Ecola Point to Indian Beach Hike

Beginning at Ecola Point, this Oregon Coast Trail hike combines lush coastal forest, sweeping ocean views, and a scenic descent to Indian Beach.

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 coastal town known for its shops, restaurants, and art galleries. The park has two main parking areas: Ecola Point and Indian Beach. While you can drive directly to Indian Beach, hiking there from Ecola Point is well worth the extra effort for the coastal viewpoints and the scenic walk through a dense Sitka spruce forest.

This is a popular trail, and there was no shortage of people enjoying the beautiful weekday weather when we visited.

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.

Beyond the viewpoint, the trail continues uphill before leveling out on a wide path that roughly parallels the park road. This section of forest is filled with nurse logs — old stumps and fallen trees slowly decaying while providing the nutrients and foundation for a new generation of trees to take root.

Around the one-mile mark, the trail turns back toward the coast, where several closed side trails mark former routes that were lost to landslides.

As the trail descends toward Indian Beach, a series of viewpoints offers beautiful views of the coastline before several short paths lead down to the sand. We took the left fork, which quickly reaches the beach near the rocky base of Bald Point.

We were short on time, so we only stayed long enough for a snack break before hiking back the way we came. It’s always a beautiful place to spend a few hours on the Oregon Coast.