Ecola State Park

No visit to the Cannon Beach area would be complete without a stop at the pristine and magnificent Ecola State Park (open from 6 am to 10 pm daily year round; 503-436-2844). Ecola (“Whale Creek” to the native Indians) was the spot at which William Clark, Sacajawea, and the men of the Corps of Discovery traded with Tillamook Indians in 1806 for whale blubber and whale meat, in a no-doubt deliriously happy transaction to supplement their spartan and monotonous diets. So taken was Clark with this particular stretch of coastline, that an awestruck description appears in his journal. This 1,300-acre park includes a picture-perfect stretch of beach that’s great for walking. A waterside forest of old-growth Sitka spruce and western hemlock makes for a protected habitat for elk and deer. For a good 6-mile hike, try the Tillamook Head Trail beginning at Indian Beach. Prefer a short stroll to an amazing overlook? Try Ecola Point just 2 miles north of the park entrance, where a ¼-mile path leads you from the parking lot to the headlands.