I keep coming back to Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula under a myriad of circumstances: a trip with girlfriends, a long weekend with family, and most recently on a solo trip when I just needed a momentary change of scenery.

What I love about Long Beach is that it offers up whatever it is you need, even if you didn’t know you needed it. Like the time a tiny fawn, appearing to be only a few days old, pranced into the road and all cars had to stop and wait for several minutes, marveling at its cuteness. Or when you taste a clam chowder so divine that you have no choice but to appreciate how much joy the world has to offer.

Long Beach is obviously beautiful, but the beach and surrounding area offer unique experiences that satisfy your soul. Not much further than Astoria, Long Beach allows you to dive into nature, experience both solitude and community, explore and adventure, appreciate history and Native American culture and try one-of-a-kind bucket list experiences.

Even the drive to Long Beach invites you to enjoy the journey. The Astoria-Megler Bridge that drivers must cross to get there is the longest truss bridge in North America, and provides the perfect opportunity to take in the scenic views. And no one can forget the food! Long Beach is home to meals you will talk about for a long time. Whatever the reason, whatever the season, the Long Beach Peninsula is a destination to keep in your regular rotation, and here are some of my top recommendations.

Exploring the Outdoors on the Long Beach Peninsula

Beaches

The Long Beach Peninsula has endless uninterrupted stretches of beach to enjoy, hence the name, and a boardwalk that lends itself to a quiet appreciation of the area rather than attracting crowds. When you arrive on the Long Beach Peninsula, you’ll have plenty of access points to appreciate the beaches. On my most recent trip, the crowds were minimal, but if you really want to avoid them I recommend heading to Tokeland or North Cove for some solitude. If your family wants to build forts out of driftwood, Benson Beach is your place.

Discovery Trail

This beautiful 8.5-mile stretch of paved trail skirts along the coast and into some shady forested areas that are popular for bird watchers. I rented a bike from Tsunami Cycles (and had my first ever ride on an e-bike!) and was able to explore most of the stretch in just over an hour. But you will want to hop off your bike occasionally to soak in the views, the bridges and the installations commemorating Lewis and Clark’s expedition.

Cape Disappointment State Park

This area is home to numerous state parks, but the one I keep coming back to is Cape Disappointment, and I’m not the only one! It is one of the most visited state parks in Washington. Why? Because not only is it gorgeous, but it also offers a little bit of everything. Beaches? Check. Forested trails and hiking? Yep. It has two working lighthouses, historical forts, interpretive centers and Native American art and installations. On my most recent solo trek, I found myself winding through all sorts of different trails and when I reached the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, I stayed an extra-long while watching the seals down below.

Choose your own Adventure

If hiking and beach bumming are far too mellow for you, rent a kayak to explore the Willapa River, go horseback riding along the beach, golf or take surfing lessons.

Arts, Culture and History

Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center

If you’re intrigued by history, wind your way up a beautiful trail and explore this historical museum that’s perched on a cliff overlooking the converging of the Columbia and the Pacific. Maybe you’ll see some seals if you’re lucky! The views are gorgeous and within a close radius you can see an up-close view of the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse and you’ll also pass by historic forts and military bunkers. The center itself focuses on the Lewis and Clark expedition, The Corps of Discovery, and the Chinook Tribe. If your kids are like mine, they will enjoy interactive exhibits like attempting to pack a canoe without tipping it over.

Confluence Project

Alongside artifacts and installations from the Lewis and Clark expedition, artist Maya Lin aims to interweave stories and viewpoints from the Chinook Tribes through Confluence, a project with a goal to “connect people to the history, living cultures and ecology of the Columbia River through Indigenous voices.” I took an evening around sunset to explore paths inscribed with Chinook sayings, an amphitheater and a fish-cleaning table inscribed with a Chinook origin story. It was both powerful and humbling, and perhaps my favorite moment was a quiet spot at the cedar circle, a cedar surrounded by other cedar driftwood columns which predates Lewis and Clark’s arrival.

Museums

This area is home to some amazing museums dedicated to history and maritime culture. Two must-sees are the World Kite Museum and the Cranberry Museum. The World Kite Museum boasts kites from all over the world and a display of wartime kites; it’s simultaneously colorful, uplifting and educational.

The Cranberry Museum is a chance to explore the crimson-colored bogs and get a little glimpse of history from scientists and folks who are passionate about their local harvest. And please, whatever you do, try the cranberry ice cream; it’s a game changer. Marsh’s Free Museum is another Long Beach Peninsula staple. Founded in 1921, this curiosity shop features Jake the Alligator Man, an alleged mummified half-man, half-alligator that is a sort of mascot for Long Beach, and which you can often see gracing bumper stickers even here in Clark County.

