Crescent Beach stretches along a secluded quarter-mile between Chapman Point and Ecola Point in Ecola State Park, approximately two miles north of downtown Cannon Beach. This hidden gem receives few visitors despite sitting between two of the Oregon Coast's most popular destinations. Chapman Point, marking the beach's southern boundary, forms part of the John Yeon State Natural Site, named after the preservationist who rescued the point from becoming a dance hall site in the mid-20th century. Large offshore rocks known as Bird Rocks rise from the ocean north of the beach, hosting a dense colony of Common Murres that nest here from spring through midsummer, creating one of the coast's most important seabird rookeries.
Swimming at Crescent Beach proves extremely dangerous year-round due to powerful rip currents, cold water temperatures averaging 50-55 degrees, and lack of lifeguard services. The beach's isolated location means emergency response times exceed 15 minutes. Beachcombing and tide pool exploration during low tide provide safer activities, with pelicans, sea lions, and seals frequently spotted offshore. The rocky shoreline reveals hidden caves and tide pools teeming with purple sea stars, green anemones, and orange sea cucumbers during minus tides. Hikers traverse the 1.5-mile trail from Ecola Point parking area to reach the beach, a moderate trek recommended for intermediate to experienced hikers. At the lowest tides of the year, visitors can walk around Chapman Point from Chapman Beach to access Crescent Beach, though timing proves critical as incoming tides quickly cut off this route.
Access Crescent Beach exclusively by foot via the trail starting at Ecola Point parking area in Ecola State Park, located off Highway 101 north of Cannon Beach. The trailhead sits next to the restroom building, marked with signs indicating the route requires experience. Parking at Ecola State Park requires an Oregon State Parks day pass costing 10 dollars or an annual pass for 30 dollars, available from the credit card machine at the parking lot entrance. The trail descends approximately 400 feet through coastal spruce and hemlock forest before emerging at the beach. No facilities exist at Crescent Beach itself, with the nearest restrooms located at Ecola Point parking area. Cell phone service proves unreliable throughout Ecola State Park. Les Shirley Park on the north side of Ecola Creek provides the closest developed access point from Cannon Beach, though reaching Crescent Beach from there requires walking north and timing the tide around Chapman Point.
Dining concentrates in downtown Cannon Beach two miles south, accessible by car via Highway 101. The Wayfarer Restaurant and Lounge serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner with oceanfront views, preparing troll-caught salmon, Dungeness crab cakes, and grass-fed ribeye steaks. Ecola Seafoods operates Cannon Beach's favorite fish and chips shop and seafood market, serving beer-battered halibut, crispy calamari, and clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls. Pelican Brewing Company offers coastal pub fare including fish and chips, Kiwanda Cream Ale-battered cod, and marionberry cobbler alongside craft beers brewed on-site. The Driftwood Restaurant, operating since 1944, serves classic American fare including pan-fried oysters, prime rib, and wild mushroom ravioli in a historic setting that has hosted locals and visitors for eight decades. Crescent Beach's isolation and challenging access preserve its wilderness character, rewarding adventurous visitors with solitude and dramatic coastal scenery rarely found along Oregon's increasingly developed shoreline.
