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On New Year’s Eve 2018, my friends and I were getting ready for a dance contest and masked soiree at the Sou’wester Lodge. As we puttered around our rooms putting on mascara or pulling oddly shaped mugs from the cabinets to fill with wine, a friend (who later won the dance contest) mentioned he’d just been on the beach, where someone told him that life on the Long Beach Peninsula in Washington was about moving on “peninsula time.” It made me smile because it was sweet, but also because it made sense.
I’ve spent more than a decade making trips out to the peninsula, and each visit feels like a deep exhalation, like gaining two hours. The Long Beach Peninsula (the world’s longest peninsula beach) is a slim piece of land that feels expansive: hiking trails and walking paths along the Pacific, loads of fresh seafood, bedazzled artsy Airstream trailers and minimalist Japanese-inspired micro cabins, makeshift and serene spas, heavenly thrifting, all alongside a quietly developing community for artists. And for the pup people, the beach is a dog paradise (you can also drive on it, but must you?).
When the tourists have cleared out for the offseason is prime time to visit. Winters can bring wild storms that feel downright cleansing, and when the light breaks through, the reflective wash on the beach turns the coast crystalline.
The items that follow are just a sliver of what makes the peninsula special, and mostly hang in the southern area, spots in different tiny towns just a couple of miles apart (don’t skip making your way north to Oysterville; it’s only about 20 minutes north by car). This list doesn’t even touch on clamming or surfing, or the World Kite Museum, but it includes some solid standouts. Try a few, or none at all—just get to the beach and let its restorative powers do their work.
Here’s how to get on peninsula time.
Walk (or Hike or Bike) the Line
Your easiest entry point for getting a lay of the beachy land is to get on the Discovery Trail (visitlongbeachpeninsula.com). The 8½-mile path moves up the spine of the peninsula, cutting through breezy dunes and wetlands, Sitka spruces and emerald short pines. The trek begins at the Port of Ilwaco, right by the brass sculpture of a California condor inspired by a journal entry by William Clark. Aside from the gorgeous Pacific views along the way, there is a series of art installations on the trail, including a gray whale skeleton. Walk, run or cycle the trail—Beachin’ Bike Rentals (106 Sid Snyder Drive, Long Beach, beachinbikesoc.com) and Tsunami Cycle (601 Pacific Ave., Long Beach, tsunamicycle.square.site) both offer a variety of bikes (electric, surrey, tandem) to cruise the path however you please.
Find yourself veering off the Discovery Trail to the shops a stone’s throw from the beach? Then try more of a destination point, like Cape Disappointment State Park (244 Robert Gray Drive, Ilwaco, parks.wa.gov/find-parks/state-parks/cape-disappointment-state-park). The name might feel misleading after you take in the scenery; it was bestowed by British trader John Meares in 1788 after he’d sailed the coastline in search of the Columbia River mouth and believed Cape Disappointment was only a bay (perhaps a lesson in perseverance). These days, the state park is open year round for moderate hikes around freshwater lakes and marshlands, bird watching, crabbing, boating and camping. It’s a little more of a trek to get to the lighthouse, but worth it for the stunning view of the waves smacking the cliffside. A day pass is $10, but if you spend $30, you can go back all year.
Last thing to keep in mind—if you’re an angler, Black Lake (Ilwaco, wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/locations/lowland-lakes/black-lake-pacific) is right off U.S. Route 101, filled with largemouth bass and rainbow trout, and has a year-round open season. And if you’re not interested in fishing, it’s still a serene spot to sit and relax.
Find Sunken Treasures (on Land)
There’s plenty of coastal kitsch to be found on the peninsula—seashelled trinkets, saltwater taffy, and beach-themed tees abound in the Pacific Avenue shops—but it’s also home to some solid antiquing and deep-cut thrift gold. To find the best pieces, your first stop needs to be North Coast Antique Mall (1206 47 Place, Seaview, north-mall-llc.edan.io). The outside of the mall currently has a bit of a shack vibe, all corrugated metal and soggy wood. But inside is a labyrinth of goods to discover. It’s the kind of space to thrift and sift with gusto—there are dishes for days, cowboy boots, shelves of old thread spools, and every kind of porcelain figurine, rhinestones and Swiss army knives in an old rotating pie display case. There are local goods, too—turquoise and pale green pottery bowls alongside vintage red wine glasses. And loads of clothes, of course. The local radio will be playing overhead, sprinkled with static, so either lean in or bring earbuds and dive into room after room.
Your treasure might not be vintage—but homemade, or beach made. If that’s your aim, get over to Ilwaco Artworks (109 First Ave. N, Ilwaco, ilwacoartworks.square.site), a local clay studio and art gallery. Over the past year and half, the newish nonprofit (and sister location of Sou’wester Arts; more on that ahead) has opened its doors to everyone, offering weekend wheel-throwing classes for all levels, open studio hours, kid-friendly clay play and artist-led guest workshops. The firing fees start at $10 an item. The gallery side is growing, with more shows coming on display in 2025. Go make a piece or support a talented ceramicist.
There’s more artwork to be found at the galleries lining the Port of Ilwaco (165 Howerton Ave., portofilwaco.com), where you can stroll beside the docked boats and pop into a shop or two, maybe even Purly Shell Fiber Arts (157 Howerton Ave., Ilwaco, purlyshellyarn.com) to pick up some yarn or a project kit as a souvenir to bring back for your home hobbies (see page 8). Even if you just stick to the short promenade, the view is enough of a gift.
