Cannon Beach is a small coastal town on the northern Oregon coast, about an hour and a half drive from Portland. The beach is broad and sandy, backed by forest-covered headlands, and dominated by Haystack Rock — a 72-metre sea stack rising directly from the surf just offshore. Haystack Rock is one of the most photographed landmarks on the Oregon coast and accessible on foot at low tide, where tidepools around its base hold starfish, anemones, and other marine life.
The town itself is unhurried and artsy, with a good selection of galleries and bookshops along Hemlock Street. It fills up considerably in summer — particularly around the Sandcastle Festival in June — and books out quickly on summer weekends. Coming in the off-season means fewer crowds and the dramatic winter storms that roll in off the Pacific.
Cannon Beach makes a good base for exploring the surrounding coast. Ecola State Park, just north of town, offers hiking trails along clifftops with sweeping views over the ocean and the sea stacks. Tolovana Beach extends the sand south of town. Seaside, to the north, is more family-oriented and commercial; the town of Manzanita to the south is quieter and similarly scenic.