“So, Terrible Tilly is for sale…” Bryan looked up from the laptop screen and grinned.
The image of the storm-tossed lighthouse on the Oregon coast swam into my memory. It’s really the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, but over time it became better known as “Terrible Tilly” in light of the series of misfortunes that befell its occupants. An intriguing place for sure, but definitely not something I’d like to buy.
“Let’s hike the Indian Beach trail this weekend,” I replied.
From the Indian Beach trail, hikers can see Terrible Tilly perched on its rock out to sea. Aside from lighthouse views, the Indian Beach trail has everything we love about the Oregon Coast in one easy day hike. There are huge sea stacks, fern-filled forests with old-growth Sitka spruce trees, and opportunities to see Roosevelt elk, tide pools, and seabirds.
In today’s post, I’ll share the highlights of the Indian Beach trail, one of the best hikes near the popular coastal town of Cannon Beach. For a virtual tour, check out our Indian Beach trail video below.
Parking and Fees for the Indian Beach Trail
There are two trailheads for the Indian Beach trail: one at Ecola Point Day-Use Area (Ecola State Park), and the other at Indian Beach itself. You can hike the out-and-back trail in either direction. I’d recommend parking at Ecola Point, which makes Indian Beach the hike’s destination.
Ecola Point is one of the headlands on the northern Oregon coast, just north of Cannon Beach. It’s about an hour and a half by car from Portland. Before you begin the hike, look south from the day-use area to catch a clear view of Cannon Beach’s huge, iconic Haystack Rock and several smaller sea stacks.
Parking at Ecola Point Day-Use Area requires either a $5 fee on site, an Oregon State Parks Parking Permit (there’s a one-year or two-year option), or an Oregon Pacific Coast Passport (there’s a 10-day or one-year option).
The Indian Beach Trail in a Nutshell
After admiring the views of the Cannon Beach sea stacks from the trailhead at Ecola Point, you’ll enter a coastal forest dominated by spruce trees. There are some huge old-growth trees in the mix. Even in summer, everything seems lush. It definitely rains more here than in Portland, and a coastal mist cools the forest even on sunny days. Check out the sunbeams catching the mist in the photo below!
The Indian Beach trail is a couple of miles in one direction, and just under four miles altogether. It’s mostly a forest hike, but there are viewpoints along the way where you can see the wild coastline with its extensive sea stacks and other rock formations, including a natural arch.
The infamous Terrible Tilly lighthouse is easily visible from viewpoints along the trail. Per Travel Oregon, Terrible Tilly operated from 1881 to 1957. The lighthouse’s precarious position on a rock out to sea made everything from construction to operation a challenge. A mason died while scoping the project. A massive storm during construction destroyed the construction team’s supplies. Since the lighthouse closed, it passed into private ownership and for a while its new role was a storage sanctuary for the ashes of the dead. An ominous past for sure.
At the entrance to Indian Beach itself, you’ll pass a huge accumulation of driftwood on the final descent to the beach. Since it’s possible to park right at the beach, it’s likely to be fairly crowded, but it’s worthwhile. It has a bit of everything: driftwood, tide pools, headland views, and rock formations to explore.
We first explored the rocks near the headland on the north end of the beach (to your right once you arrive). You’ll see lots of sea anemones here when the tide is low.
I’d also recommend exploring the rocks on the south end of the beach, which are even more numerous. The power of the ocean is palpable here, as the crashing waves slowly erode the cliffs. This area provides another great viewpoint of the even more storm-tossed Terrible Tilly.
Wildlife on the Indian Beach Trail
We were lucky to see Roosevelt elk in the grass right by the parking lot at Ecola Point Day-Use area. Look out for these huge creatures any time you’re hiking on the Oregon coast. They’re actually the largest land mammal in Oregon! For more on Roosevelt elk and where to see them in the wild without much luck required, check out our blog post on the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area.
If you visit Indian Beach at low tide, look out for tide pools. We found many sea anemones in the rocky pools on the north end of the beach, but the Town of Cannon Beach shares that the south end of the beach has even better tide pools.
You’ll also likely see seagulls on Indian Beach. We watched one eat an oyster as we walked by.
Indian Beach Trail Length & Difficulty
The hike to Indian Beach from Ecola Point and back is 3.8 miles. That doesn’t include any of the beach-exploring you’re likely to do, so I’d estimate the actual distance at about 4.5 miles. The trail is steep in places and can be muddy.
Here is the link to the Indian Beach trail entry on AllTrails, so you can find the trail map and trip reports. Landslides in this area sometimes close the trail, so check trip reports before you go. In fact, the current trail is a major reroute from the prior trail, which was washed out in a landslide several years ago.
Origin of the Names “Indian Beach” and “Ecola State Park”
“Indian Beach” and “Ecola State Park” were named based on the observations of the Lewis & Clark expedition. Per the Oregon Encyclopedia, the expedition team spent the winter nearby. A dead whale was rumored to have washed up on the beach further down the coast, and they sent a team to look for it for food. On the way, they passed Indian Beach, where there was a Native American village and burial ground. Based on this historical village, the beach came to be known as “Indian Beach.” The “Ecola” in Ecola State Park comes from a Native American word for “whale.”
Other Adventures in the Pacific Northwest
Thanks for joining us on the Indian Beach trail! For more travel ideas in the Pacific Northwest, check out our PNW Trip Planner. You can find adventures near you and filter by season and difficulty level. There are weird and wonderful things to explore any time of year. The trip planner links to blog posts to help you plan your next adventure.
Happy exploring!
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