Hiking the Crescent Beach Trail on the Oregon Coast
Distance: 3.0 miles / 4.8 km
The Crescent Beach Trail in Ecola State Park, on the northern Oregon Coast, is a beautiful coastal trail just north of Cannon Beach, where visitors can hike from the popular viewpoints within the park down to the secluded Crescent Beach that stretches for roughly 0.5 miles (0.8 km) in total!
That said, Ecola State Park is, without a doubt, one of the best and most beautiful places to hike on the northern Oregon Coast, but visitors are often conflicted about whether to hike the Crescent Beach Trail or the Indian Beach Trail to the north.
For this reason, I highly recommend checking out my side-by-side comparison of these two beautiful adventures, so that you can hopefully see why I prefer one over the other.
Crescent Beach vs. Indian Beach Trail
Personally, I prefer the Crescent Beach Trail over the Indian Beach Trail because the hike takes you down to a secluded stretch of the Oregon Coast, where the only people you will encounter are other hikers.
However, Indian Beach—like Ecola Point—is a drive-up location, meaning that hiking the trail between Ecola Point and Indian Beach feels less rewarding because you end near the Indian Beach day-use area, a place that makes more sense to drive to if you’re trying to explore as much of the Oregon Coast as possible within a limited timeframe.
Now, I don’t want to discourage anyone from hiking the Indian Beach Trail, as the hike offers far more panoramic coastal views along the rugged sea cliffs compared to the Crescent Beach Trail, but I thought it would be best to share my thoughts if you’re trying to decide between the two.
Read My Separate Post: Indian Beach Trail
Crescent Beach Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Crescent Beach hike is in a large parking lot for Ecola Point, as well as the Indian Beach Trail.
There is a small fee to visit in Ecola State Park, but the fee is also good for all destinations within the park that you may want to visit.
Google Maps Directions: Crescent Beach Trailhead
Hiking Checklist - Oregon Coast
Black bears can be found up and down the Oregon Coast, but hiking with or without bear spray is truly up to your own discretion and comfort level when adventuring in black bear territory.
Furthermore, here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike on the Oregon Coast.
Bear Spray & Holster - If you aren’t flying, don’t rent bear spray! It’s a waste of money. Prepare ahead of time by buying your own, as this may be one of the most important items on this list.
Osprey 3L Water Bladder - The Osprey 3L water bladder is the most universal hiking and backpacking water bladder on the market, and it’s my go-to because of the slide-off seal that allows it to be quickly filled from the top. Additionally, individual parts are easily replaceable, such as the bite valve.
Black Diamond Headlamp - Personally, I recommend the Black Diamond Storm because it is one of the brightest, lightest, and longest-lasting headlamps on the market—and trust me, the weight-to-battery-life ratio really does matter!
Hiking / Trail Running Shoes - Depending on the type of trail, I prefer to use either the Keen Targhee for longer, more rugged hiking or the HOKA Zinal Trail-Running Shoe for lighter, less intense trails. In either case, both have been amazing to me for many years across countless environments, and both can be found in men’s and women’s sizes. - (Men’s Keen / Women’s Keen) (Men’s HOKA / Women’s HOKA)
Blister / Heel Protectors - I swear by these cheap, amazing heel protectors to prevent blisters for nearly every kind of hiking and backpacking that I do!
Waterproof Rain Shell - You never know when it may rain, and I’ve learned over the years that a rain shell is far better than a rain jacket. By this, I mean that it’s best to have something that the water will roll right off of, which is why I recommend the Patagonia Torrentshell 3L available in both men’s and women’s sizes.
High SPF Sunscreen - Packing high-SPF sunscreen is a must for long days outside!
Hiking the Crescent Beach Trail
The Crescent Beach Trail starts off on the south side of the parking lot and climbs uphill to meet the road that you would driven to reach the paid parking area.
After only 0.1 miles (0.2 km), the Crescent Beach Trail parallels Ecola Park Road before splitting away to get down to the beach.
At the split in the photo below, go left to stay on the Crescent Beach Trail.
However, if you go right, you can get to a beautiful overlook above Crescent Beach.
At about the 1.0-mile (1.6 km) mark, the Crescent Beach Trail joins with an alternative route for Crescent Beach.
However, there is no place to park from this alternative direction, meaning that Crescent Beach is best hiked from Ecola Point, as shown in this post.
After the split in the photos above, the Crescent Beach Trail descends steeply down a series of switchbacks just prior to the beach.
In my opinion, this final stretch was the most difficult section on the return hike.
Crescent Beach
Once on Crescent Beach, there is so much exploring that you can do up and down the coast, which will likely make the distance posted above inaccurate, depending on how much walking you do.
More Oregon Coast Adventures
If you’re interested in reading about some more amazing Oregon Coast adventures, check out my separate posts below!
Best Way to Find Places to Stay!
Wherever I travel, I love to start my search for places to stay on VRBO.
Even if I don’t end up booking through them, I think it’s one of the best ways to see what’s in the area!
Washington
Best Way to Book Rental Cars!
I travel quite a bit, and I know firsthand that finding a good rental car deal can be a challenge, but that’s why I recommend comparing all of your options with Discover Cars.
In short, Discover Cars is a well-known, reputable business that allows you to search for the best deal across companies, and they have the best full-refund cancellation policy I’ve ever seen, valid up to 72, or sometimes even 48, hours prior to your reservation!
Book Here: Discover Cars
Discover Cars!
Safety
Overall, the Oregon Coast has a fairly mild climate year-round, with beautiful summers and temperatures that seldom get below the upper 30s come winter.
That being said, there are a few things to know before venturing out on some of the many trails along the coast.
First, Pacific Poison-oak is found on trails up and down the Oregon Coast, which is why it’s important to learn how to identify it before hiking any trail.
Additionally, there are black bears on the Oregon Coast, and while hiking in black bear territory usually presents less danger compared to grizzlies, hiking with bear spray is never a bad idea. However, it’s really up to your own discretion and comfort level.
Disclaimer
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