Cannon Beach

This community is located in Clatsop County south of Astoria. It lies between Seaside and Manzanita along Highway 101, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

In September 1846 the U.S. survey schooner Shark sank at the mouth of the Columbia River. Part of the wreckage, with three small cannons attached, floated southward and washed up here. Finally, in 1922, local residents named their town "Cannon Beach."

The coastline includes one of the world's larger monoliths, Haystack Rock. A mile west, Tillamook Head is home to one of the most historic lighthouses on the coast. The community has retained a small-town aura despite being a magnet for crowds from Portland and farther. Cannon Beach is one of the many centers for artistic creativity on the Oregon Coast. Festivals in Cannon Beach include Sandcastle Day, Stormy Weather Arts Festival, annual Chamber Auction, Haystack Holidays, Kite Festival, and their annual Dog Show. Cannon Beach also offers a wide variety of art galleries to choose from.

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