There are several beautiful beaches to surf near Cannon Beach Oregon that offer waves for surfers of all skill levels.
Just two minutes north of Cannon Beach is Ecola State Park, also known as Indian Beach. Ecola State Park is gorgeous and easily accessible (when it is open) for surfing and other beach activities.
Ten minutes south of Cannon Beach is Oswald West State Park, also called Short Sands. Oswald West State Park has an amazing beach surrounded by old growth forests.
Look no further than these two spots to surf near Cannon Beach Oregon. Read on for more information about both of these fantastic beaches.
Ecola State Park
Ecola State Park is a beautiful natural area with surfing, hiking, and expansive views. Recreation is easily accessible and the waves are appropriate for surfers of all skill levels.
Getting to Ecola State Park
Ecola State Park is immediately north of Cannon Beach, and about an hour and a half from Portland.
The park has a gorgeous viewpoint, which is to the left of the “Y” in the road when you drive in. To the right, a narrow and windy road weaves through a beautiful coastal forest down to Indian Beach, where the surfing happens. On a clear day, the sun shines brightly through the trees, providing a friendly welcome to visitors.
When you make it down to the beach, the large parking lot usually has many open spots except on the most crowded of summer days. There is an excellent view of Indian Beach and the surf break from the parking lot too.
Walk down the large wooden stairs to the beach, which takes all of two minutes. Then choose your spot to set up for the day!
Surfing at Ecola State Park
Ecola State Park, or simply “Ecola”, is a popular spot to surf near Cannon Beach Oregon.
Ecola is protected to the north by Indian Point and to the south by Bald Point. Indian Point is a large head that protects the north end of the beach well from north swells and wind.
In contrast, Bald Point to the south is surrounded by a scattering of large rocks, which make for beautiful sights but poor protection from southern swells and winds.
It seems most surfers tend to stay near the north end of the beach, but this may be just because that’s where the parking lot is. The waves at Ecola are generally comparable to other major spots along the Oregon Coast.
There is no point break or reef, but rather a beach break that offers both rights and lefts. The optimal swell direction is from the southwest and the optimal wind direction is from the east.
Some surfers say the waves are best at the middle of a rising tide, but I have seen good waves at all tides. On any given day with decent conditions, you’ll find a number of surfers out enjoying the waves as well as some people enjoying hanging on the beach or going for hikes. However, it rarely gets overcrowded.
There is a consistent rip current that forms just south of Indian Point. Surfers can use this rip current to their advantage for an easier paddle out. However, don’t attempt this lightly. Make sure you understand the risks.
Hiking at Ecola State Park
Ecola State Park has 9 miles of coastline and a number of wonderful hiking trails, suitable for people of all levels. These trails follow the park’s rugged cliffs and provide excellent sightseeing opportunities.
You can hike the entire length of coastline within the park. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even hike all the way from Cannon Beach to Seaside. Alternatively, enjoy a casual stroll along the beach and drive up to the viewpoint.
Ecola State Park Logistics
The park is open year round. That is, when the road isn’t washed out and impassable. Unfortunately, this happens more often than one would think. Twice in the last few years in fact.
Fortunately, you can still access the park on foot, and probably on bike, but I have never done that. Check if the park is open before you go!
Bathrooms are available. Make sure to pick up your day pass or annual permit. The day pass is $5 and the annual permit is $30.
During a hot summer weekend, be sure to get there before 10 am or after 3 pm to ensure you snag a parking spot. The parking lot is fairly sizable so it usually doesn’t fill up unless a lot of people from Portland are trying to escape the summer heat.
To learn more about Ecola State Park, click here: Ecola State Park – Oregon State Parks.
Oswald West State Park
Also known as Short Sands, Oswald West State Park is a gorgeous natural area that provides an incredible spot for surfing, hiking, and other beach activities.
Getting to Oswald West State Park
Oswald West is an easy 10 minute drive south of Cannon Beach, and about an hour and a half from Portland. The parking lot is directly off the highway which makes for convenient parking.
Once you park, the beach is a fair hike down. About half a mile. So grab everything you need for the day because you won’t want to make the hike back to the car. The hike is gravel and not steep, but still may pose a challenge for some.
The walk down is long but well worth it. Short Sand Creek parallels the trail and weaves its way through old growth forest and thick undergrowth vegetation.
At the end of the trail, visitors are greeted with a wide view of the beach and surrounding cliffs. It is a lovely sight to see.
Surfing at Oswald West State Park
The beach itself is quite long: about half a mile. The north and south ends of the beach are protected by large heads allowing the entire length of the beach to be surfable.
Even when there are many people surfing, it doesn’t feel that crowded because everyone can spread out. This applies to the break and the beach!
Just like Ecola State Park, there is no point or reef break. In fact, the beach break occurs fairly equally along the length of the entire beach. Due to this, waves can sometimes tend to close out, but usually there are just as many if not more waves that don’t.
The surf is appropriate for surfers of all skill levels, depending on the conditions. I have noticed that some sections seem to offer consistently larger waves (closer to the southern end) while others are usually more mellow (northern end), but other surfers may disagree. Maybe this is just my experience.
Both left and rights can be found at Oswald West, with the optimal swell coming from the west or southwest. Eastern offshore wind, like most west coast surfing spots, is preferred.
Oswald West is a classic and well known surf spot in Oregon. It is popular for a good reason. Whether you plan to surf, hike, or just chill on the beach, this is a great spot.
Hiking at Oswald West State Park
Oswald West State Park has lots of excellent hiking trails that are suitable for recreationists of all ambitions.
Enjoy a stroll down the beach and gaze upon the striking cliffs, or for a bigger challenge, hike up Neah-kah-nie mountain in the south of the park, which offers incredible views of Manzanita and Nehalem Bay to the south.
Hike out to Cape Falcon, a large head directly to the north of the beach, for a cliffside trek with more nice views. This trail tends to be quite muddy, but probably not more than the other trails!
For even more adventure, the Oregon Coast Trail, a long-distance through hike, stretches 13 miles through the park.
Bonus tip: drive just south of the park and stop at the Neahkahnie Viewpoint on the side of the road for expansive views of the ocean and coastline.
Oswald West State Park Logistics
There are three large parking lots at Oswald West State Park but they fill up early on summer weekends, as it is a popular place for Portlander’s to escape the heat.
Parking at Oswald West is free, but on summer weekends be sure to get there before 9 am or after 4 pm if you don’t want to park on the side of highway 101 and potentially walk much further.
There are bathrooms at the parking lot and down by the beach. Like Ecola, Oswald West is open year round. Unlike Ecola, Oswald West hasn’t closed down in the last few years (to my knowledge).
As I mentioned earlier, be sure to pack everything you need down to the beach, because it is a half mile hike and therefore inconvenient to get something from the car if needed.
To learn more about Oswald West State Park, click here: Oswald West State Park.
Where to take surf lessons near Cannon Beach Oregon
There are several places in Cannon Beach that offer surf lessons. I have seen group lessons at both Ecola and Oswald West.
In my opinion, they are both excellent places to learn to surf if the conditions are decent. I haven’t taken a lesson in the area myself, but a quick search will put you in the right direction.
Here are a couple options that have good reviews on google, but I have not tried them myself.
Conclusion
You can’t go wrong with either of these surf spots (when the conditions are suitable of course). They are both beautiful and isolated from development and great places to surf near Cannon Beach Oregon.
Both of these spots provide comparable surf, although Oswald West is a little better protected from the south than Ecola, so it might be better when the wind is from the south or southwest.
The beach is more accessible at Ecola State Park, and it is more suitable for younger children or older recreationists. This is because the walk to the beach is longer at Oswald West.
Both spots offer spectacular views and hiking, with hikes available for everyone, and viewpoints that you can drive to.
I love both spots equally. Oswald West does feel a bit more epic while Ecola is cozier. The surf can be amazing at both. So, what are you waiting for, get out there and surf! Maybe we’ll see each other out there.
Also, if you are heading to Newport Oregon (about 2.5 hours south of Cannon Beach), make sure you check out these places to surf near Newport Oregon.
Heads up! Surfing is awesome but it can be dangerous! Learn more about how to stay safe and avoid dangers while surfing. If you are a beginner surfer, check out my other articles about surfing and my ultimate guide to learning how to surf.
