Ecola Point to Indian Beach Hike
distance: 4.7 miles (round trip)
elevation gain: 850 ft.
difficulty: easy
drive time from Portland: 1.5 hours
parking pass: Oregon State Parks Pass
tide tables: TidesChart – Cannon Beach
Ecola State Park is located at the north end of Cannon Beach, a small coastal town known for its shops, restaurants, and art galleries. Developed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the park has two main parking areas: Ecola Point and Indian Beach. While you can drive directly to Indian Beach, the hike from Ecola Point is a rewarding option for views of the coastline and the trail’s scenic stretch through dense Sitka spruce forest.
This trail has seen its share of landslides. A major slide in 2016 forced a long-term closure, and the rerouted trail finally reopened in 2020. The original path clung to the cliffs, but the new route heads inland, making the hike a bit longer. I hadn’t done this hike since 2013, when earlier storm damage and slides made it a muddy obstacle course.
From the parking area, the trail crosses a small bridge and climbs through the forest, reaching the first overlook of Indian Beach in less than a quarter mile. It was foggy when we started the hike but was supposed to clear mid-day.
From the viewpoint, the trail continues uphill before leveling onto a wide path that roughly parallels the road. This section of forest is filled with nurse logs – old stumps and fallen trees slowly decaying, yet supporting new growth as younger trees take root on top of them.
Around the one-mile mark, the trail swings back toward the coast, where closed side paths mark old routes lost to slides.
As the trail nears Indian Beach, there are several scenic views of the coastline, including Tillamook Rock Lighthouse about a mile offshore, perched on rugged rocks. Nicknamed “Terrible Tilly” for the dangerous seas that battered it, the lighthouse operated from 1881 to 1957.
Eventually the trail drops toward Indian Beach, with several options leading to the sand. Taking the left fork brings you down quickly, where the beach stretches south to the rocky base of Bald Point.
What started out as a foggy day ended up being warm and sunny when we reached the beach, where we took a long break before retracing our steps on the trail back to Ecola Point.
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