Category: Oregon Coast

Beach Fire Ban Lifted: Break out the S’mores

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Cannon Beach fire ban lifted
(Photo: Jon Martin)

The Oregon State Parks Department announced today, August 29, that the fire ban in place for most of the summer has been lifted for Cannon Beach and other North Oregon beaches and parks.

Specifically, the ban has been lifted north of the Umpqua River (Roseburg area). *

For Labor Day visitors to Cannon Beach, that’s great news just in time for the three day weekend.  It’s time to break out sweatshirts, beach blankets and makings for S’Mores. 

The weekend forecast calls for mostly sunny days, but evening temperatures are expected to drop to a brisk mid 50 degrees.  Perfect for a beach bonfire! 

Tolovana Inn has a special S’Mores‘ package for four including roasting sticks, chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers.  You can also get firewood from Tolovana Inn.   Just call ahead to reserve your supplies–800-333-8890.

A cozy beach fire is a perfect wind down for what many people consider the final weekend of summer vacation, especially for those whose lives revolve around school calendars.

For others, the months of September and October are typically inviting too, for bundling up around an outdoor fire.

 

*Two exceptions are Alfred Loeb and Saddle Mountain Parks, where the fire ban remains. 

 

 

Cannon Beach is in the middle of some of the most scenic hiking trails in the Northwest!

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Just minutes from the Tolovana Inn are some of Oregon’s most beautiful beaches and coastline

Ecola State Park offers an adventure through lush rain-forest, where hikers will find some of the world’s tallest trees. Hike past old-growth Sitka Spruce to the end of Cape Falcon where you’ll take in the most breathtaking views.  Many of the best hikes can be found just minutes away in Ecola State Park, accessed via Ecola Park Road at the north end of Cannon Beach. The Park offers options for easy, paved accessible trails from the Ecola Point viewpoint to options for longer multiple mile hikes. An Oregon State Parks pass, Oregon Pacific Coast Passport or $5 day-use fee is required for parking.

Neahkahnie Mountain and the more challenging Saddle Mountain.  Walk through wildflower-covered meadows, miles of uninterrupted beaches, or connect with a portion of the 382-mile Oregon Coast Trail. You’ll find everything from moderate to challenging hiking trails and accessible pathways suitable for all ages and abilities.

Oswald West State Park, located about 10 minutes south of Cannon Beach, offers several interconnected hiking trails with many options for hikers of all levels including a 13-mile section of the Oregon Coast Trail.

Necarney Creek to Elk Flats: From the smaller parking area just south of the main Oswald West parking lot, the Necarney Creek Trail descends into the rain-forest and connects to the Elk Flats Trail south, offering about a 1.5 mile walk through forests, emerging at meadows frequented by elk and eventually leading to a short spur trail to sheer cliffs overlooking Devil’s Cauldron.

 TRAILS – Perfect for the entire family and any level of hiker

Tillamook Head Trail: From the trail-head at Indian Beach, hikers can follow the route taken by a party of explorers from the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1806. This segment of the Oregon Coast Trail leads from Indian Beach about six miles to the northern trail-head in south Seaside.

Clatsop Loop Trail: This three-mile loop trail from Indian Beach begins along a gravel service road, passes through rain-forest and finally emerges at a small hikers’ camp where a nearby viewpoint overlooks the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse. Hikers can then return to Indian Beach via a portion of the Oregon Coast Trail.

Cape Falcon Trail: A 2.3-mile hike leads from the trail head parking area on the west side of Highway 101, through coastal rain-forest to the end of Cape Falcon. The trail emerges from the forest at the end of the cape through hedges of salal and wild roses, offering views north to Tillamook Head and south to Cape Lookout.

Cannon Beach Nature Trail: This trail includes a paved portion that follows a bend of Ecola Creek, past wetlands and emerging at 2nd Street at the City Park. A gravel portion of the trail circles the ponds at the east end of 2nd Street and a south spur of the trail passes through a Spruce forest reserve.

Short Sand Beach Trail: A half-mile walk through the woods and along a creek leads to Short Sand Beach in Oswald West State Park.

Come Celebrate! May 13th 50th Anniversary of Oregon’s Beach Bottle Bill & Mom’s Day!

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Cannon Beach kicks off Oregon’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Beach Bill on May 13 with a series of events for the entire family!

The Beach Bill was the landmark legislation passed by the Oregon Legislature in 1967 assuring that all of Oregon’s beaches would remain public.

A full day of activities are planned for Saturday, May 13th!

  • The construction of a more than six-foot sandcastle by the master sand sculpting team Form Finders
  • Beach Bicycling and stand-up paddle boarding demonstrations
  • Cannon Beach’s Haystack Rock Awareness Program will offer tide pool interpretive information on the beach including spotting scopes to view nesting Tufted Puffins and other seabirds on Haystack Rock.
  • The North Coast Land Conservancy will offer a guided hiking tour on the beach from Haystack Rock to Silver Point with professional geologist Tom Horning
  • And a variety of commemorative presentations by local and state dignitaries
  • Saturday’s festivities also include music by Slater Smith of the Portland band, The Weather Machine. The presentation will showcase the band’s collaboration with Oregon State Parks, a music video shot on location at nearly 200 Oregon State Parks

      

  • Cannon Beach’s Beach Bill anniversary celebration will wrap up with a public bonfire and free s’mores on the beach near the Gower Street beach access near where one of the now iconic Associated Press photos of was taken on that historic day in 1967

Thanks to the Beach Bill, the State of Oregon has what is considered the best legal protection for the public’s use of and access to its coastal land.

This historic date in Oregon history coincides with this year’s Mother’s Day, an always-popular weekend in Cannon Beach, so plan now to celebrate mom and Oregon’s public beaches.

Curious about Vessels off the Oregon Coast?

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Ship Finder App lets you track vessels

Ship Finder App lets you track vessels

Ever been curious about the ships and yachts off the Oregon Coast?

Port pilots, dockworkers, ship spotters, and maritime enthusiasts rely on Ship Finder, an app that identifies commercial vessels and pleasure craft.

You can view the information online or on your smart phone.  Track a friend on a ship or boat, or just learn more about the vessels at sea.

The Ship Finder App can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.  The App works by picking up ship feeds used by commercial and pleasure vessels to transmit their name, position and status.   The radio transmissions are sent to internet servers and uploaded onto live data coverage maps.  It’s a fun way to see all the traffic on the water.

If you have ever been curious  about the ships from around the world or the yachts from afar that travel off the Oregon coast, to the Port of Astoria and up the Columbia River, Ship Finder is how you can learn more.

Tolovana Inn’s ocean front rooms are great for spotting vessels at sea.

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Cannon Beach first among “10 Beaches That Are Better in the Off Season”

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Accordinbeach fireg to a recent online article in The Huffington Post, Cannon Beach tops the list of the 10 Beaches That Are Better in the Off Season.    Key reasons cited are smaller crowds, empty swaths of sandy beaches and lower lodging rates in September and beyond.

Specifically, the article points out how Cannon Beach visitors can cozy up into the evening with a twilight bonfire and a fine bottle of wine to watch some of the year’s most incredible sunsets.    Unlike other beaches, there is no rule against alcohol on the Oregon coastline.

Exploring the tide pools at Haystack Rock was also highlighted.  And, it goes on to point out that the wildlife really comes out when the crowds disperse, with lots of bird watching along the shore and at neighboring Ecola State Park where visitors can watch for elk and migrating grey whales offshore.

Storm chasers are advised that that fall and winter’s unpredictable weather that can bring crashing waves, best enjoyed from an oceanfront hotel.   Fortunately, Tolovana Inn’s ocean front rooms and suites are perfect for that.

Other notable beaches highlighted in the article include  Moshup Beach,  Massachusetts, near Martha’s Vineyard, Kennebunk Beach, in Maine,  Sunset Beach, North Carolina and  Pfeiffer Beach, California’s Highway 1, near Big Sur.  Rounding out the list are Shi Shi Beach, in the Olympic National Park, WA; Mackinac Island, Michigan; Cove Beach, New Jersey and Malaquite Beach, Texas on the Gulf of Mexico.