The important role that open space plays in defining Cannon Beach is reflected in several elements of the Vision Statement of the Comprehensive Plan. The fundamental principle of the plan is to foster a community with a strong sense of place which provides its resident the quality of life that they desire. The protection and enhancement of the following unique community characteristics form the basis for achieving this principle:

• Proximity to and interaction with the surrounding natural environment as defined by the ocean and its beach, the Ecola Creek estuary and surrounding forested hillsides.
• A city that is physically small in size and has well defined edges as the result of its location adjacent to the ocean and forest land.

The elements of the town’s physical form which the plan will foster are:

• Development that honors the city’s’ physical setting.
• A distinct edge to the town which defines the separation of urban uses from rural and natural resource uses.

The broad categories which define open space within the City are specific natural resource areas such as the beach and associated dunes, wetlands and streams and their associated riparian areas, scenic resources and natural hazard areas such as flood plains and geologic hazard areas. City policies with regard to these and other open spaces resources are generally contained in the “Recreation, Open Space, Natural, Visual and Historic Resources” section of the Comprehensive Plan. The Zoning Code contains specific standards intended to protect beach and dune areas, estuarine areas, and wetlands and stream corridors.

The following is a brief list of some of the more significant open space areas in public ownership in the City:

• Chapman Point An undeveloped 12-acre tract that is part of Ecola State Park.
• Haystack Hill State Park An 8.8 acre forested parcel located south of Arbor Lane and north of Chena Avenue, between US Highway 101 and Hemlock Street.
• Les Shirley Park A fine sample of estuarine wetland located in the north end of town along the Ecola Creek estuary.
• Haystack Rock, part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
• The IMPACT site A city-owned 7.5 acre forested area located between Spruce Street and Highway 101 and Jefferson Street and Monroe Street.
• Inspiration Point A city-owned .6 acre parcel abutting the ocean shore adjacent to the S-curve area of S. Hemlock Street.
• "Parcel A" While not a public open space area, Parcel A is a 40-acre tract that is located immediately adjacent to the City’s springs, which are the City’s primary source of water. The purchase of Parcel A in 2003 from Weyerhaeuser Corporation has provided the City with a 660-foot buffer on the east and south side of the springs.
• "Parcel B" The Friends of Ecola Creek Forest Reserve assisted the City through a fund raising campaign to purchase a 120-acre parcel of land adjacent to the City’s municipal watershed from the Weyerhaeuser Company. The property contains three-quarters of a mile of Ecola creek frontage, important coho salmon habitat and remnant old-growth rainforest.