Ecola State Park and the Clatsop Loop Trail

3 miles

Moderate

800 ft gain

Pass required

Ecola State Park just north of Cannon Beach is one of the most breathtaking and magical places on the Oregon Coast. While most visitors just stop in to enjoy the views from Ecola Point, the hiking trails in Ecola are well worth exploring and a great way to get to know the park. Here is everything you need to know about visiting Ecola State Park and hiking one of its most rewarding trails, the Clatsop Loop Trail.

Know before you go

Parking at Ecola State Park requires the Oregon State Parks pass. You can purchase a day pass for $5 or an annual pass for $30 at the pay stations on-site.
The trails in Ecola State Park can get very muddy, especially in winter. Once I abandoned a hike because the mud reached mid-calf level. Bring hiking boots.
Ecola State Park is dog-friendly. Leashed dogs are welcome on the trails, including the Clatsop Loop Trail.
The roads in Ecola State Park are paved and in good condition. They are also very narrow, so take care when approaching curves with poor visibility.
There are restrooms at both parking areas in Ecola State Park. Look for a restroom building at Ecola Point and a vault toilet at the Indian Beach Trailhead.
There is a picnic area at Ecola Point and a small picnic area at Indian Beach. Both have views of the water.
Ecola State Park was a filming location for four different movies: Kindergarten Cop, The Goonies, Twilight, and Point Break. Look for a sign near the Clatsop Loop Trailhead that shows the filming sites.
The Clatsop Loop hike begins at the Indian Beach parking area and takes you to a viewpoint of Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, often called “Terrible Tilly,” Oregon’s only offshore lighthouse. Terrible Tilly was built in 1881 and sits on a basalt sea stack about a mile out in the ocean.
Ecola State Park is popular and can get very crowded, especially in the summer. I last visited on a cloudy Saturday in winter and had no trouble finding parking, but consider arriving early on beautiful summer weekends.

Navigating the park

There are two parking areas in Ecola State Park, one for Ecola Point and one for Indian Beach. Both have pay stations that accept credit cards.

You’ll enter Ecola State Park on a narrow winding road through a dense Sitka spruce forest. After 1.5 miles, there will be a fork in the road. Turning left will take you to the viewpoint at Ecola Point, which overlooks Crescent Beach, Cannon Beach, Terrible Tilly, and numerous dramatic sea stacks. Several hikes begin from Ecola Point, including the hike to Crescent Beach and the hike to Indian Beach.

Turning right at the fork brings you another 1.5 miles down the road to reach the parking lot at Indian Beach. This parking area is where the Clatsop Loop hike begins. I’d suggest stopping at both areas if you have time since the views are different.

Indian Beach at Ecola State Park — *Indian Beach*

Geology of Ecola State Park

Ecola State Park is one of the best places on the Oregon Coast to admire its unique geology. The beaches north of Tillamook Head are mostly long sandy stretches of coastline formed by sedimentary deposits. The area around Ecola State Park is where things start to get more interesting.

Around 15-17 million years ago, basaltic lava from fissures in northeastern Oregon traveled an incredible distance to reach the Pacific Ocean. When the lava reached the area around Ecola, it began to sink into the soft sediments of the ocean floor, intruding into the sandstone and shale there.

Basalt is fairly stable and resistant to erosion, like the sea stacks off the coast of Cannon Beach. Look for Haystack Rock from the overlook at Ecola Point. This distinctive cone-shaped rock formed when magma from the Columbia River Basalt Group pooled below the seafloor, forming an undersea volcano and erupting (or rather, re-erupting) offshore.

Ecola Point is the site of an active landslide and you’ll see signs there warning you to stay on established paths due to the instability of the cliffs. Sandstone and shale contribute to the erosion of Ecola Point in contrast to the more stable basalt sea stacks.

*Terrible Tilly from the Clatsop Loop Trail*

Wildlife of Ecola State Park

Ecola State Park is a great place to see wildlife on the Oregon Coast. Here are some of the animals to look for while you’re there:

Ecola State Park has overlooks that are perfect for whale watching. The winter migration from late December into January and the spring migration from March to June are the best times to see gray whales. Volunteers will be at Ecola State Park during the Whale Watching Spoken Here weeks at the end of December and March to help visitors spot whales.
Look for seals and sea lions out in the water. If you bring good binoculars, look for sea lions basking on the rocks around Terrible Tilly.
Roosevelt elk are frequent visitors to the park. Sunrise and just before dark are the best times to see them there.
Look for both sea and shore birds including bald eagles, pelicans, gulls, murres, and cormorants.
If you hike down to Crescent Beach at low tide, look for tidepool critters at the north end of the beach.

The Clatsop Loop Trail

Distance: 3-mile loop

Elevation gain: 800 feet

Difficulty: Moderate

Dog-friendly: Yes, leashed dogs are allowed on the trail.

Restrooms: Yes, vault toilet at the trailhead.

ADA access: Not on the trail. Indian Beach viewpoint and restrooms are accessible.

