Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

While many coasts are defined by their beaches, we here in Oregon take great pride in our sea stacks – the many craggy rock formations that dot the coastline.

There are countless such sea stacks up and down the coast, from the iconic to the relatively unknown. As winter waves currently pummel those big rocks, sending up magnificent ocean spray, it seemed like a good time to rank the very best our coastline has to offer.



This is an incredibly subjective undertaking, of course. A beautiful sea stack to some is a so-so sight to others. However, I did come up with a few factors in ranking them: grandeur, accessibility, additional features and the sea stack’s significance to the community.

In the end, I wound up with 20 big rocks that help define the Oregon coast. Whether you're storm watching in the winter or lounging on the beach come summer, you can't miss these magnificent sea stacks in the surf.



What's a sea stack?

A sea stack is defined as a steep rock formation that's detached from the mainland by the ocean. For this list, I considered big rocks of all kinds that are relatively close to shore. Some are technically considered small islands, but for this story I'm just lumping them all together as sea stacks – apologies to any geological purists.



It’s also worth noting that many of sea stacks along the coast share names, “Haystack Rock” being the most prominent. I’ve specified in instances where two rocks of the same name appear on this list.

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

20. Tillamook Rock

Found more than a mile offshore in the churning Pacific Ocean, Tillamook Rock is the very definition of "inaccessible." Still, topped by a stunning lighthouse and visible from the cliffs of Tillamook Head, it's an incredible sight to behold. The best place to see it is from a viewpoint in Ecola State Park, about 1.5 miles on a trail north of Indian Beach.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

19. Cape Blanco rock

This apparently unnamed sea stack at Cape Blanco State Park is a stunning little pinnacle on the southern coast. It's easily accessible when the tide allows, found on the beach on the south side of Cape Blanco itself. Find a path to the beach near the lighthouse parking lot.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

18. Sisters Rocks

A trio of sea stacks called Sisters Rocks are found just south of Prehistoric Gardens on the southern coastline, creating a beautiful silhouette at dusk. A trail by the parking area on the side of U.S. 101 gives access to the rocks, as well as to a sea cave in the largest of the three at low tide.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

17. Table Rock

Bandon is home to several spectacular sea stacks, including the delightfully flat-topped Table Rock. Visitors to the South Jetty Beach or Coquille Point can immediately recognize the rock, which makes a great background for photographs and is always popular among sea birds.

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16. Arch Rock (Harris Beach)

One of the many stunning sea stacks at Harris Beach State Park on the southern coast, Arch Rock is broad rock formation with a sharp notch in its center. It's easily accessible along the beach just south of the primary day-use parking lot.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

15. Gull Rock

One of several rock formations by the same name, Gull Rock dominates the view from Otter Crest Beach, also home to Devil's Punchbowl, one of the Oregon coast's most spectacular natural attractions. Located about a half mile offshore, Gull Rock is inaccessible but a gorgeous sight come dusk.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

14. Twin Rocks (Lone Ranch Beach)

There are plenty of small sea stacks at Lone Ranch Beach, just one part of the sprawling Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, but Twin Rocks are by far the most spectacular. The jagged sea stacks are too far into the ocean to reach, but they make a stunning scene from shore, especially when pounded by big waves.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

13. Whaleshead Beach rocks

Another stunning stop along the scenic Boardman Corridor, Whaleshead Beach is home to three fantastic rock formations. The bigger two that are farther offshore are known as Whalehead Island, while the pointed sea stack closer to shore doesn't appear to have a name. All can be seen from either the Whaleshead Viewpoint or Whaleshead Beach.

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Steven Gibbons/The Oregonian

12. Heceta Head rocks

Heceta Head is known first and foremost for its lighthouse – one of the best beacons on the Oregon coast – but two sea stacks close to shore add to the dramatic ocean setting. The two unnamed rocks aren't particularly easy to access (except, perhaps, at low tide), but remain an integral part of the Heceta Head scenery.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

11. Pistol River rocks

A series of unnamed sea stacks adorn the shores of Pistol River State Scenic Viewpoint near Gold Beach on the southern coast, making it one of the more beautiful roadside beaches in the state. You can find the sea stacks at what's known as Pistol River Middle, where there's a parking area right in front of the rocks.