Make or Take a Bite Out
It’s a tiny peninsula, but the food options are bountiful. If you’re looking for a quick meal to grab before you head to the beach, a good stop could be the Sandbar Food Court (208 Pacific Ave. S, Long Beach, sandbarfoodcourt.com), which currently offers loaded burgers alongside sweet and savory crepes (more is on the way). Just a couple of blocks south, you’ll find Captain Bob’s Chowder Sisters (409 Pacific Ave., Long Beach, captbobschowdersisters.com/about). This casual breakfast and lunch nook is home to oyster shooters ($2) and clam strips ($10.95) but, most importantly, tasty, no-frills clam chowder ($6.95 for a cup, $8.95 for a bowl). You’ll be right next to Marsh’s Free Museum (409 Pacific Ave., marshsfreemuseum.com), where you can find trinkets galore and “Jake the Alligator Man” in his sandy tank, a purportedly half-human, half-alligator creature mummified in a yoga cobra pose. Eat first.
For more upscale plates (but mostly for the views), try the Pickled Fish (409 Sid Snyder Drive, Long Beach, pickledfishrestaurant.com), the restaurant that sits on the fourth floor of Adrift Hotel. When a winter storm rolls in, you’ve got a front seat to watch it whip across the water and heave against the windows, all while you sip the monthly cocktail for a cause, proceeds from which go to a local organization. The entrees can run a little pricey, but the pizza is an affordable route, and the seafood is a treat—a bowl of brothy Willapa Bay Manila clams ($22) with a simple green salad tossed in a tart cranberry vinaigrette ($13) isn’t too shabby a way to storm watch. If you’re looking to stay casual, there’s V’s Coastal Market and Deli (1304 Pacific Ave. S, Long Beach, vscoastalmarket.com) run by Stephanie and Jared Vincench, a husband-and-wife duo from Seattle who opened the market just shy of two years ago. Stephanie, who comes from a culinary background, makes all the takeout goods and rotating deli items—think fresh Caesar wraps ($10.99), big salads with microgreens and all kinds of textured seeds and carroty crunch ($10.99), and a build-your-own sandwich to make what you like (price varies). V’s closes by 6 pm, though, so factor that into your plans.
If you’re planning to fix your own fare, you’ve got to stop at Tre-Fin Day Boat Seafood (213 First Ave. S, Ilwaco, trefinfoods.com). The sustainable, responsibly caught, wholesale fishery sends its own boats out to pull in fresh fish daily (anything not sold is frozen and put out for sale)—lingcod, albacore tuna, petrale sole all line the ice and fill the fridge. You might’ve caught the Tre-Fin crew on Netflix’s Battlefish back in 2018 (they’ve still got the boat, currently dry locked). Bonus: If you’re looking for more of that fresh fish here in Portland, Tre-Fin offers community supported fishery shares, or CSFs, with quarterly pickups available at multiple farmers markets, even a home delivery option.
Sleep in Your Style
To get from Portland to the peninsula is a solid two-and-a-half-hour drive, a lot to cram into a day trip. Fortunately, there are some versatile options for where you might lay your head in the evening (or lounge in the afternoon; this is your time to relax).
Let’s start with the Inn at Discovery Coast (421 11th St. SW, Long Beach, innatdiscoverycoast.com), a nine-room, three-story, adults-only (though pet-friendly) hotel with beachfront views. Some of these sweet suites include a private Jacuzzi tub, while all of them offer special packages and access to the saline pool and sauna over at the neighboring Adrift Hotel (the inn is part of Adrift properties, which include the Bowline Hotel in Astoria). There’s a full spa on the premises as well (massages, skin treatments, you name it). You can even skip it all and stay in your room—treats can be delivered right to your door.
If you’ve ever checked out Snow Peak and wondered what an immersive experience might be like, we’ve got good news. Over the summer, the Japanese-designed high-end camping gear company opened Snow Peak Campfield (5411 Sandridge Road, Long Beach, snowpeakcampfield.com), a year-round camping experience, including an on-site indoor soaking tub, sauna and cold plunge tub. If sleeping in a nylon tent on a torrential coastal night isn’t exactly speaking to you, book a Jyubako suite, a temperature-controlled micro-cabin complete with all-minimalist wooden surfaces, low soothing lighting, and big window views from the plush bed of the surrounding campgrounds. You’ve got your own bathroom, too. Suites vary in price (currently ranging $149–$169 a night in winter) a night and require a two-night minimum stay, but you can bring your kids (if you want).
Last but far from least, for the funkiest, most charming of stays on the coast, consider Sou’wester Historic Lodge & Vintage Travel Trailer Resort (3728 J Place, souwesterlodge.com). A little history: The lodge was originally built in 1892 as the vacation home of U.S. Sen. Henry Winslow Corbett (D-Ore.). A few decades later, it was opened to the public, eventually collecting a hodgepodge of Airstream trailers on the property as additional rooms. But it wasn’t really until former Portlander Thandi Rosenbaum took it over in 2012 that Sou’wester became a destination. Over the past 12 years, Rosenbaum has created a true artist community, with consistent live music on weekends (which once included a surprise set by Courtney Barnett), artist residencies and workshops, along with a gallery trailer to view some of these creations. Local vinyl and tasty goods are available on the lodge’s covered wraparound porch, aka the lobby. Don’t skip the Finnish sauna paired with the outdoor cold plunge (a little rustic, fully effective), or the thrift trailer (highly modest prices). It’s the kind of place that can tackle a cold mood in seconds—from soggy blues to bliss, like that.