ECOLA STATE PARK
While staying two weeks in Seaside, we explored Ecola State Park. This is the place to go to get iconic pictures of Haystack Rock and the Tillamook Lighthouse. This would be a great time to go. On our way I spotted some elk! A couple bulls and a few females. I immediately pulled over. Evidently, I was a little too excited because I left the Jeep running! Unfortunately, they moved down to the end of the street.
Back in the car and a little further up the road we see a couple of ladies near the road. Not as exciting. We just paused to take a couple pictures and kept going.
We made it to the Ecola Viewpoint to get pictures of Haystack Rock.
Also seen from here (zoomed in) is the Tillamook Rock Light in the distance. We hope to see it better at Indian Beach. I can’t imagine getting it built. It is one mile out from the coast, and built on a solid basalt rock. The location was selected in 1878. Reading about the construction that took over 500 days was harrowing. Lives and equipment were lost during construction. Keepers had shorter rotations than was typical due to the harsh conditions both physically and mentally. The lighthouse was “retired” to the sea and nature’s elements on September 1, 1957 when Keeper Oswald Allik turned off the light for good. He made a final entry in the keepers’ logbook. Click on the provided link to read the final logbook entry, and the details of the construction and life of “Terrible Tilly“.
Ecola and the movies Goonies and Kindergarten Cop
Wow – the selfless gift from a number of people as they sold, traded or donated their property for the enjoyment of generations! Ecola State Park preserves 2700 acres for the public.
After getting our Haystack pictures, we headed to Indian Beach.
I think I was focused on getting a good picture of this set of rocks with the beautiful blue water because it made me think of the Isle of Capri (Italy).
Cool beach “shelter”
MORE Movie Connections here at Indian Beach
We took a short path to a viewpoint. We thought it was going to be of the Tillamook Rock Light (Terrible Tilly), but it wasn’t. It was just a pretty vista.
We agreed that we needed to come back in the morning hours to get pictures of the lighthouse with the sun shining on it.
Earlier today we thought we’d stay in Ecola State Park for the sunset, but we could tell it wasn’t going to be much of one, so we started to head back to Seaside. With sunset about an hour away, I knew to be watchful of deer or elk possibly crossing in front of the Jeep on our way out of the park. I spotted an elk on the opposite edge of the road by someone’s long, steep driveway. Are there more? There was one other a little further up in the yard. No bulls. Looks like we missed our chance on getting pics of a couple of bull elks. 🙁
UNEXPECTED HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY!!
Just as I was about to turn left off of the state park road, I saw a several elk grazing off to the right in Les Shirley Park, so I immediately turned right instead. It was a sizable herd of elk was grazing in this public park! Barry hopped out. Not wanting to startle them and cause them to leave, I very slowly drove by them, and pulled into the adjacent parking lot.
Cows and some young bulls near me.
Then the big guy came onto the scene! He went right over to another bull.
Sizing each other up. Uh-oh…
They locked antlers. Oh, wow!
Watch it begin!
I liked this clip because it shows the elk getting the other’s head close to the ground. It reminded me of watching a college wrestling match about to flip the opponent on his back.
I couldn’t believe we were witnessing this! Elk Rut is from mid-August to the end of October. This was our first ever seeing this. So cool to see it and be this close!
Elk form of “Ring Around the Rosie” or maybe it was “Here We Go Around the Evergreen Tree”. LOL Unfortunately, due to where they were at this point, it was more difficult for the camera lens to stay focused on them. They went round and round that tree multiple times.
I found it interesting how the females paid no attention to them, and in fact, they just moseyed on beyond the park! “Here we go again! The boys think they are impressing us.” Great ending to our evening in Cannon Beach!
We left after watching the elk for about 30 minutes! They hadn’t stopped, but had moved further away. Not sure how much longer they would keep at it. It seemed to us they were maybe just testing each other. There wasn’t any bugling. This was still so cool and so unexpected!! Made our day!!
RETURN TO ECOLA STATE PARK – August 30.
Barry and I wanted to get to Ecola State Park no later than mid-morning so the sunlight would be directly on the lighthouse from behind us.
Our goal today was to get as close to the Tillamook Rock Light possible. We parked at Indian Beach, and set out to hike the Lighthouse Trail.
A short jaunt and we were at delightfully private viewing area of Indian Beach. It even came with a memorial bench to sit and enjoy. We only paused for a couple of minutes though before heading on. There was no view of the lighthouse from here.
The trail was beautiful. Old growth trees, fungi, nurse logs, and view of the water.
Following the Lighthouse Trail we were treated to two or three peak previews of the lighthouse!
Then up higher–the fog was pretty cool!
Hikers Camp: The Lighthouse trail arrived at Hiker’s Camp. It was extremely primitive, but I’m sure many hikers were and still are appreciative of having a respite as crude as it is.
Continuing through Hikers Camp we came to the final lighthouse view. The most direct possible without a boat.:)
The hike was longer than we expected, but it was a beautiful hike.
We hiked back via the rest of the Clatsop Loop Trail instead of backtracking on the Lighthouse Trail. This trail back was a much wider and smoother trail. There were no roots and rocks, BUT it was ALL downhill. It was certainly a faster way back. I’m glad we did the more “technical” trail along the coast on the way “in”. We had ups and downs and winding around, but it wasn’t straight up the entire time, and we had gorgeous vistas along the way. While this path was pretty, it was boring – same all the way down.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but this downhill without my trekking poles did a number on my left knee! 🙁
(In hindsight, we should have gone back via the Lighthouse Trail.)
We snapped a few more pictures when we got back to Indian Beach. There are always a lot of surfers here! Watch this surfer ride all the wave all the way to the beach.
Ecola Viewpoint area beckoned us to stop for pictures again here since the weather was so nice.
Fog was rolling back in! And just like that the light house was gone.
Then Haystack Rock was gone. We were very glad we came when we did. Sure glad we got the pictures when we did!
The plan was to return to Bill’s Tavern for fried oysters, but we couldn’t find a place to park, so we just heading back to Seaside. Barry and I went and picked blackberries near the Thousand Trails.
And then, after dinner, I made a cobbler. This one was blackberry, blueberry and peach. We’ll be enjoying it while we are at Mt Hood.