Haystack Rock: How To Get There, Parking, History, and More!
4 minute read | Contains affiliate links
Haystack Rock is one of Oregon’s most recognizable landmarks and has been featured in countless publications, TV shows, and movies (The Goonies being the most infamous).
Rising 235-feet above this beautiful stretch of coastline, this huge stack of basalt rock features amazing geology, colorful tide pools, and is the seasonal home to the Tufted Puffin.
Haystack Rock has been on our Oregon wish list for a while now and recently, we were finally fortunate enough to visit.
We had a great time and were in awe of its commanding presence, but there were a few things we wish we’d known before going.
With that in mind, we wrote this comprehensive guide to help your visit go much smoother. In it, we’re going to cover: finding parking, it’s history, hotels, when to go and more!
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Directions to Cannon Beach
Haystack Rock is located in the famous, coastal community of Cannon Beach, Oregon. Many films and TV shows, such as The Goonies and Kindergarten Cop were filmed here.
It’s no wonder, as Cannon Beach features miles of pristine, jaw-dropping coastline views, multiple beaches, a waterfall, and multiple shops, restaurants, and hotels.
With Portland being Oregon’s most visited city, visitors to the City of Roses will be happy to know that Cannon Beach is a fairly easy day-trip from there (and other cities).
From Portland:
Make your way to US-26. Take the westbound section for roughly 75-miles
You’ll then begin seeing signs for US-101 south towards Cannon Beach/Tillamook. Take that for about 5-miles
When you see the exit sign for Sunset blvd, take it and merge onto the main road
From Astoria:
Take US-101 south for about 26-miles
Take the Sunset blvd exit
From Vancouver:
Take I-5 south into Portland (about 2-miles)
Take I-405 across the Fremont Bridge
Merge onto US-26 west for 75-miles
Take US-101 south towards Cannon Beach/Tillamook for 5-miles
Take the exit for Sunset blvd
Haystack Rock Parking & Entrances
This is a point of contention amongst people visiting Haystack Rock and is one of the things we wish we’d known before going.
There are two main parking areas and entrances to the beach that houses Haystack. One is what we refer to as the, “Tik Tok”, entrance and the other is the day-use entrance.
Hemlock Street Entrance
We refer to it as the “Tik Tok” entrance because we discovered it on the popular short-video app (as a million others have) and assumed it to be the only entrance.
*If you don’t know what we’re talking about, you can watch our Tik-Tok clip of it here.
This (admittedly cool) entrance can be found near the corner of South Hemlock street and View Point Terrace in a residential neighborhood.
Next to the corner of these two streets is a small pullout. It’s big enough to fit about three normal sized vehicles. There is no other legal parking here.
*Arrive EARLY if you want to park here!
Directly across the street from this pullout you’ll see a wooden deck, stairwell, and bench situated in between two (very nice) houses.
At first, it’ll look like a private entrance to one of the houses but fret not. It’s a 100% public-use, legal entrance to the beach.
You’ll walk down an alley along a dirt path between those two houses. Haystack Rock will soon come into view and you’ll descend the final stairwell to the beach.
The Ecola Court Entrance
This entrance, while nowhere near as unique and cool as the Hemlock one, will still get the job done as it provides easy access to Haystack and a plethora of (free) parking.
The Haystack Rock Park & Ride parking lot is located along South Hemlock Street at the corner of Gower Ave. It’s a large lot that also has three RV spaces.
*Across the street from this parking lot is a small public restroom
Simply park your vehicle, walk down Gower Ave towards the beach, and turn left on Ecola Court. You’ll see the entrance and Haystack Rock straight ahead.
Haystack Rock Tide Pools
This is something else we didn’t think to check before going but fortunately, we arrived right at low tide when the tide pools were visible.
This marine garden is flushed with sea life. During our visit, we spotted crabs, starfish, mussels, and anemones.
You’re allowed to enter and explore the tide pools, but only during low tide. This is the only time they are visible and accessible.
Volunteers from the Haystack Rock Awareness Program are there from Spring to Fall to show you around and answer questions (they’ll be the ones in the red jackets).
Be sure to time your visit by checking tide times here.
Seeing the Tufted Puffins
We were here in March, so the Tufted Puffins hadn’t quite made their way to Haystack Rock yet. They usually arrive in late April and leave in September.
So while we were mostly treated to your garden variety Seagulls, Mother Nature did provide us with a special treat; a Bald Eagle.
When it landed on the rock, the Seagulls went ballistic (according the volunteer, they don’t get along all too well). Unfortunately, my lens couldn’t zoom in enough to get a shot, but it was awesome to see nonetheless.
Haystack Rock Formation
Haystack Rock was formed 15-16 million years ago by, you guessed it, volcanic activity from the Blue Mountains and Columbia Basin.
It was once part of the rugged coastal cliffs but was eventually separated from it due to erosion from the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean.
The jagged stacks adjacent to Haystack, also formed by lava, are collectively referred to as, “The Needles”. Both are made up of basalt rock.
Best Time to Go
There’s no real bad time to go and mostly depends on your personal preferences.
Winter: While not an ideal time due to how cold it is, you’ll experience minimal to no crowds (which isn’t a bad thing). You may also experience the rarity of seeing Haystack with a coating of snow.
Spring: This is when we were here and we found the weather to be perfect. It was a bit chilly in the morning but around mid-morning it began to warm up. Also, crowds weren’t bad and parking was plentiful.
Summer: Do we even need to say it? Yes? Ok…Hot, crowded, and lodging is super expensive. Don’t do it if you can avoid it. On the other hand, rain is minimal.
Fall: It starts raining regularly again, but summer crowds start tapering off and lodging becomes a little more affordable.
Hotels
We visited Haystack Rock and Cannon Beach as a day trip from Portland, so we didn’t stay in any of the hotels.
However, we did research a few of the top rated ones near Haystack Rock and can recommend some of them. They are:
Hallmark Resort & Spa Cannon Beach: This is a beautiful hotel super close to the beach with rooms offering amazing views of Haystack Rock and the ocean.
Surfsand Resort: Another beautiful that offers rooms with a view of the beach. This one is also super close to the Ecola Court entrance to Haystack.
The Courtyard: This charming hotel features cozy rooms, a cafe, and is perfectly situated between Haystack Rock and the many shops/restaurants of Cannon Beach.
A Quick Note….
We’re often asked about the equipment we use to capture the photos on our website. Below, we’ve added Amazon links to those products and others that we recommend.
If you decide to purchase, Amazon will pay us a small commission. This helps us keep Inked with Wanderlust running and doesn’t cost you anything extra.
“Understanding Exposure” by Bryan Peterson (this book is a great resource for anyone starting out in photography)
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting us!
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