Tolovana Beach Wayside - Cannon Beach & Haystack Rock Access

Tolovana Beach Wayside with adjusted to it Tolovana Beach is a scenic location near the town of Cannon Beach. This is a fantastic spot to take in stunning views of the Pacific Ocean, see iconic Haystack Rock, leisurely walk along the sandy shore, watch wildlife, and more. You can also enjoy surfing, kite surfing, beachcombing, tidepool watching, and other exciting activities here.

The beach stretches for about two miles and then turns into Cannon Beach at the northern edge. This allows for an extended stroll and you can also visit a unique rock formation - Haystack Rock. This is one of the 3 Haystack Rocks in Oregon, a 235-foot monolith towering over the beach. During low tide, you can actually walk to the rock and enjoy tidepools.

Tidepool watching is one of the most popular activities at the beach. These pools are teeming with life, so take your time to explore and discover different sea anemones, starfish, crabs, sea slugs, and other creatures of the ocean. You can also observe shorebirds and other wildlife on the beach, sea stacks, and the surrounding area. You can spot black oystercatchers, cormorants, seagulls, puffins, and other birds here.

Tolovana Beach is a fantastic spot for beachcombing. You can find a variety of sea shells of all kinds, weathered float wood of interesting shapes, and even an occasional agate. Since this is a sandy beach, there aren't many rocks to come by, but you can spot some at times, especially after storms or king tides.

When you are around the Tolovana Beach State Recreation Site, you can notice other local residents - big families of black, white, and brown bunnies! In the 1980s a few bunnies were released by a family living here. Later, in the 1990s another family decided to release more bunnies. In the early 2010s, these creatures moved to the Tolovana Beach area because of fewer predators there.

Visitors and residents feed the colony leading to an even bigger growth of the population. While some really enjoy bunnies and even propose to make them a symbol of the town, others want to deal with such an infestation. Despite being cute animals, a concentration of them do damage to the property including making burrow holes in the ground, damaging grass, and leaving feces.

Tolovana Beach State Recreation Site has plentiful parking, restrooms, and even a kids' playground! Beach access is easy with a simple walk. Despite ample parking, this is a very popular place due to its proximity to Portland. There are additional access points to the beach with regular parking and even street parking. If you park on the street, please make sure not to block access to local residents and businesses. The town of Cannon Beach offers lodging and plenty of things to do including shopping and dining options.