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Hug Point Waterfall

Hug Point State Recreation Site / Arch Cape / Cannon Beach, Oregon, USA

About Hug Point Waterfall

Rating: 1
Difficulty: 1.5
Hiking Distance: 1/2-mile round-trip (low tide only)
Suggested Time: 15-30 minutes (allow more time to explore)
Date first visited: 2021-04-06
Date last visited: 2021-06-23
Waterfall Latitude: 45.83022
Waterfall Longitude: -123.96212
Directions: Get to the waterfall
Vicinity: Find nearby waterfalls
Jump to: Photos, Videos, Other Info
Jump to: Comments and Reviews
Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

The Hug Point Waterfall was a diminutive 10-15ft seasonal waterfall on Fall Creek that probably wouldn’t be enough of a reason to visit on its own.

However, it was really more of a waterfalling excuse to explore the Hug Point Recreation Site, which featured a long beach, some intriguing sea stacks, a few caves, and a curious shelf that once supported stagecoach traffic!

Hug_Point_028_04062021 - The Hug Point Waterfall
The Hug Point Waterfall

That said, in order to get the most out of visiting the beach here, I had to consult the tide tables and time the visit for low tide.

At other times, the waves will inundate much of the beach, and I’ve even seen it crest above the Hug Point Waterfall on some video clips found on the interwebs taken during a storm.

Given how easily Nature can reclaim this area with a changing of the tides, I found it hard to believe that the shelf providing passage from one beach to another was used as a passage for pioneers in the area.

In fact, that shelf literally “hugged” a sea cliff to help people avoid getting swept into the ocean (obviously futile at high tides), and that’s apparently how this reserve got its name!

Hug_Point_105_04062021 - Context of the shelf full of mussels and barnacles near the namesake protrusion of Hug Point as seen during my low tide visit in early April 2021
Context of the shelf full of mussels and barnacles near the namesake protrusion of Hug Point as seen during my low tide visit in early April 2021

Just to give you an idea of how frequently the shelf at Hug Point gets inundated, I witnessed mussels and barnacles clinging onto it, and walking on them to proceed was pretty much unavoidable.

In any case, the Hug Point Waterfall excursion was really less of a hike and more of a kind of beach exploration where you can stay for as little time as you want or as long as you want (as there’s plenty to explore).

The “hike” from the parking area (see directions below) to the base of the waterfall was about a quarter-mile in each direction (or a half-mile round-trip).

However, I was able to continue another quarter-mile (or 1-mile round-trip in total) to the namesake Hug Point itself.

Hug_Point_115_04062021 - One of a handful of caves in the Hug Point Recreation Site, which are accessible at low tide
One of a handful of caves in the Hug Point Recreation Site, which are accessible at low tide

Finally, I have to warn that this seemed to be a very popular spot as it was roughly 5 miles south of Cannon Beach.

As a result, the biggest difficulty in doing this excursion could very well be finding parking.

Authorities

The Hug Point Waterfall resides in the Hug Point Recreation Site near Cannon Beach in Clatsop County, Oregon. It is administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website.

