2011 on the Oregon Coast: Year's Most Stunning Photos from Cannon Beach, Arch Cape

Published 01/19/2012

(Cannon Beach, Oregon) - More than usual seemed to take place in the Cannon Beach and Arch Cape area over the year, certainly in the natural world, when it came to the wacky sand levels much of the coast encountered over the summer. According to reactions on the Oregon Coast Beach Connection Facebook page, these and many other photos seemed to create the biggest stir in the last year.

Not all the wild stuff happened on the beach itself, however. One of the biggest reactions any photo received this last year was of the thick sea of stars above Ecola State Park and above the actual ocean.

Another striking shot that involved the sky was this one of the southern end of Cannon Beach, south of even the Tolovan area, where another esoteric nighttime scene included a break in the clouds that allowed the stars to come streaking through.

Certainly it was the high sand levels in the area that created the biggest story and the most stunning sights. These sand levels over the summer created a kind of barrier to the ocean, thus allowing access to all sorts of natural features not usually found. The most striking of these was the arch at Arch Cape, which is normally hidden behind the point at the village's southern end as well as covered in unruly, dangerous tides.

This time around, it wasn't.

Heading around the point offered other amazing sights as well.

Just south of town, sand levels at Arcadia State Park created this unprecedented scene: the rock structures normally inside the breakers were fairly accessible.

The other big story of the year was the glorious summer the Oregon coast was privy to. Nearly three months of warm and calm weather made for summer scenes like this. The sunshine went almost interrupted from July into September.

Spring – as always – makes for the best sunset shots. Here, those on Oregon Coast Beach Connection's Facebook page reacted strongly to this glowing moment near Haystack Rock created by light bouncing off all those wet clouds that spring provides.

Another such scene was present at Arch Cape as well.

Summer's weird sand levels started to come to light in June in this very purplish shot, just after dusk, taken at Hug Point just south of Cannon Beach. You could see a sliver of the moon above and reflected in the water below.

Also at Hug Point, late in the year saw this awe-inspiring colorful moment, taken a ways after dusk.

Another extremely popular shot on the FB page this year was this oddity, taken in January 2011, of a nighttime scene at the Tolovana access. It's an otherworldly version of Cannon Beach here: as if this is what the town would look like in another universe.

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