Coastal Destinations featured in “The Goonies” Becomes Sensational, Volunteers tries to protect Oregon's iconic “The Goonies Rock”

The town from the favorite '80s movie "The Goonies" was actually filmed in Astoria, Oregon, where some of the most iconic scenes take place on Cannon Beach. And now that the Haystack Rock is becoming an iconic symbol of Cannon Beach that draws thousands of people each year, members of the Haystack Rock Awareness Program want the public to know that the 235-foot-tall rock is more for looking than for touching.

Astoria's main industry is tourism, Micah Dugan of The Oregon Film Museum told the BBC. The Astoria Column is an allegedly perfect place to get a view of the whole town and the coast. Cannon beach, with the famous "Goonies" rocks, is also a short drive from Astoria.

According to Love and Travel, the rock that is used along with restaurant with the skull medallion is called Haystack Rock. Unfortunately, the restaurant and all of the underground caves were set for the movie. It's wide which is perfect for long walks, wading in and out of shallow pools and gazing at the formations jutting out of the sea that helped the Goonies on their treasure hunt.

And now that the Haystack Rock is becoming more famous to guests, the members of the Haystack Rock Awareness Program notify the public for them to know that the 235-foot tall rock, which is protected as an Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge and Marine Garden, is just for looking and not for touching.

The Iconic Rock is what drew Jason Phelps, 35, of Vancouver, British Columbia, and his girlfriend, Abbey, to Cannon Beach during a trip to Oregon. "We've seen tons of photos and had to stop by to see it for ourselves. She's a big fan of 'The Goonies,' too, so that's a plus," Phelps stated via Statesman Journal.

To date, a lot of visitors come to the coasts for adventure, others are there for a wedding or senior pictures. But a few of them just can't defy to touch or even climb the Goonies Rock. "Sometimes they get tunnel vision. It's just not an environment they've been in before. They want to check it out," Program Coordinator Melissa Keyser claimed. She added, "A lot of times it's an honest mistake." However, she still believes that the guests should know the rules of the places they visit.

Despite the presence of program staff, signage and information, a number of people still climb the rock. Haystack Rock Awareness Program staff recorded more than 1,200 people trying to climb the rock from February to September. As part of the national wildlife refuge in 1968, which became a marine garden in 1991, one of seven protected intertidal areas along the Oregon coast, everything above the high tide line is a part of the protection.

Recently, the number of climbers intercepted rose from last year, but Keyser noted that the data also reflect increased beach shifts and more volunteers. Some don't get what the Haystack Rock Awareness Program is advocating because they see the rock as their own, Keyser added. Because of that, they wanted to focus on education rather than enforcement. And although the program staff has had to call the police a few times this year because a person became extremely upset, fortunately, those people are just a few.