NASHCO PHOTO (2) Haystack Rock Just south of Cannon Beach’s midtown, Haystack Rock remains the undeniable top draw. The 235-foot-high basalt sea stack is so close to shore, you can walk to it twice a day at seasonal low tides. You can also walk to two adjacent rock formations (known as the Needles) when the tide recedes and exposes pools full of intertidal life. Many seabirds frequent Cannon Beach’s coastal cliffs, but tufted puffins steal the show from April through July with cartoonish orange beaks and black football-shaped bodies. More than 100 of these birds nest on Haystack Rock each spring, diving into the Pacific and winging through the water to feed on herring and smelt. While Haystack Rock is beloved as a uniquely Oregon viewpoint, it’s also a critical coastal environment worthy of protection for future generations. From mid-February to November 28, knowledgeable interpreters and volunteers with the Haystack Rock Awareness Program educate thousands of beachgoers. “We’re teaching people how to interact with the marine environment,” explains program director Kelli Ennis. “We do that through education — helping people understand how rich it is, how important it is and how fragile it is.” Wearing bright-red coats, this group explains that barnacles are actually living creatures and why the Haystack Rock area is protected as an Oregon Marine Garden and part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. “No one wants to see this area loved to death,” remarks Ennis. “The more people learn about Haystack Rock, the more they appreciate it. We enjoy seeing people have that awakening. It’s so much more than a rock.” Exploring Haystack Rock AND THE BEACHES OF CANNON BEACH Cannon Beach certainly has plenty of beaches to love. At the community’s north end, Ecola State Park hides crescents of sand between towering headlands cloaked in old-growth spruce and hemlock. From there a wide beach unfurls all the way to Hug Point, some 6 miles south. Tide pools at Haystack Rock Haystack Rock cannonbeach.org 7
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==