Ecola State Park’s Closure May Impact More Than Park

CANNON BEACH, Ore. (AP) – Ecola means “whale” in the Chinook Wawa trade language – and, much like a whale, sections of Ecola State Park are heading out to sea.

The Astorian reports the park remains closed indefinitely after a February landslide that damaged the primary entrance road and sent a portion of a trail, trees and salal bushes cascading over a cliff edge.

With the closure, the state expects increased tourism and recreational pressure on other state parks, especially parks like Oswald West farther south.

Ecola sees more than half a million day-use visitors every year.

And state park sites on the North Coast in general have only been growing in popularity in recent years.