"What better gift can we give the next generation than a passion for science and discovery, and a commitment to caring for the natural world?" -Julie Packard

Haystack Rock is a great destination for field trips, a great place to learn and a great place to see tidepool inhabitants and seabirds in their natural environment. Watch this short educational DVD for a sneak preview!

Group field trips must be SCHEDULED IN ADVANCE with the program coordinator to accommodate the large number of schools that wish to visit Haystack Rock during the spring (80 schools in 2008!). We recommend scheduling your trip at least two months in advance.

                                      Download 2011 Teacher's Packet below:
            Grade 6 and Up, Click here                      Grade 5 and Under, Click here  

When you are planning your field trip keep in mind that the Haystack Rock Marine Garden is both a fragile ecosystem and a very popular destination for school groups of all ages. With a beautiful beach and easily accessible tidepools it's no wonder that the Rock has seen as many as 500 kids from four different schools visit on the same day, at the same time! What a zoo.

Here is where we can help. We schedule visiting school groups and space out visits to prevent unnecessary damage to the environment and to prevent 500 students from having to scramble over each other to look into the same tidepool. That's not fun for anyone--including the critters.

By scheduling field trips with HRAP, we make it possible for more groups to visit Haystack Rock and help you provide a positive educational experience. If you are planning a school field trip and would like to make arrangements to have HRAP interpreters on hand to answer questions--or if you have any questions about the Haystack Rock Marine Garden and what your class can do to prepare for the trip --contact the HRAP Coordinator at the City of Cannon Beach. The Coordinator will be able to give you more information about Haystack Rock and our program. She will also share tidepool ettiquette guidelines with you to keep the Marine Garden healthy and safe to explore and help you plan your trip according to the tides. Please see our teacher's packets (above) for detailed information about our beach programs.

For a head start on trip-planning, visit our Links page on the navigation bar above to check for extreme low-tide days, then contact the HRAP Coordinator to suggest possible dates. We at HRAP are happy to help and want to make your experience at Haystack Rock a fun one.

Return to HRAP's main program page