Oswald West State Park, Cannon Beach

Oswald West State Park is breathtaking and a treat from start to finish. Parking is easy to access and the trail is fairly short with gorgeous views along the way. The path down to the beach is a little steep and can get muddy after the rain but you can always enjoy the view by sitting at the benches at the top. The beach also has mini waterfalls to explore/take endless selfies with. If you're looking for a romantic place to elope in Oregon, this should be on your list. If you're just looking for a place to spend the day, this is your place.

This was an absolutely amazing accidental find! We parked because we saw a sign saying beach access, and followed some surfers along the trails until we walked out into the most amazing cove. The walkway is wonderful, about a mile of easy walking out in the woods. Well maintained pathways take you along through beautiful forest. The beach is incredible, full of drift wood and rocks, little waterfalls rolling down the hills to the water, people surfing and returning to small fires along the edges... People relaxing, families walking, enjoying the view and the water. We hit it at sunset and could not have asked for a better place to stop.

We hiked from the trail head up to the summit (rather than down to the beach) and enjoyed the old growth, the views, and a moderately difficult trail. As it was near the end of the day in January we saw only one other family on the trail. Garmin said it was 4.55 miles round trip with 1,400 feet elevation gain (fairly steep in places) with the occasional scramble over or around massive fallen trees and root balls. With a leisurely trek up with a few stops for pictures as well as plenty of time enjoying the view from the summit it was about a 2.5 hour trek. We do some trail running and are in ok shape but the trail would be difficult for anyone who hasn't been hiking or exercising at all.

Amazing 8km (round-trip) trail with a climactic views near the end. I recommend wearing long sleeve pants and top if you don’t want to get cuts from the overgrown trail. Some areas you can only reach by pushing yourself thru the plant overgrowth.

Gorgeous scenery, both on the forested trail and the overlooks. Trails were well-maintained albeit rooty. Make sure you have a trusted pair of shoes for stable footing, we did see an injury on the trail! A little overcrowded with people on the trail, but it was Labor Day weekend so that was to be expected.