto the grassy bluff at Ecola Point, where sea stacks lead the eye south toward Cannon Beach and the coast range.
The park works best as a comparison between two landscapes. Ecola Point supplies the broad geographic view; Indian Beach brings the headland down to surf, tide pools, and a sheltered cove. Between them, cliffside trails enter old-growth forest and expose a coast still shaped by erosion and active landslides. For a focused half day, start at Ecola Point, walk only the trail segment that conditions and ability support, then continue to Indian Beach; check current notices before committing to a longer Oregon Coast Trail or Clatsop Loop segment.
- Coastline
- 9 miles around Tillamook Head
- Landscape
- Sitka spruce, coves, and sea stacks
- Allow
- Half a day
Quick guide
- Begin
- Ecola Point bluff and sea-stack panorama
- Add
- Indian Beach or one open forest-trail segment
Pair the overlook with the forested coast
- Let the road set the scale
- The transition from enclosed spruce forest to open bluff is part of the discovery.
- Read a moving headland
- Look for slumps, tilted ground, eroding edges, and closure signs.
- Change altitude at Indian Beach
- Compare the high overlook with the cove at water level.
- Choose one trail deliberately
- Use current notices and the trail map before starting.
Good to know
The park sits on active landslide terrain, so a road or trail can close while the rest of Ecola remains open. Check the dated notices before leaving Cannon Beach, and do not count on completing a loop. Overnight parking is prohibited.
Notice these
- Ecola Point panorama
- Sitka-spruce entrance road
- Indian Beach surf and tide pools
- Cliffside Oregon Coast Trail