THE ICON Haystack Rock. You might see a beer-bellied man lying on his back. You may see Snoopy lying on the roof of his shed. Or maybe all you will see is a simple haystack. Whatever your perspective, Haystack Rock is impossible to miss as it proudly stands 235 feet tall just off the coast of Cannon Beach, Oregon. ORIGINS Haystack Rock rose from volcanic activity on the state's eastern side thousands of years ago when massive lava flows traveled along the Columbia River. As the lava came into contact with the Pacific, it hardened into basalt. The basalt built up in height and mass and was eventually pushed to the surface by shifting plates. The famous formation we know today is what erosion has left of the great Oregon Coastal Basalt Plain. Also left over are the smaller basalt formations scattered around Haystack. These are known as "The Needles of Cannon Beach". RISE TO FAME Haystack Rock is not the only basalt formation on the Oregon coast, nor is it the largest. S...