Ocean Shores Beach

Ocean Shores is Washington State's largest developed Pacific beach resort community, situated on a 6,000-acre peninsula at the north entrance to Grays Harbor. The city's 23 miles of ocean beach — largely hard-packed sand suitable for vehicle travel — forms the entire western edge of the peninsula and is one of the most accessible and family-friendly beach destinations in the Pacific Northwest. Unlike the wilderness beaches of Olympic National Park to the north, Ocean Shores is a planned resort community with wide boulevards, bike rental shops, go-kart tracks, arcade venues, and a full range of hotels, motels, and RV parks.

Beach driving is one of the defining characteristics of Ocean Shores: vehicles with adequate clearance are permitted on designated beach sections, creating a unique Pacific Northwest experience where cars and trucks share the sand with pedestrians, cyclists, and kite flyers. The annual Beach Kite Festival draws thousands of participants each spring, taking advantage of the reliable ocean winds and wide-open beach. The Ocean Shores Kite Festival is one of the largest such events in Washington and regularly features professional kite artists with elaborate display kites.

Razor clamming is an important seasonal attraction at Ocean Shores, with the Grays Harbor beaches producing some of the most robust clam populations on the Washington coast. When the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife opens dig seasons — typically fall through spring — Ocean Shores fills with clam-bucket-wielding visitors converging on the beach at low tide. The peninsula also borders the Oyhut Wildlife Recreation Area and Duck Lake, offering freshwater fishing, birdwatching, and kayaking in contrast to the ocean surf.