Grays Harbor/Long Beach/Ocean Park

Seafood and recreation abound on the shore while kits and birds soar above

Visitors to Grays Harbor, Long Beach and Ocean Park on Washington’s Pacific Coast can expect an array of historic attractions, dazzling scenic beauty and thrilling outdoor recreation. In Grays Harbor, where the Chehalis River empties into the namesake body of water, you can stroll along dramatic beaches, savor fresh Pacific seafood, lose yourself in old-growth rainforests and keep your eyes on the lookout for gray whales.

Pacific Seafood and History

Don’t forget your shovels, because Grays Harbor and surrounding towns along the ocean coast are teeming with razor clams. Go digging in the communities of Grayland, Ocean City, Copalis Beach, Seabrook, Pacific Beach or Moclips.

Joe Mabel

In Westport, at the mouth of the harbor, visitors can stop by the Maritime Museum to see a 30-foot Coast Guard surf rescue boat and fascinating exhibits encompassing everything from cranberry growing to whales. In Aberdeen, check out the Museum of History, Seaport Learning Center and a full-scale reproduction of the Lady Washington, the first U.S. ship to visit the West Coast.

High Flying and Low Key

Long Beach, situated on a scenic peninsula that borders Willapa Bay south of Grays Harbor, hosts the Washington State International Kite Festival (August), when colorful creations fill the skies. Also in the area: Cape Disappointment State Park.

Head north along the peninsula for the low-key community of Ocean Park, which is worth a stroll for its handful of historical structures and homes that speak to the town’s origin as a station on the narrow-gauge Clamshell Railroad. Stick around for the annual Northwest Garlic Festival (June) and the Rod Run to the End of the World (September).

For More Information

Grays Harbor Tourism

800-621-9625

www.visitgraysharbor.com

Long Beach Peninsula

800-451-2542

www.funbeach.com

Washington State Tourism

800-544-1800

www.experiencewa.com