Cannon Beach, OR Family Travel Guide

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you may be familiar with the little beach town of Cannon Beach, OR. For most others, it’s not usually on the radar when you’re considering a family beach vacation spot. With all the other hot, sunny beach destinations in the US, why would it be? Well, I’m here to tell you that it should be on your radar! We have been to Cannon Beach, OR a few times now, in both summer and winter and we’ve had a blast every time. Read about our March trip here. Follow this Cannon Beach, OR family travel guide for the most epic Pacific Coast beach vacation.

Where is Cannon Beach?

Cannon Beach is a little beach town on the northwestern coast of Oregon. It is about a 1.5 hour drive from Portland, OR, and just under a 4 hour drive from Seattle. The closest airport is Portland International (PDX).

About Cannon Beach

Cannon Beach, OR is full of beautiful sights and surrounded by nature. We love exploring the tide pools at low tide, and it’s different each day, so it doesn’t get boring. You may see me mention Haystack Rock a lot in this post. Not only is it one of Oregon’s most recognizable landmarks, but it’s also the big rock featured in the beach scenes on The Goonies.

I love that you’re able to walk or bike everywhere here, and it’s incredibly dog friendly. Seriously, so many people bring their dogs to Cannon Beach. They’re allowed on the beach, at the hotels recommended below, and most restaurants have outdoor seating options.

Where to stay in Cannon Beach?

There’s a few different accommodation options in Cannon Beach. I recommend staying somewhere around or just north of Haystack Rock. We have always stayed at local hotels whenever we go. Both the Hallmark Resort and Spa and The Surfsand Resort have been great stays for us, and are both kid and dog friendly. The Surfsand Resort was a little more family friendly in my opinion, and was literally just a few steps from the beach. Hallmark was also very family friendly, but has a long staircase down to the beach, which wasn’t my favorite with small kids. We loved doing the beach bonfires each night at The Surfsand, and they also have s’mores kits you can buy as well. Surfsand also had complimentary beer tastings, ice cream socials, and other fun activities scheduled throughout the week. Both resorts offer free bikes rentals and cookies at the front desk.

I’ve seen a lot of options through AirBnB and VRBO as well, if that works better for your family. Cannon Beach technically extends quite a bit south of Haystack Rock. But, if you plan on walking everywhere (which I recommend) the most food and shopping options are north of Haystack and are easily walkable from locations around and north of the rock. Once you get south of Haystack Rock, the walk will be longer and more hilly.

Best time to visit Cannon Beach

Obviously busy season everywhere in the PNW is summer time. I have never experienced a more amazing summer than the ones we’ve spent up here in Washington and Oregon. Rates and availability will definitely be higher during this season, but that’s the case many places. We have been during both winter and summer, and I have to say that they were both great. Of course, during summer time, from about June – August (maybe even May – September depending on the year) you can get away with wearing a swimsuit on the beach and enjoy the sunshine.

Where to eat in Cannon Beach?

There is no shortage of great food options in Cannon Beach! However, being such a small town, it can get crowded during prime dining times, especially on weekends. Because of this, most places don’t have reservations available, but you can always put your name in and walk around for awhile until they call you. We’ve eaten at quite a few places here, but these are the ones we liked the most, and they’re all just a short 3-10 minute walk from the hotels I recommend above.