Hug_Pt_002_06232021 - Tahia and I about to have some father-daughter time at Hug Point during our late June 2021 visit (just a couple months after our April 2021 visit)
Hug_Pt_003_06232021 - Unlike our April 2021 visit, we visited under overcast skies with the tides being a little higher this time around in late June 2021
Hug_Pt_005_06232021 - I was surprised that the Hug Point Waterfall was still flowing during our late June 2021 visit
Hug_Pt_007_06232021 - Closer look at the Hug Point Waterfall as seen during our late June 2021 visit
Hug_Pt_009_06232021 - There was definitely a lot of activity going on around the Hug Point Waterfall during our late June 2021 visit
Hug_Pt_013_06232021 - This area was all dry during our April 2021 visit, but it was not so during our late June 2021 visit
Hug_Pt_025_06232021 - The main reason why Tahia and I came back to Hug Point in late June 2021 was so she could have her little tide pool experience by watching sea anemones react to her
Hug_Pt_032_06232021 - Context of Tahia enjoying the tide pools atop the shelf at Hug Point during our late June 2021 visit
Hug_Pt_036_06232021 - Tahia checking out another tide pool on Hug Point during our late June 2021 visit
Hug_Pt_038_06232021 - Because of the higher tides, I always had to keep an eye out for any sneaker waves threatening to pick us off the shelf at Hug Point during our late June 2021 visit
Hug_Pt_048_06232021 - We spotted this little crab in the tide pools on the Hug Point Shelf during our late June 2021 visit
Hug_Pt_051_06232021 - Another contextual look at Tahia and the tide pools with a visual clue that the tides were definitely higher this time around in June 2021 than it was in early April 2021
Hug_Pt_054_06232021 - Looking back at the access to the Hug Point Shelf, which gives you an idea of why you should only consider coming in low tide
Hug_Pt_058_06232021 - Tahia going across the downstream flow of the Hug Point Waterfall as we were headed back to end our short visit in late June 2021
Hug_Point_002_04062021 - When we pulled into the Hug Point Recreation Site, the parking lot was very busy on our early April 2021 visit
Hug_Point_007_04062021 - Descending onto the beach at Hug Point in low tide
Hug_Point_009_04062021 - In order to witness the Hug Point Waterfall, we had to get around this bluff, which I believe was called Austin Point
Hug_Point_010_04062021 - Making our way around Austin Point en route to the Hug Point Waterfall
Hug_Point_012_04062021 - Looking in the distance towards a lot of people walking on a shelf, which turned out to be the actual Hug Point after which this reserve was named
Hug_Point_013_04062021 - Looking back towards Austin Point as we made our way closer to the Hug Point Waterfall
Hug_Point_014_04062021 - Looking ahead at the Hug Point Waterfall
Hug_Point_017_04062021 - Another look at the context of the Hug Point Waterfall
Hug_Point_018_04062021 - Looking back at the beach as I got closer to the Hug Point Waterfall
Hug_Point_020_04062021 - Looking across the Hug Point Waterfall towards the beach for context
Hug_Point_024_04062021 - Close-up look at the Hug Point Waterfall with a faint rainbow at its base
Hug_Point_031_04062021 - Looking out from the cave that was adjacent to the Hug Point Waterfall
Hug_Point_051_04062021 - Looking across the Hug Point Waterfall as I started to climb towards its top
Hug_Point_058_04062021 - Looking down over the brink of the Hug Point Waterfall towards one of its neighboring caves
Hug_Point_060_04062021 - Looking over the scrambling path that I took to get up to the top of the Hug Point Waterfall
Hug_Point_063_04062021 - Tahia enjoying herself on the beach at low tide as seen from the Hug Point Waterfall
Hug_Point_037_04062021 - Getting around the next protrusion beyond the Hug Point Waterfall to see what else there was to explore
Hug_Point_040_04062021 - In the next area beyond the Hug Point Waterfall, I noticed there were more caves that could be explored
Hug_Point_076_04062021 - Looking out from inside one of those sea caves between Hug Point and the Hug Point Waterfall
Hug_Point_124_04062021 - Inside the cave was an apparent mini-arch that I was able to crawl through at Hug Point Recreation Site
Hug_Point_131_04062021 - Approaching the bench or shelf leading to the namesake Hug Point
Hug_Point_080_04062021 - Walking onto the shelf leading to Hug Point at low tide
Hug_Point_081_04062021 - Looking back at the context of the shelf leading to Hug Point and the beach that I walked across to get here
Hug_Point_086_04062021 - As I went further out onto the shelf leading to Hug Point, I started to encounter an area that was full of mussels and barnacles
Hug_Point_087_04062021 - Closeup look at some of the mussels protruding from the shelf leading to Hug Point
Hug_Point_088_04062021 - Another contextual look at the mussels and barnacles with remnant tide pools on the shelf leading to Hug Point
Hug_Point_089_04062021 - Finally making it out to Hug Point where I can see Arcadia Beach in the distance
Hug_Point_091_04062021 - At low tide, it's actually possible to continue walking past Hug Point and onto Arcadia Beach just like how the pioneers did it by stagecoach back in the day
Hug_Point_099_04062021 - After having my fill of Hug Point, it was time to start heading back to the beach at the Hug Point Recreation Site
Hug_Point_102_04062021 - Looking down at some of the tide pools left behind from the receding tides at Hug Point during my early April 2021 visit
Hug_Point_107_04062021 - Closeup look at some of the barnacles or dried up mussels on the shelf at Hug Point
Hug_Point_132_04062021 - If I wanted to, I could have kept walking further down to Point Meriwether at the far southern end of this beach and really spend even more time here
Hug_Point_142_04062021 - Looking back towards the Hug Point Waterfall as I was heading back to the parking lot
Hug_Point_144_04062021 - Last look back at the Hug Point Waterfall as I was heading back to the parking lot
Hug_Point_152_04062021 - Back at the Hug Point Recreation Site parking lot, which seemed considerably less busier now than it did when we first showed up in early April 2021, but I did notice that there were still no available parking spaces (we had actually gotten away with illegally parking on this visit)


The Hug Point Waterfall resides in Hug Point Recreation Site roughly 5 miles south of Cannon Beach.

The parking spot closest to the waterfall was right off the US101 about 2 miles south of the Silver Point Interpretive Outlook (which itself was about 3 miles south of Cannon Beach).

Hug_Point_004_04062021 - Looking back at the very busy parking lot for the Hug Point Recreation Site in early April 2021
Looking back at the very busy parking lot for the Hug Point Recreation Site in early April 2021

The turnoff was on the right side (heading south), but parking was quite limited during our early April 2021 visit.

Therefore, I can foresee people trying to figure out ways to park along the US101 or even go as far as Arcadia Beach or Arch Cape for a longer beach walk.

It was about 7 miles north of Arch Cape along the US101.

For some geographical context, Cannon Beach was about 6 miles (less than 15 minutes drive) north of Arch Cape, 9 miles (15 minutes drive) south of Seaside, 16 miles (less than 30 minutes drive) north of Nehalem, 40 miles (an hour drive) north of Tillamook, and 85 miles (over 90 minutes drive) west of Portland.

Find A Place To Stay

Quick walkaround to see the Hug Point Waterfall from different angles close up


360 degree sweep from a distance of the Hug Point Waterfall showing the beach context


360 degree sweep from the sandy part of Hug Point Beach before focusing on the waterfall and scrambling towards both sides from different profile looks


Starting from the front of the waterfall then walking right across its base before ending up at the adjacent cave


Back and forth sweep from the brink of the Hug Point Falls


360 degree sweep from the very tip of Hug Point revealing the hidden beach on the other side

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Tagged with: hug point recreation site, oregon coast, sea caves, waterfall, mussels, barnacles, cannon beach



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Johnny Cheng

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Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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