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5.0
2,134 votes

Haystack Rock

487 S Hemlock St, Cannon Beach, Oregon 97145 USA

Free
Free to Visit
Open Now
Mon 12a-11:59p
  • Independent
  • Pet Friendly
  • Not Wheelchair
    Accessible
  • No Public
    Restrooms
  • No Wifi
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Natural Wonder

Our Take

The coolest part of Oregon's public Pacific Ocean coastline? The many sea stacks, including the iconic Haystack Rock near Cannon Beach. It's 237 feet tall, and some claim its the third-largest intertidal structure in the world. The stack is a magnet for film buffs looking to sniff some waves and find some rich stuff, as it was featured in "The Goonies." It's best seen from the shores of Cannon Beach, Oregon's quaintest seaside community.

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“a gorgeous geological wonder”

Haystack Rock is a 235-foot sea stack in Cannon Beach, Oregon. It is sometimes claimed locally to be the third-tallest such "intertidal" structure in the world, but there are no official references to support this. A popular tourist destination, the monolithic rock is adjacent to the beach and accessible by foot at low tide. The Haystack Rock tide pools are home to many intertidal animals, including starfish, sea anemone, crabs, chitons, limpets, and sea slugs. The rock is also a nesting site for many sea birds, including terns and puffins. Haystack Rock is located about south of downtown Cannon Beach in Clatsop County and about west of Portland. The nearest major road is U.S. Route 101. Haystack Rock is part of the Tolovana Beach State Recreation Site. The area below the mean high water (MHW) level is managed by Oregon Parks and Recreation. The area above the MHW level is managed by the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

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Reviewed by
Nicholle

  • 20 Reviews
  • 15 Helpful
April 29, 2015
Rated 5.0

One of our favorite stops on our road trip....although it was in March so it was incredibly windy and chilly......absolutely amazing either way!

7 people found this review helpful
  • 1 Review
  • 6 Helpful
July 28, 2018
Rated 5.0

Great place to visit and ride a bike on beach is just amazing! If ur ever in this area check out hug point beach it’s still our favorite beach with kids and just to explore! Water is shallow in morning before 11 so u can explore lots more including caves wildlife and little waterfall leading to the ocean.. just turn to the right when u do down the stair and start exploring!

6 people found this review helpful

Reviewed by
madonnaregis

  • 2 Reviews
  • 3 Helpful
June 23, 2018
Rated 5.0

It was so beautiful! I loved it! Watch out for the tiny hill to the beach though, my first time there and on the way down, only feet away, I took a tumble and broke my foot! Couldn’t believe it! It had been overcast the day before when we got to our camp site and that morning, but as soon as we got to HayStack it had gotten sunny. I ended up going to the ER, getting a Boot for my foot, but we went back and I still enjoyed the beautiful view from the edge of the beach 5 stars Mother Earth! 2 big thumbs up!

2 people found this review helpful
  • 5 Reviews
  • 8 Helpful
September 17, 2015
Rated 5.0

I have never been to Cannon Beach and it was a beautiful day not too crowded the water was warm. It was a lovely day with beautiful views.

2 people found this review helpful

Reviewed by
wesonthego

  • 2 Reviews
  • 3 Helpful
August 17, 2015
Rated 5.0

First time in west coast (I'm east coast) and love it here! Very beautiful!

2 people found this review helpful
  • 7 Reviews
  • 10 Helpful
August 17, 2015
Rated 5.0

My wife and I made sure that we made it to Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach right before the sun was setting. We wanted to make sure we got some great pictures and a timelapse of the sunset.

Any person that grew up during the 80s should remember this rock formation from The Goonies movie... one of the reasons I knew we had to make it part of our trip! FYI, the Goonies house is just north of Cannon Beach in the city of Astoria.

This is a beautiful spot along the west coast and a place that my wife and I definitely plan to come back and visit again some time.

2 people found this review helpful

Reviewed by
Annie and Rod

  • 4 Reviews
  • 2 Helpful
July 15, 2022
Rated 4.0

Great Goonies add on to a cross country road trip. The day we visited Astoria and ventured down to Haystack looked like it was plucked out of the movie. Although there is no way those kids' road their bikes from their houses to Haystack :)
It was about mid-day, so the tide was coming back but seeing the giant rocks sticking up into the sky was awesome. Even if I wasn't there to appease my inner Goonie, it would have been a cool site.
Parking was tricky but we found a little layby at the top of one of the hills that could hold about 5 or 6 cars.
From there we walked about 10 minutes down to the beach just south of Haystack. The best part was Facetiming my kids and seeing their jealous faces :) and of course that my mom thought I was in Iowa... Not a geography major apparently. Definitely a worthwhile trip for any Goonie, or in the area for those non-Goonies.

1 person found this review helpful
  • 5 Reviews
  • 1 Helpful
July 09, 2018
Rated 5.0

Beautiful beach and very cool rock. Lots or creatures in the tide pools.

1 person found this review helpful

Reviewed by
LisaPerry

  • 8 Reviews
  • 3 Helpful
August 17, 2015
Rated

Great views of this rock from the scenic spots on the highway. A gorgeous and breathtaking coastal trip!

1 person found this review helpful

Reviewed by
Jeffrey Niles

  • 49 Reviews
  • 7 Helpful
July 07, 2023
Rated 4.0

Get there at low tide for the tide pools. Get there early for parking. And plan your trips to the public restrooms (they're not close).

It's a fun location for nostalgic reasons (Goonies anyone), but it's not quite what it was hyped to be. It's a nice beach, and there is some nice wildlife, but I've been to better tide pools for sure.

Still, it's definitely worth a visit if you're in the vicinity. Be sure to enjoy the views from up above by going south a little and taking advantage of the pull-out on the highway.

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Haystack Rock

487 S Hemlock St
Cannon Beach, Oregon
97145 USA
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Hours

Open 24 hours today
  • Sun - Sat: 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

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Good for bird watching, swimming, and 4 more activities. Has a Scenic vibe.

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    Pets Allowed
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    Restrooms
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    Wifi
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    Wheelchair Accessible
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