One of the signature sea stacks on the Oregon Coast, the Haystack Rock towers 235 feet above the beach, seemingly reaching out to the sky from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Along with its proximity to the city of Portland, this rock formation has contributed in making Cannon Beach a tourist destination. It is accessible from the beach and can be walked to during low tide. The saying, "you can look but you better not touch" applies to this iconic rock formation. It is protected, as it is a national wildlife refuge and one of seven protected intertidal areas along the Oregon coast. My favorite time to shoot this icon is usually just after sunrise when the sun clears the cliffs to the east. The beach is usually secluded at that time of day. Shooting near sunset can a bit problematic, as there are usually swarms of people walking the beach. For some strange reason unknown to me, when I headed to the beach one night, there was only a small family to share the famous sea stack with me.