PNWSights

What to see near Stephanie Inn

2740 S Pacific Street·Cannon Beach, OR·stephanie-inn.com

Haystack Rock rises just steps from the inn, 235 feet of dark basalt planted in the surf like something the ocean forgot to swallow. Walk toward it at low tide and the sand between you and the rock comes alive, the tide pools filling with sea stars, anemones, and the quiet industry of creatures going about their business at the edge of two worlds. If you want something wilder and less walked, drive a few miles south to Hug Point, where a small waterfall spills directly onto the beach and sea caves open into the cliff face. Ecola State Park sits just north, its forested headland dropping to views of Crescent Beach and the sea stacks beyond, the kind of coastline that makes the word "dramatic" feel entirely earned.

Within 25 miles · ranked by scenic score

8 Places Worth Seeing

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A white sea slug with bright orange speckles clings to a shallow tide pool beside dark brown seaweed and wet sand. The clear water reveals the sandy rock beneath, with soft reflections and scattered bubbles around the marine life.
Photogenic
39

Cannon Beach, OR

Cannon Beach Tide Pools

The tide pools surrounding Haystack Rock and adjacent Needles rocks form one of the richest intertidal areas on the northern Oregon Coast. Species include colorful sea anemones, sea stars, mussels, hermit crabs, and nudibranchs. The area is protected as a Marine Garden and touching or removing marine life is prohibited.

morningspring · summer
Haystack Rock rises beside a smaller sea stack under a gray sky, with both formations reflected in the wet, mirror-like sand at low tide. Gentle waves line the horizon, and the broad beach emphasizes the rock’s massive scale.
Coastline
39

Cannon Beach, OR

Haystack Rock

A 235-foot basalt sea stack that is one of the most recognizable landmarks on the Oregon Coast. The rock is home to tufted puffins during nesting season and is surrounded by tide pools rich with marine life. It is accessible on foot at low tide from Cannon Beach.

golden hourspring · summer
Wide view of Hug Point’s broad sandy beach at low tide, with a pebbled foreground and weathered driftwood logs leading toward a rocky headland topped with wind-bent evergreens. The afternoon light casts crisp shadows across the shore under a clear blue sky.
Hidden Gems
27

Cannon Beach, OR

Hug Point State Recreation Site

A beach with a small waterfall that cascades directly onto the sand, sea caves, and remnants of a historic road carved into the rocky headland. At low tide, visitors can walk around the point to access additional coves and rock formations. The waterfall and cave features make it unique among Oregon Coast beaches.

afternoonspring · summer
Golden-hour view from Ecola Point looking south along Crescent Beach, with steep grassy headlands in the foreground, scattered sea stacks offshore, and the coast fading toward distant dark mountains under a soft pink-orange sky. The calm ocean and layered cliffs create a wide, panoramic coastal scene.
Parks & Wilderness
32

Cannon Beach, OR

Ecola State Park

A state park on Tillamook Head offering elevated views of Crescent Beach, sea stacks, and the coastline stretching south to Haystack Rock. The park features old-growth Sitka spruce forest and was a filming location for several movies. Trails connect to Indian Beach and the Tillamook Head Trail.

golden hourspring · summer
The rusted iron ribs of the Peter Iredale shipwreck lean sharply across the dark sand, with shallow water pooled at its base reflecting the wreck. A clear blue sky and low dunes frame the weathered skeleton on the open beach.
Coastline
38

Astoria, OR

Peter Iredale Shipwreck

The rusted iron skeleton of the four-masted sailing ship Peter Iredale, which ran aground in 1906, sits partially buried in the sand at Fort Stevens State Park. It is one of the most accessible and photographed shipwrecks on the Pacific Coast. The wreck's iron ribs create dramatic foreground elements against ocean and sky.

blue hourspring · summer
Wide panoramic view from high above Astoria, with the pale green Astoria-Megler Bridge stretching across the Columbia River beyond forested hills and a cluster of homes. The scene is hazy in soft golden light, with distant shoreline and water fading into blue-gray layers.
Photogenic
52

Astoria, OR

Astoria Column

A 125-foot tower atop Coxcomb Hill featuring a spiral frieze depicting regional history and a 164-step interior staircase leading to an observation deck. The summit provides 360-degree views of the Columbia River, Pacific Ocean, Youngs Bay, and surrounding mountains. It was built in 1926 and modeled after Trajan's Column in Rome.

golden hourspring · summer
Weathered wooden cannery piers frame a narrow channel of green water, with a pale industrial building and metal tower on the left. A boardwalk with railings runs along the right edge beside a tree with deep red leaves, all under bright daylight.
Photogenic
51

Astoria, OR

Astoria Riverwalk (Trolley Trail)

A 6.4-mile waterfront trail along the Columbia River featuring restored cannery piers, the Astoria Riverwalk Trolley, and views of passing cargo ships and the Astoria-Megler Bridge. Historic buildings, boat docks, and sea lion haul-outs line the route. The trail follows the route of the former Astoria and Columbia River Railroad.

blue hourspring · summer
The Astoria-Megler Bridge arcs across the wide Columbia River, its pale green steel truss and massive support piers stretching toward the distant shoreline. In the foreground, a hillside neighborhood of houses and trees drops to the water, with hazy mountains filling the background.
Photogenic
51

Astoria, OR

Astoria-Megler Bridge

The longest continuous truss bridge in North America, spanning 4.1 miles across the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington. The bridge's sweeping curve and massive steel structure create compelling compositional lines. It is especially photogenic in fog or at twilight when the bridge lights illuminate.

blue hourspring · summer

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