Oswald West State Park, Cannon Beach

One of the best beach hikes. Pretty low impact, so great for beginners and kids! I wish it were ok for dogs to be off leash! Gorgeous woods, popular with surfers, and a small parking lot so if you're going after 9 or 10 am you probably won't get a parking spot.

Spectacular meeting of river, sand, and sea. Short Sands is a stunning cove that is popular with surfers, even in October, and the well maintained and very moderate walk from the parking area passes through stunning old growth forest. Some of the cedars and Sitka spruce rival California's redwoods in size and majesty. We hiked into the beach from the Elk Flats trail and passed through jaw-dropping forest. Most of the trail is within earshot of US 101, unfortunately, but otherwise you could easily imagine you were walking through a primordial rain forest, with a pterodactyl around the next bend. The trail from Elk Flats to the beach can be a bit mucky and has some significant elevation changes, so you need a good pair of shoes and to be in at least decent shape to make it to the Short Sands beach and back.