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10. Three Arch Rocks

The three sea stacks just offshore at Oceanside make up one of the most iconic views on the northern coast. Three Arch Rocks are named for the arches notched into each, though they're only visible from certain angles. The rock formation is also protected as a national wildlife refuge to protect nesting sea birds and sea lions.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

9. Thunder Rock Cove rocks

Most visitors to the Boardman Corridor stop by Natural Bridges (not a sea stack, but an extension of the coastline), though there's also great scenery right next door at Thunder Rock Cove. A hiking trail connects both spots to two separate parking areas, and after a short walk, hikers can arrive at what's known as Seal Point, where several stunning rock formations are visible just offshore.

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Oregon State Parks

8. Twin Rocks (Rockaway Beach)

Any visitor to Rockaway Beach will be familiar with Twin Rocks, the dual rock formation just offshore. Once known as Profile Rocks, the sea stacks are an integral part of the ocean view, and from the right angle you can see the archway in the southernmost twin.

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Oregonian File Photo

7. Battle Rock

Home to a park site, visitor center and Fourth of July fireworks show, Battle Rock could be considered the heart of Port Orford. The oblong rock itself is nearly connected to the shore, making access easy from Battle Rock Park. The rock was named for a battle between the Qua-to-mah Native Americans and a group of men who had landed there trying to establish a white settlement in the area.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

6. Goat Island

A gorgeous rock formation off the coast of Harris Beach State Park, Goat Island is recognizable by its sweeping top and imposing south face. The 21-acre rock is considered the largest island off the Oregon coast, and is also home to a national wildlife refuge to protect nesting sea birds. You can see it from Harris Beach or get another angle at nearby Rainbow Rock viewpoint.

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5. Arch Rock (Boardman Corridor)

One of the most recognizable landmarks on the southern coast (and namesake of a tiny local brewery), Arch Rock is yet another stunning sea stack found within the scenic Boardman Corridor. You can see it from a viewpoint at the Arch Rock Picnic Area south of Gold Beach.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

4. Haystack Rock (Pacific City)

The southern of two popular Haystack Rocks on the Oregon coast is found at Pacific City, its stately profile known to all who visit Cape Kiwanda and Pelican Brewing. Unlike the Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach, this sea stack is too far out to reach. Still, it's an incredible sight on the horizon as you watch sunset on the beach or sip a beer on the patio at Pelican. Some locals (and Google Maps) call it Chief Kiawanda Rock, which is one way to differentiate it.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

3. Face Rock rocks

The pride and joy of Bandon, Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint is home to plenty of incredible sea stacks. There's some confusion about which rock is Face Rock (many say it's the large rock offshore, while Oregon State Parks labels it as the big one on the beach), but visitors can simply appreciate both, as well as Cat and Kittens Rocks and the many smaller sea stacks scattered in the surf. If you're lucky, your visit might coincide with Circles in the Sand, a group that creates beautiful sand labyrinths on the beach throughout the year.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

2. Proposal Rock

Much romance surrounds Proposal Rock. Its name is allegedly rooted in a 19th-century marriage between a sailor and the daughter of a local homesteading family, and couples still show up to the Neskowin landmark for engagements and weddings. The rock itself is also a romantic sight – a towering island covered in trees, located next to the famed Ghost Forest. At low tide, beach walkers can access the rock, and the many small tide pools at its base

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1. Haystack Rock (Cannon Beach)

In the end, it was always going to be Haystack Rock. The Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach is so well known that it needs no qualifier – with all due respect to Pacific City, this is the Haystack Rock. It's the sea stack that everyone has a photo of, and is easily the most iconic landmark on the Oregon coast. It even had a star turn in "The Goonies." Like many other rock formations on the Pacific coast, Haystack Rock is slowly eroding, and may be gone in the next 2,000 to 3,000 years. That's all the more reason to appreciate it while it's here. You can see Haystack Rock from afar just about anywhere in Cannon Beach, or you can get up close and personal during low tide.



--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB