Ecola State Park & GPS
Clatsop Loop Trail, Indian Beach, Tillamook Head. Hiking.
Scenery at Ecola State Park, Indian Beach and Tillamook Head.The lighthouse in the image, seen from Ecola State Park, can be viewed full screen size at the Oregon Coast photos album. Scroll, go to slideshow, and find tiny text " original " below the table of EXIF data. Ecola State Park is about 20 minutes north of Neahkahnie Mountain and trail. Please take time to enlarge images full size: you'll appreciate the detail, like the image taken from a helicopter.
GPS
45.919438, -123.973873 for the parking lot of Ecola State Park
45.937086, -124.018817 for the Tillamook Rock lighthouse offshore
45.937086, -123.931043 Indian Beach parking, and Clatsop Loop trail
Click one of these for
Ecola State ParkThese parks, beaches and trails on the Oregon Coast are easy to find. Take Highway 101 to the town of Cannon Beach. The highway 101 exit closest to the north end of town is most practical. Follow signs or ask for directions to Ecola State Park: but its close. The driveway is barely 2 minutes off the coast hightway. The park and lane are at the north edge of Cannon Beach. The same driveway leads to Indian Beach, Tillamook Head and Clatsop Loop Trail.
The other option, is to enter Seaside, and find the Tillamook Head and Clatsop Loop Trail parking lot at the south end of town, near the beach. The Clatsop Loop Trail is part of the Oregon Coast Trail system that spans most of the Oregon coast.
The Oregon Coast Album, also available below, contains quite a few images of Ecola State Park and views from it's paths and hillsides, such as the lighthouse, Cannon Beach city and the Pacific Ocean.
Not only does the park have an impressive forest of evergreen trees, ferns and other plant, there is a wide variety of mushrooms and fungi; especially in the autumn. In the Oregon Mushroom Photo Album, also available below, several of the colorful fungi photos were photographed in Ecola State Park. Many mushrooms in other photos - like the coast range examples - can also be found in Ecola State Park.
Ecola State Park has several trails. Some lead down to the sandy beach with driftwood and interesting rock formations. An upper trail offers scenic views, whale watching in winter and spring, Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, native plants and large evergreen trees.
Another trail meanders north to Indian Beach. Indian Beach is a long section of beach with sand, boulders, cobble, aquatic animals, tidepools and driftwood.
Clatsop Loop Trail is a hiking trail that crosses Tillamook Head between Indian Beach and the south end of Seaside, Oregon.
Clatsop Loop Trail offers the opportunity to walk and expore the same path as Captain Clark of the Lewis & Clark Expedition of "the grandest and most pleasing prospects which my eyes ever surveyed, in front of a boundless Ocean...."
Ecola State Park, Indian Beach and Clatsop Loop Trail can offer a full day of enjoyment, or more. There are some primitive cabins available at Ecola State Park. Contact the Oregon State Parks about the cabins.
This is one experience where you may want extra camera batteries, film or image storage. Bring a windbreaker or sweatshirt along just in case. Sometimes the wind makes the air seem chilly.
The paths and trails are maintained well. For many years, people have managed to get down to the beach on the west side of the park, which would be toward an "ocean's view" when driving down to the parking lot.
This continual exploration to the west side beach has worn crude trails. This area requires caution. It's not part of the park trail system, and there can be risk involved.
The driveway lane has been maintained well. It's wide enough for two vehicles, but there is not much room to spare. Be sure to slow down for each curve in the road.
By Ecola State Park and Indian Beach, you can clearly see Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, once known as "Terrible Tilly" due to the severe winter storms which battered the rock with enormous waves..
Some albums from Oregon and nearby.
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