5 minutes from the Sou’wester
The Long Beach Boardwalk
Half a mile of elevated walkway above the dunes, and the easiest introduction to this beach.
The Long Beach boardwalk runs about half a mile above the dunes at the west end of town, five minutes north of us. It is flat, fully accessible, and the simplest way we know to see the beach without walking through soft sand.
What you see from it
Open ocean on one side and dune grass on the other, with interpretive signs along the way covering the ecology of the dunes and the history of the peninsula.
There is a grey whale skeleton sculpture at one end, and benches most of the way along. Sunset is the obvious time.
Connecting to the Discovery Trail
The boardwalk links to the Discovery Trail, the paved path that runs roughly eight and a half miles between Ilwaco and the north end of Long Beach along the route Lewis and Clark walked in 1805. You can walk or cycle as much of it as you want and turn around whenever.
While you are in town
Downtown Long Beach
The arcade, kite shops, and most of the peninsula’s restaurants, all within a few blocks of the boardwalk.
The World Kite Museum
Open year-round, and the reason the town fills every August for the kite festival.
Driving on the beach
The beach here is a state highway and open to vehicles in most sections. Watch the tide, stay on hard sand, and do not park below the high-water line.
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.