It was a foggy October day. I arrived in Cannon Beach, Oregon at the perfect time. A heard of Elk were on the beach, and the tourists were watching excitedly. The dogs started to bark and the Elk ran into the middle of Ecola Creek. There were about 15 of them in total, including a couple of calves. They were headed north.
Tourists from all over the world visit Cannon Beach, Oregon. It’s one of Oregon’s most famous beaches. The beach is wide and the coast has some large basalt rock formations, the most famous one being Haystack Rock. It’s intertidal, so a great place to observe tidal pools during low tide. I have visited this area several times before, and have seen Elk in the woods in Ecola State Park, but this is the first time seeing them on the beach. I wonder how they traveled to the beach, and for how long of a distance they’ve been wandering around as tourists watch. This surely was not their first encounter with dogs, as about half of visitors seem to have dogs. It was an exciting few moments, as wildlife and humans with their pets co-exist on the beach.
If you visit Cannon Beach, Oregon, and would enjoy a day trip, I encourage you to check out the Long Beach Peninsula in Washington.