A Festival for Every Season

Long Beach Razor Clam Festival

In the spring, Long Beach hosts the Long Beach Razor Clam Festival, where attendees can celebrate with food, drinks and music side by side with other seafood lovers, take free clam digging lessons and participate in a clam chowder taste-off.

Washington State International Kite Festival

Want to soak in bright colors and experience child-like joy? In late August of every year, Long Beach hosts the largest and longest running kite festival in North America that attracts kite flyers from all around the world. The weeklong festival holds events, choreography and competitions in this one-of-a-kind extravaganza.

Cranberry Harvesting

One-third of the country’s cranberries are grown in Washington, and every fall the Long Beach Peninsula celebrates the harvest with music, vendors, demonstrations and chats with local scientists, plus cranberry flavored food and drinks galore.

Storm Watching

Every winter, Long Beach attracts throngs of people who want to experience something unique and beautiful: 200-foot cliffs, massive waves and historic lighthouses make for gorgeous photographs and a general appreciation of nature—hopefully from the safety of the indoors if the storm gets too intense.

Where to Eat

Castaways

Anytime you trek to the beach, you know that the seafood is going to be amazing. But sometimes, you have a meal that blows you out of the water and you just know that you will remember it forever. For me, Castaways was that place. A revitalized historic hotel, Castaways served the best shrimp and grits I’ve ever eaten. Later, when debating on what else to try, my waitress advised, “You can’t leave here without trying the chowder. It wins awards.” She definitely wasn’t kidding: that chowder alone would keep me coming back despite the other wonderful parts of the Long Beach Peninsula.

The Breakfast Club

If you want a classic breakfast and you want it done well, visit The Breakfast Club in Seaview (just adjacent to Long Beach). It’s cute. It’s delicious. It holds a special place in my heart, and I highly recommend it.

Ice Cream

Is it a trip to the beach without ice cream? Not in my book. And while you should definitely head to the Cranberry Museum for their ice cream, if you’re craving something a little more traditional, try Scoopers or Long Beach Creamery.

More than A Restaurant

Oysterville Sea Farms

Since the fourth grade, I have celebrated every good report card with a bucket of clams. I love seafood, but wasn’t brave enough to try oysters until recently, and I’ve never looked back. When I heard about Oysterville, just 14 miles outside of Long Beach, I was intrigued. Oysterville Sea Farms is more than just a fantastic meal; it’s fascinating.

Not only can you eat some great seafood on a deck overlooking the bay, their farm which was placed on the National Register of Historic places in 1976, offers tours. These folks are deeply passionate about not only great seafood, but also sustainability, and their passion is contagious.

For Jon Biggs, oysters have been in the family a long time. His great-great-grand-uncle was one of the original founders. A business and sustainability major in college, Biggs was looking for a job where he could effect change for the environment: “I wanted to join a company like Shell or BP and make a one percent difference to save the world,” but in a surprising twist of fate he found a different path. “I found that by working with oysters I could make a larger carbon impact,” says Biggs.

Not only is the Willapa Bay the cleanest estuary in the continental United States, but this farm utilizes less common methods such as hand harvesting and wild caught seed which are helping preserve the ecosystem. Biggs explains that the act of harvesting oysters is not only carbon neutral, but also carbon negative, and the shells are recycled back into the bay to help grow an entire new generation of oysters.

I donned some rain boots to tour the facilities and trek out to the bay to see the intricate process of oyster farming using seapa baskets. Biggs told me how they are able to control the size, shape and help develop a thicker shell through careful planning. He says, “By relocating our oyster to various regions of the bay, we can even adjust their flavor! Having only three varieties of oysters is like limiting wines to only white, red and rose.”

But the best part of the tour is sitting on the deck, overlooking the view while learning the art of shucking. Harder than it looks, I floundered until I found success with my very last oyster. And when you’re done? Enjoy the fruits of your labor and have a delicious meal that benefits the environment. An afternoon spent learning and feasting here is truly a special opportunity.

Lodging

Salt Hotel

When I find a place I like, I stick to it, and I really like the Salt Hotel in Ilwaco. It’s cute and quirky, the staff is helpful and kind, and you can get a good meal at their onsite pub overlooking the marina. It’s close to everything and you can end the day in their sauna!

There is a unique reason to visit the Long Beach Peninsula in every single season, but you can come any time of year for family bonding, a recharge or a retreat into nature. You will love it: I’ll bet a bowl of clam chowder on it.

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