Ecola Creek flows into the Pacific Ocean at the northern edge of Cannon Beach, a small resort community approximately 30 miles (48 km) north of Tillamook and 8 miles (12 km) south of Seaside, Oregon. The Ecola Creek watershed covers about 14,080 acres (5,698 ha), with the entire basin located within 6 miles (10 km) of the ocean. Haystack Rock, a sea stack standing 235 feet (72 m) tall, is a popular tourist destination adjacent to the community and accessible at low tide.

The coastal area around Cannon Beach is part of the traditional territory of the Tillamook tribe. In January 1806, William Clark and several members of the Corps of Discovery expedition, including their guide Sacagawea, hiked about 20 miles (32 km) south from their winter quarters at Fort Clatsop near the mouth of the Columbia River to Cannon Beach. They aimed to see a stranded whale near the mouth of Ecola Creek. Upon arrival, they encountered a group of Tillamook people and successfully bartered for 300 pounds (140 kg) of blubber and some whale oil before returning to Fort Clatsop. Clark named the creek “Ekoli,” the Chinook word for “whale.” However, early settlers later renamed it “Elk Creek,” and a nearby community adopted the same name.

In 1846, the U.S. Navy schooner Shark ran aground while attempting to cross the Columbia Bar. A cannon from the vessel washed ashore just north of Arch Cape, a few miles south of what is now Cannon Beach. Rediscovered in 1898, the town of Elk Creek was renamed Cannon Beach in 1922 to commemorate the event. The original cannon is housed in the city’s museum, while a replica is displayed alongside U.S. Route 101. On February 16, 2008, two more cannons, also believed to be from the Shark, were discovered on Arch Cape. Read more here and here. Explore more of Ecola Creek and Cannon Beach here: