Cannon Beach isn’t exactly in Portland, (okay it’s actually not in Portland at all) but it was a must-site visit when we travelled there. We left around 5 AM from our Airbnb and arrived at the beach around 6:30 AM. Most of the shops open between 7-8 AM, but we didn’t mind.
FYI — the weather in Portland may not be the same weather you will experience at Cannon Beach. When we began our drive, the weather was sunny and in the high 70s. When we arrived at the beach, it was very cloudy and rainy. I was actually quite bummed that it was raining, but we made the best of it.
There is a public parking lot specifically for visitors, and it was a 5 minute walk to the beach. Even though it was drizzling as we walked to the beach, there was a small opening in the sky where the sun peaked through the clouds. Jesse even smiled and said, “Let’s take your pictures now!” and it was so much fun.
Haystack Rock is huge, and the view was absolutely beautiful– I am also biased though because I just love the beach. It was so relaxing coming at sunrise and having the beach almost all to ourselves. Around 7:30 AM, people were starting to take their morning strolls and they were all so friendly. In some areas on the beach, there are also white chairs available to sit on. How awesome is that?
This was actually our first time watching the sunrise together, and also going to the beach so early. But it was totally worth it. Hopefully we can come back in the future and see it during golden hour!
