Long Beach

Long Beach is the primary resort town on the 28-mile Long Beach Peninsula in southwestern Washington, often cited as one of the longest uninterrupted stretches of beach in the world. The peninsula itself — a narrow barrier spit flanked by the Pacific Ocean to the west and Willapa Bay to the east — extends north from the Columbia River and is famous along the Pacific Northwest coast for its combination of wide, hard-packed sand dunes, excellent kite flying conditions, and exceptional razor clamming.

The town of Long Beach sits at the southern end of the peninsula and is the commercial hub for the entire spit, offering a boardwalk, candy shops, restaurants, and the World Kite Museum — the only kite-focused museum in the United States, and home to the Washington State International Kite Festival every August, which has attracted visitors for over three decades. The hard-packed sand at the surf line is suitable for horseback riding and even legal for driving vehicles in designated sections, a tradition that remains popular with locals.

Razor clamming is perhaps the single most popular activity on the Long Beach Peninsula during fall and winter months, when Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife opens the clam season. The population of Pacific razor clams in Willapa Bay and along the ocean beach is significant, and the ritual of digging for clams at low tide — guns, shovels, and clam guns deployed in the wet sand — is a beloved Pacific Northwest tradition that draws thousands of participants during open seasons.