Conditions are good today. Seaweed levels are low and the water is clear. No significant concerns.
Cannon Beach sits on Oregon's northern coast, 80 miles from Portland. The coastline here is wild and exposed to full Pacific swell energy. Haystack Rock is a protected marine garden: tide pools around it are some of the richest in the Pacific Northwest.
No Atlantic sargassum. Oregon's coast has native bull kelp and other seaweeds as part of a healthy ecosystem: these are natural and protected. The main considerations are cold water (50–55°F), strong rip currents, and sneaker waves.
Cannon Beach takes its name from a small cannon washed ashore from the U.S. Navy schooner 'Shark,' which wrecked near the Columbia River mouth in 1846: the cannon was found on the beach by early settlers and gave the town its name. The Lewis and Clark Expedition reached the Pacific Ocean near here in November 1805, completing their 8,000-mile journey from St. Louis: Clark carved his name, the date, and the number of people in the party into a tree at nearby Tillamook Head, marking the westernmost point of the most important expedition in American exploration history. Haystack Rock: the 235-foot basalt sea stack rising from the surf: has been a landmark for maritime navigation since the first European ships sailed this coast, and the offshore rocks and islands are designated National Wildlife Refuges protecting nesting colonies of tufted puffins.
"Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea: the LORD on high is mighty!": Psalm 93:4Live seaweed levels, surf, water quality and hotel deals — updated daily. Free.
View Live Conditions →