Published in 1978 from 1949 survey work, the United States Geological Survey’s “Tillamook Head” captures one of the most dramatic reaches of the northern Oregon coast at a revealing mid-century moment. At 1:24,000 scale, it presents Cannon Beach, Seaside, Tillamook Head, Ecola Point, Indian Beach, and the adjoining Pacific shoreline with the precision and restraint for which USGS topographic mapping is renowned. The map’s contours give immediate form to the steep coastal headlands, forested slopes, and narrow lowlands that define this landscape, while its measured color scheme distinguishes terrain, water, roads, and settlement with elegant clarity. As both a technical document and a historical portrait, it records the region before later waves of tourism, residential growth, and conservation-minded development reshaped its coastal communities.

The mapmaker, the United States Geological Survey, brought to this work nearly a century of institutional expertise in rendering the American landscape legible. Founded in 1879, the USGS became the nation’s authoritative source for topographic mapping, transforming field surveys, triangulation, elevation measurement, and geographic observation into maps used by engineers, planners, scientists, and explorers. In “Tillamook Head,” that tradition is visible in the disciplined contour intervals and careful placement of hydrographic, cultural, and natural features. The result is not merely a guide to location, but a structured interpretation of landform. Every ridge, creek, promontory, and road is fitted into a coherent geographic system, offering a remarkably lucid view of a coast where mountains descend almost directly into the sea.

Cannon Beach anchors the southern portion of the mapped area, already recognizable as a coastal destination but still shown in a comparatively modest stage of development. Just offshore, Haystack Rock marks the shoreline with iconic force, one of Oregon’s most celebrated sea stacks and a defining symbol of the town’s scenic identity. The map situates this landmark within a wider coastal setting of beaches, points, and headlands, including Ecola Point, Indian Point, Bull Point, and Champoeg Point. These names evoke a shoreline of coves, bluffs, and wave-cut promontories, shaped by ocean energy and volcanic geology. Read closely, the map reveals how settlement here adapted to topography, with roads and trails negotiating a landscape governed by cliffs, forests, streams, and shifting coastal margins.

To the north, Seaside and the lowlands around the Necanicum River introduce a contrasting geography of river mouths, flats, and coastal settlement. The Necanicum and nearby Neawanna Point help define a gentler, more open coastal environment than the precipitous slopes of Tillamook Head, while the Youngs River and the broader regional drainage patterns hint at the complex hydrology of Oregon’s northwest corner. Farther south and east, the approach toward Nehalem Bay suggests the continuity of estuarine landscapes along the coast, where rivers meet the Pacific in sheltered tidal waters. These waterways are more than cartographic details: they were corridors of travel, sources of livelihood, ecological habitats, and determinants of where roads, towns, and recreational routes could develop.

The rugged prominence of Tillamook Head dominates the map’s character, its dense contours conveying a steep, forested mass rising above the Pacific. This headland has long been one of the great natural thresholds of the Oregon coast, associated with Indigenous presence, early exploration, and later scenic preservation. The inclusion of Ecola State Park, Indian Beach, and associated trails underscores the area’s growing identity as a place of public recreation and protected landscape. The map captures that balance between wildness and access: roads edge toward viewpoints, trails trace through heavy terrain, and named points frame vistas over the ocean. As a historical document, it allows present-day viewers to compare coastlines, park boundaries, transportation routes, and settlement patterns across time, revealing the evolving relationship between Oregon’s coastal communities and their spectacular setting.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Cannon Beach
• Seaside
• Tillamook Head
• Ecola Point
• Indian Point
• Indian Beach
• Bull Point
• Haystack Rock
• Champoeg Point
• Neawanna Point
• Youngs River
• Necanicum River
• Pacific Ocean
• Nehalem Bay
• Ecola State Park
• Various trails and roads in the vicinity

Historical context & cartographic details

• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Cannon Beach, Oregon, and the surrounding coastal area.
• Created in 1949 and published with a 1978 imprint.
• Produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), known for authoritative topographic mapping and geographic studies.
• Highlights Cannon Beach, a scenic coastal town associated with Haystack Rock.
• Features clear elevation contours that show the area’s terrain and elevation changes.
• Uses color differentiation to distinguish land cover and map features effectively.
• Shows a rugged coastal landscape with significant elevation changes typical of the Oregon coastline.
• Captures geographic features before later development, making it useful for comparison with modern maps.
• Provides insight into historical urban, environmental, and landscape changes over time.

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.

With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.