Puffins from Haystack Hill Trail, Cannon Beach

No prize is more coveted among Oregon birders and wildlife photographers than the Tufted Puffins of Cannon Beach. Throngs gather down on the cold, wet sand at dawn with spotting scopes and telephotos just for a glimpse of these "parrots of the sea." People crane their necks up Haystack Rock, trying to find a decent angle through grass and rocks from 200 feet below.

I know a spot where you can avoid all that and look 'em right in their beady little golden eyes, but you gotta hike briefly through a beautiful forest with lots of photogenic nurse logs and ferns to get to it. Life is hard.

Haystack Hill Trail is open to the public, but it's practically a secret. That's because its parking is ephemeral; there ain't none at the trailhead and most don't know where to look. Here's the scoop: 0.3 miles away is a free public parking lot at S. Hemlock and E. Gower, right next to Sleepy Monk Coffee.

Get there about 30 minutes early to park, use the restroom, walk to the trailhead at the intersection of Spruce Street and Arbor Lane, and set out with the rest of us at 8 AM. We'll slowly hike the all-dirt, 0.8 mile roundtrip, out-and-back route up a few initial sharp inclines and multiple blowdowns, but then it levels out and opens up at the top into a high-ceilinged botanical lounge of Sitka spruce and False Lily of the Valley.

Half a dozen tiny trail spurs are fun to explore but the terminus at Pirates Lookout is the goal. Here, there are breaks in the tall salal and thick trees where you can set up a tripod with just enough clearance to look straight across at puffin burrows.

My goal is to see a puffling. The babies are called pufflings. How freakin' adorable is that? PUFFLINGS!

Linger as long as you like, or until the insect repellent wears off. Afterwards, you can walk the sand down at the rock, explore Cannon Beach shops and galleries, or join me in car-touring the gorgeous little cottage gardens.

Bring $5 cash, sturdy hiking boots, trekking poles/walking stick, insect repellent, water, binoculars/spotting scope, camera equipment, and WEATHER appropriate clothing. Trail almost completely shaded and shielded from wind. No restroom on site but public restrooms due west of public parking area across Hemlock Street. Adults only, please, and no pets, thanks.