Hiking the Clatsop Loop Trail is one of the best ways to explore the forest of Ecola State Park. The trail begins at Indian Beach and makes a 3-mile, family-friendly loop out to a viewpoint for Tillamook Rock Lighthouse (aka Terrible Tilly). Although there is a fair amount of uphill walking, it’s all at the beginning of the hike and never gets too strenuous.

From the parking area, take a moment to admire the basalt cliffs around Indian Beach, then head past the restrooms to reach the trailhead. You’ll come to a fork in the trail right away. Follow it to the right (you’ll return on the trail to the left). The hike begins away from the water through a forest of Sitka spruce and Western hemlock. Despite being mostly a second-growth forest, you will see some massive trees along the trail as well as impressive sword ferns in the undergrowth.

The trail has regular markers numbered 1-14 to give you a sense of your progress as you go. You’ll also see a few interpretive signs along the way that provide information about the forest and the impressions of Lewis and Clark when they passed through the area.

Hiker’s camp on the Clatsop Loop — *Hiker’s camp*

At the top of the hill about 1.5 miles into the hike, you’ll pass the Hiker’s Camp which provides shelter for hikers on the Oregon Coast Trail. Continue straight past the Hiker’s Camp to make the short spur (1/8 mile) out to the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse Viewpoint. On the way, look for the moss-covered bunker that was part of an old WWII radar station. Continue on the wooden plank bridge over the muddy ground to reach the viewpoint. Gaps in the trees there provide the trail’s first great view of the ocean and Terrible Tilly. This viewpoint is a good place to look for whales.

After seeing the lighthouse, return to the Hiker’s Camp and continue on the loop trail. The rest of the hike is downhill and closer to the water. There are several ocean viewpoints along the way before you return to Indian Beach.

Once you’ve enjoyed the views at Indian Beach, make sure to check out Ecola Point on your way out of the park. You can drive to the parking area there or make an additional 5-mile out-and-back hike on the Indian Beach Trail.

Other Trails in Ecola State Park

Crescent Beach at Ecola State Park can only be accessed on foot, which keeps it from getting as crowded as many other beaches in the area. From the parking area at Ecola Point, take the Crescent Beach Trail for a 2.5-mile out-and-back hike. You’ll get great views of the sea stacks and a chance to see the caves and tunnels at Ecola Point. Look for tidepool life at low tide.
You can hike from Ecola Point to Indian Beach using a 5-mile out-and-back trail rather than driving between them. There are great ocean views at the beginning and end of this trail. Most of the hike is an inland trek through the woods, including sections of old-growth forest.
You can hike all the way to Seaside, Oregon on the Tillamook Head Trail. After reaching the Hiker’s Camp and lighthouse viewpoint from the Clatsop Loop Trail, continue toward Tillamook Head. A sign at the Hiker’s Camp will point the way. This hike is over 12 miles out and back. If you do the full hike, you may want to start at the Tillamook Head Trailhead in Seaside to skip the day-use fee for Ecola State Park.

More to see and do in Cannon Beach

After exploring Ecola State Park and the Clatsop Loop Trail, it’s worth spending some time in the quaint coastal town of Cannon Beach. Here are some suggestions for what to do there:

Public Coast Brewing Co. is just down the road from the entrance to Ecola State Park. Stop in for a beer and food made from seasonal ingredients after a day spent hiking. There is a cozy indoor space and a patio with fire pits.
Walk along Cannon Beach for a closer look at Haystack Rock. At low tide, look for tidepools there. Haystack Rock is a favorite nesting place for sea birds, including tufted puffins from around May to July. Binoculars help to get a better look at the birds.
Explore the shops and art galleries of downtown Cannon Beach.
Try out a wine tasting at Puffin Wines.

More to do near Cannon Beach

Whether you’re staying in Cannon Beach or are just in town for the day, there are tons of incredible things to see on this part of the Oregon Coast. When you finish the Clatsop Loop hike, you won’t be disappointed if you head south of Ecola State Park to check out the best stops from Cannon Beach to Manzanita.

*Trail to the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse Viewpoint*

Getting there

From Portland, take Highway 26 West for about 75 miles until your reach Highway 101. Take Highway 101 South for 3 miles then take the exit for Cannon Beach City Ctr/Ecola State Park. Turn right onto Ecola State Park Road. There will be a sign for the park entrance at the turn. Continue 1.5 miles to reach Ecola Point. The drive will take about 90 minutes.

From Seattle, take I-5 South into Oregon, then follow Highway 30 West to Highway 101 South. Stay on 101-S for about 20 miles and take the exit for Cannon Beach City Ctr/Ecola State Park. The drive will take about 4 hours.

Enjoy your trip to Ecola State Park!

With love,

Emma

Looking for more to do at the Coast? From north to south, here are trip suggestions and travel tips for:

Also, check out my guides to the wildlife of the Oregon Coast and Oregon geology.

Reference:

Miller, Marli Bryant. Roadside Geology of Oregon. Missoula, Montana: Mountain Press Publishing Company, 2014.