Nac Snap Photography

PROS:

• This spot is beautiful and decently protected from the wind
• There is a (tiny) parking lot and well kept bathroom
• There are lots of fun things to explore like caves, tide pools, a waterfall, and a freshwater creek
• You are close to Cannon Beach; about 5 miles south right off Hwy 101
• Blowing bubbles here is really cool because of the way the wind moves
• It’s free to park

CONS:

• You need to be mindful of the tide schedule, you could get trapped if you are out during high tide
• The turn into/out of the parking lot is by a sharp corner on highway 101
• The parking lot is narrow and fills up quickly
• We have yet to find any pirate gold in any of the caves
• Has stairs and the final step down onto the beach is a doozy

I debated heavily writing about this spot… mostly because it is sentimental and I don’t want it to become too popular; however, since it’s busier every time we go, word is obviously out about it. Normally our adventures are geared for fun and adventure, but for this trip it was more sentimental and had a heavy tone.

I wanted to make sure I documented this trip for you so you can remember what we did on the anniversary of your father’s passing and second birthday since his tragic motorcycle accident: we spread his ashes here with your aunt. Now you have somewhere close to visit anytime you want to to play in the sand or tell him stories. Your father loved the beach and he dreamed of taking you to every national park in the US. He often spoke of a life travelling the world by sea on a sailboat…. he’d be so proud of you little one and mommy will always try and keep him in our hearts and in our adventures.

We spent the day exploring caves, looking for crabs, playing in the waterfall, making sand castles, burying each other in sand, and exploring above the waterfall. We spent the afternoon crying and hugging each other while we sprinkled some ashes for the first anniversary of his passing, on his birthday, on Father’s Day weekend. It was a heavy day, and it’s a heavy feeling, but his memory will live on.

Back to Hug Point....

Google will take you directly to the parking lot… which is small and fills up quickly, so get there early or right as the tide is starting to go out. It does have a bathroom and you can be daring and park along the highway in spots without a no parking sign too. There is a nice walkway out onto the beach, but that last step off the stairs into the rocks before hitting sand is a very big step .

It’s immediately stunning, but to get to the waterfall you have to turn right and walk around the big cliff. Once you do you will see the waterfall area in the distance and a cave! We park it by that cave and explore from there.

There are more caves, tide pools, a waterfall and freshwater creek to play in, a forestry area above the waterfall you can explore (hello mini hike!), and tons of sand to play in. You can walk for miles if you want, just BE VERY MINDFUL OF THE TIDE SCHEDULE because you could get trapped and then you’d either have to venture through the trees towards the main road or wait until it goes back out again… assuming you aren’t in a spot the tide would reach.

Not only is this spot beautiful, but you find really cool people too! Well at least we did. We met a very sweet mom with her little boy and another group of women with a little girl making flower crowns… and let’s just say we had a bubble blowing party and then it ended with a dance party! Sad to end it.. but after a hot day of eating only snacks we needed to find food, the little boy had to go so they could meet up with his other mommy, and the flower making group had even more people show up! But alas we needed food and a break from the sun 😁

A slideshow:

A word of caution to this tale: I do not recommend relying on my word alone for your research prior to starting a hike. Please take all precautions to do the activity safely and knowledgeably. I am not liable for your choices on your hikes. I can only inform and entertain based on my own experience.