Cannon Beach Oregon : Fun Things To Do With Kids
If you are planning an Oregon coast trip with your family, I hope you visit Cannon Beach. It’s a quant beach town that has a lot of laid back family activities that will ensure that your kids will have fun and you can relax too! We might be odd but we really enjoy going to the beach in the winter. Don’t get me wrong, PNW summers are beautiful but the winter is an awesome time to visit too. In addition, there is a lot less crowds. Either way, all of these activities can be enjoyed through out the year.
On this blog, I’ll share family friendly activities, easy hikes even little kids can do, restaurants, and coffee shops. I will also share where we stayed, we had a phenomenal location with a front row seat to the ocean every day. The photo below was our family making s’mores on the beach in front of the home we rented, it was an awesome way to make memories with my fam!
Family Friendly Hikes in Cannon Beach
If you love hiking but have smaller children you will love these spots! They are easy but there are many trails to choose from if you wish or get away from the kids for a day or they are better hikers than my little ones. 😉
Ecola State Park is one of the most beautiful areas in Cannon Beach. I have only visited in the winter and the weather, views, and landscape are phenomenal! We hiked from the Ecola State Park parking lot and went to Indian Beach.
On our on hike we saw beautiful views of Cannon Beach below, whales (lots of whale watching in the winter) and Tillamoook lighthouse. Once you get to Indian Beach there are likely people surfing or relaxing on the beach with their dogs. It has a really chill vibe and I always recommend it when I hear people are going to Cannon beach. Tip: it can get a little muddy, be prepared.
*Ecola State Park is closed temporarily due to a sinkhole.
Hug Point State Park is more of a beach walk than a hike but it feels like you hiked to a stunning waterfall that is right on the beach. Your kids will love the sea caves, rocks, and waterfall. It makes for a great family photo op too.
Make sure you go when the tide is low, you won’t be able to access the waterfall and sea caves when the tide is high.
Short Sand Beach Trail is a short but beautiful easy hike. There is lush greenery, a small creek along the trail as you hike to the ocean, and beautiful open view of the sea once you arrive at the end of the trail. As you descend to the beach, you will see a Blumenthal Falls. It’s a tall pristine waterfall flowing down the burnt colored rocks. When the tide is out, you can see little sea creatures living on the rocks. Your kids will love it.
Fun Family Activities on Cannon Beach
Make S’mores
Your entire family will love making s’mores on the beach with a bonfire! Grab a few camping chairs, s’mores, some sticks, and head down to the beach at sunset. You can enjoy some yummy treats by a warm fire as you enjoy a beautiful sunset. Who doesn’t like chocolate and marshmallows pressed in between a crunchy graham cracker!
Watch The Sunset
If you are visiting at a time where the weather is dry or scattered clouds you can catch an absolutely gorgeous sunset. It’s a great time to walk the dog, play soccer with your kids on the beach as the sun is setting, or just sit on some drift wood while you chill out after a long day of playing.
Discover Tide Pools At Haystack Rock
When the tide is out, make sure you take your kids to Haystack Rock to discover little sea aliens in the tide pools. When the water is low, you can see many colorful sea creatures that your kids will enjoy. Wear boots, watch your step as it can slippery, and enjoy gently touching sea life!
Plan A Family Photo Shoot on Cannon Beach at Sunset
Are you overdue for family photos? Planing a family photo shoot on the beach during your visit makes for unique beautiful photos and memories that you can look back on over and over. Even better, you don’t have to plan for it in the summer, you can get amazing photos anytime of year. Would you believe the photo shoot below was done in January! Contact me here and let’s chat or get on my email list to be the first to know when I am visiting for photo shoots!
Restaurants and Coffee Shops
With all of the fun your family will be having at the beach, you will surely work up an appetite. My kids are always hungry, I have a feeling yours are too. Although we ate a lot at home after shopping at a great local store called Fresh Foods, we did enjoy getting out to a few places to eat. The friendly staff at Pelican Brewery made us go back twice. It’s got a great atmosphere and my kids loved the food, plus mom and dad love the beer!
We also enjoyed sitting on the deck for lunch at Warren House Pub. It was really close to the house we rented and the baked halibut was so delicious! Oh, the beers are also really good. Can you tell we love beer?
Pizza is always on the menu with kids right? We decided to have pizza from Surfcrest Market and Pizza. We were pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed their pizza. The kids loved it and the pizzas easily fed our family of four. Tip: order it early, they were short staffed and it took a lot longer than we expected. It was definitely worth the wait!
I am a coffee addict and there is nothing better in my opinion than walking to a local coffee shop in the morning and grabbing a creamy latte! I highly recommend Sea Level coffee shop. It’s super cute little shop with a handful of really yummy pastries. The good kind of pastries, not the store bought and re wrapped ones that always disappoint.
Enjoy your trip!
