5 minutes from the Sou’wester
Ilwaco, Washington
A working fishing port on the Columbia, and the quiet counterweight to Long Beach.
Ilwaco sits five minutes south of us, on the Columbia rather than the ocean. It is a working port of about a thousand people, and it feels nothing like the town of Long Beach five minutes the other way.
The port & the marina
Charter boats run out of here for salmon, tuna and halibut in season, and the marina is worth a walk whether or not you are fishing.
There are galleries, studios & places to eat along the waterfront, and a Saturday market through the season.
Ilwaco Artworks
Ilwaco Artworks is a clay studio and gallery in town that we run programming with, including our ceramic artist residencies. Exhibitions run through the year and the space is open to visitors.
Around Ilwaco
Cape Disappointment State Park
Five minutes further south. Two lighthouses, forest trails and the mouth of the Columbia.
The Discovery Trail
The paved path to Long Beach starts here and runs about eight and a half miles north along the Lewis and Clark route.
Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum
Local history of the river mouth and the peninsula, in town and easy to combine with the market.
Where to stay
We are in Seaview, ten minutes from Cape Disappointment and five from the beach. You can stay in a restored vintage travel trailer, a 1950s cabin, a suite in the historic 1892 lodge, or bring a tent or RV to one of our camping and RV spaces.
More in our guide to things to do on the Long Beach Peninsula.