​Cannon Beach, a picturesque small-town village by the sea is easily walkable while exploring meandering pathways, enjoy public art and courtyards spilling over with flowers. Known as one of the NWs top art towns, it's filled with art studios and galleries, specialty shops, cafes and fine dining. Watch glassblowers at work or attend live theater year around.
The loveliest in a string of Oregon beaches, this northern strand of sand isn’t meant for swimming, but is perfect for strolling, sharing special conversations, and daydreaming and is perfect for people seeking quiet, seclusion, and long lazy walks on a windswept shore. . .
Cannon Beach most famous landmark is Haystack Rock. Walk out to get the best view of the massive Haystack Rock*, one of the largest monoliths in the world. Fly colorful kites in the brisk breeze. Admire—but don’t bother—the marine life that dwells in the tide pools. Save time to visit nearby Ecola State Park, with its panoramic vistas of Oregon’s rugged coast. Grab your binoculars to see picturesque Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, far out to sea. ​

Where's the Cannon at Cannon Beach?
Where did that name ever come from? Was there a fort with cannons? Nope, here's the truth behind the name, Cannon Beach.
The U.S. Schooner Shark was sent to give comfort and encouragement to the Americans in the Oregon Territory. She entered the Columbia in July 1846 and promptly ran aground. High tide and local help freed the ship and the crew proceeded up the river as far as The Dalles. On their return trip, the schooner again grounded on Sept. 10, and this time the Shark broke apart.
Part of the hull of the Shark, with three cannons attached, found its way to a beach about 25 miles south at Cannon Beach. One cannon was retrieved in 1898 and today’s Cannon Beach is named for it and is housed in the Cannon Beach History Center. (Request (ahead of time) up to 1 hour free on your tour to see the cannon, a must-see)

Haystack Rock is a 235-foot volcanic sea stack (a vertical column of rock in the sea near the coast formed by wave erosion) in Cannon Beach, Oregon. It is a National Wildlife Refuge where you'll discover colorful tide pools and nesting seabirds like the Tufted Puffins (right).

• Tufted puffins form dense breeding colonies during the summer reproductive season. During the winter feeding season, they spend their time almost exclusively at sea
• Found only in the North Pacific, they nest mostly in deep burrows that it digs into cliffs with its bill and feet. These burrows can be more than 5 feet deep.
• They dive, capture and hold multiple small fish crosswise in its bill, routinely 5 to 20 fish at a time, for delivery to chicks at the nest. Adults eat their own food while still under water.
• The oldest recorded Tufted Puffin was at least 6 years old when it was found in Alaska, the same state where it had been banded.

It is the third-tallest (after the Rock of Gibraltar and Beacon Rock) such "inter-tidal" (meaning it can be reached by land) structure in the world. The monolithic rock is accessible by foot at low tide.  The tide pools are home to many inter-tidal animals, including starfish, sea anemone, crabs, chitons, limpets, and sea slugs. It's a bird sanctuary and a nesting site for sea birds, including terns and puffins. Admire—but don’t bother—the marine life that dwells in the tide pools.
Composed of basalt, it was formed by lava flows emanating from the Columbia R. Basalts/Yellowstone Caldera Supervolcanos 15 million years ago.  Over 300 separate flows emanated from these calderas.  The lava flows traveled hundreds of miles and created many of the Oregon coast's natural features, including Tillamook Head, Arch Cape, and Saddle Mountain. Included is our own Gingko Flow, which in the space of a week traveled over 300 miles to what is now Cannon Beach, burrowing into the soft ocean sediment and in various spots re-erupting on the sea floor (then 1,000 feet lower than it is now), forming secondary, or “submarine” volcanoes. The now-eroded throat of one such formation is Haystack Rock.
Three smaller, adjacent rock formations to the south of Haystack Rock are collectively called "The Needles"
The best way to view it is up close, barefoot on the beach. Haystack Rock is a designated Marine Garden; therefore, do not take anything from the area and do not climb the rock!...even though it's tempting.
Use extreme caution while in this area, the tides are swift and easily catch the unaware visitor. If you plan of strolling the beach, beware of the tides...we don't want anyone drifting out to sea or caught somewhere high on a rock surrounded by raging sea waves. Also, as you stroll the beach, you'll often find sand dollars and a variety of shells. Occasionally you'll find the old-fashioned glass floats.

"Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata)" by Gregory 'Slobirdr' Smith is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

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