ECOLA STATE PARK, OREGON

Oregon is a state filled with countless outdoor activities. And after doing some research, I got a good perspective as to how many activities are within a reasonable traveling distance from Portland. The other thing that I realized was that because Portland is located in the northern part of the state, the outdoor activities to the south were 3-4 hours way, and would probably require a 2 day trip. 

So while we were at Seaside, we decided to stop by Ecola State Park since its only15 minutes to the south. I was really amazed at the views from the photos that were posted online, and so I really wanted to experience them for myself.

Driving into the park, the narrow road climbs a few hundred feet of elevation. The road is so narrow that I was stunned how two cars actually fit. The tire tracks off the side of the road were a testimony that there were some close calls. Nevertheless, that road lead through a wooded area that had tall trees lining the road with lots of vegetation and overgrowth on both sides. 

Once at the large parking lot at the top, there was a short paved path that lead to the lookout spot. There were several photographers all lined up capturing the beautiful views on a gorgeous day. We came a couple hours before high tide and watched the waves progressively increasing in size and crashing against the rocky shore. 

In the photo below, the tall rock in the center is know as the "Haystack." It is best seen from Cannon Beach, which is another 10 minute drive to the south. 

After hanging out at the lookout spot, we decided to check out the park and see if offered any more nice views. So we followed a muddy trail to the west and came across another nice spot. We came across a couple hanging out at spot which was on top of a cliff. We probably crashed some romantic moment with 3 adults and 4 kids all cramming into a small spot on the ledge. It looked like a nice set up so we even snapped a few photos. 

It was a really nice clear day for a good view of the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse. 

On our way out we stopped by the small town of Ecola Creek and got some ice cream at The Picnic Basket. They had 32 flavors of hard ice cream. But they didn't have any soft serve yet during this time of the year. However, everyone enjoyed their choice of hard ice cream.