Haystack Rock is a sea stack in Cannon Beach, Oregon. The monolithic rock is adjacent to the beach and accessible by foot at low tide. The Haystack Rock tide pools are home to many intertidal animals, including starfish, sea anemone, crabs, chitons, limpets, and sea slugs. The rock is also a nesting site for many sea birds, including terns and puffins.

History

In 1968, a protrusion of a rock that was used as a ledge by those illegally climbing it was blasted off.

In 1990, Haystack Rock was granted Marine Garden status by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The site is protected under the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge as a designated wilderness area.

Location and management

Haystack Rock is located about south of downtown Cannon Beach in Clatsop County and about west of Portland. The nearest major road is U.S. Route 101. Haystack Rock is part of the Tolovana Beach State Recreation Site.

The area below the mean high water (MHW) level is managed by Oregon Parks and Recreation. The area above the MHW level is managed by the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Haystack Rock is composed of basalt and was formed by lava flows emanating from the Blue Mountains and Columbia basin about 15-17 million years ago. The lava flows came from massive eruptions from a source believed to be what is now the Yellowstone volcanic hotspot, and created many of the Oregon coast's natural features. Haystack Rock was once joined to the coastline but years of erosion have since separated the monolith from the coast. Three smaller, adjacent rock formations to the south of Haystack Rock are collectively called "The Needles".

Ecology

Collecting plants or animals is strictly prohibited and to protect nesting birds, climbing above the mean high tide level barnacle line is not allowed.

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|+ Tidepools in 2023

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|+Views of Haystack Rock

| thumb|Haystack Rock northwest face|| thumb|Haystack Rock from Hwy 101 pullout south of Cannon Beach|| thumb|Haystacks Rocks and the Needles, Cannon Beach just before sunset 2023||

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References

  • Cannon Beach Haystack Rock Rocky Shore Management Cell from the Oregon Ocean-Coastal Management Program
  • Friends of Haystack Rock
  • Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge
  • Tolovana Beach State Recreation Site
  • "A 1940 Oregon Coast Tour: Seaside to Bay City" from the Oregon State Archives