Cannon Beach Bakery – delicious breakfast and lunch options, including sandwiches and baked goods like donuts, pastries and bread. We’ve seen several people walking around with fresh loaves of their original Haystack Bread. This is a great stop to grab donuts or pastries for a quick breakfast option the next day so you don’t have to leave the hotel for breakfast. Closed on Tuesdays and for a winter break 2 weeks in January.
Pig ‘N Pancake – a great breakfast or lunch option with something for everyone in the family. The kids loved the chocolate chip pancakes off the kid’s menu, and I’ve devoured several strawberry belgian waffles during our trips.
Lazy Susan Cafe – another great breakfast option. They only accept cash though, so keep that in mind if you plan on eating there. There is an ATM at the bank right across the street though if you forget. Closed on Tuesdays.
Crepe Neptune – this is a yummy, street side take out option if you love crepes. There are some benches around the area to sit at while eating, or you could easily walk down to the beach and enjoy your crepes. They come in a handy little paper sleeve to eat your crepe without utensils. Closed on Mondays.
Pelican Brewing – great for a simple lunch or dinner, and a beer, of course.
The Wayfarer – highly rated and located right on the property at Surfsand Resort. They have delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner options and a great view! I had the seasonal vegetable risotto for dinner and have been thinking about it ever since. It was seriously SO good!
Driftwood – one of the highest rated restaurants in the area. Great seafood options and a laid back environment. They also have a “beer garden” area that is for 21+ if you don’t have any kids with you, and you may get seated quicker if that is an option.
Pizza A’ Fetta – a yummy little pizza spot tucked away near the shops. There’s also an ice cream shop right next door for dessert afterwards. They had a long wait for whole pizzas and restaurant dining, so we just walked up to the “by the slice” takeout window and brought it back to the beach to eat with a view. The takeout window offers pizza by the slice, but has a more limited selection (cheese, pepperoni, meat, and veggie) than eating in the restaurant.

A few honorable mentions that we haven’t tried, but will try in the future due to good reviews – EVOO (looks less kid-friendly, but great for foodies), Public Coast Brewing, Castaways (Cajun cuisine. Closed Monday and Tuesday), MacGregor’s Whiskey Bar (Breakfast and lunch until 3pm, then it’s a bar and bar food. Highly rated clam chowder, cocktails, and breakfast. Closed Tuesdays), Cannon Beach Hardware and Public House (hardware store with a little bar serving up good ole American bar food).

There’s also a lot of great coffee options if you need your daily dose of caffeine! Sleepy Monk is very popular and has great reviews (and usually a decent line as well, so get there early). Bald Eagle Coffee House is right around the corner from The Surfsand Resort and has coffee and breakfast options.

Family friendly activities in Cannon Beach

Obviously hanging at the beach is at the top of the list when you’re visiting in the summer But here are some other fun activities to keep you busy, regardless of what season you visit Cannon Beach.

Check out the tide pools! At low tide every day you can walk out to Haystack Rock and view the tide pools. Be sure to check the daily tide times here. They even have guides there available to answer questions. We’ve seen a lot of anemones, starfish, crabs, and some tiny fish.
Hug Point – this beach is just a short 10 minute drive south of Cannon Beach, and is totally worth the drive! You have to go at low tide to get the full experience. There’s a little waterfall you can climb up, a lot of caves to explore in the side of the rock cliffs, tide pools to look at (we saw a lot of starfish, suckerfish and even a jellyfish) and of course the beach. It’s a totally different beach experience than Cannon Beach, so I highly recommend taking a little morning trip during low tide to check it out.
Visit the Tillamook Creamery – Just a 45 minute drive south from Cannon Beach. You can learn about the company, watch how they make their delicious cheese, try samples, let the kids play, and grab some tasty cheesy foods and their ice cream in the food court downstairs. Tillamook is the only shredded cheese I’ll buy because it is SO much better than the other brands.
Ecola State Park – another gorgeous park to visit while you’re in the area. A great spot for a picnic, hiking, or just to drive up and see the amazing views on the coast. (FYI this park is currently closed until further notice due to landslides in February 2020, so check the website before going)
Drive down Highway 101 – the famous Highway 101 isn’t just for exploring the California coast! It actually runs all the way from Los Angeles to up and around the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. And the views are amazing, with a lot of view points to pull over and take in the scenery.
Shopping – the little Main Street area of Cannon Beach, the north end of Hemlock St., has a lot of little shops and restaurants to walk around. If you stay near Haystack Rock, it’s all just a short half mile walk away.

Have you been to Cannon Beach yet??

Kirsten