Discovery Awaits on the Long Beach Peninsula

Named one of ‘America’s Favorite Beach Towns’ by ForbesTraveler.com and voted ‘Best Beach’ by the viewers of Seattle’s KING-5 TV, the Peninsula offers visitors blocks of colorful shops, great seafood, comfortable lodging, small museums, horseback riding, and an expansive beach. Southwest Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula: home to a new national park, two historic lighthouses, renowned restaurants, cranberry bogs, and oyster farms.


Fabulous Flowers & Fun Festivals

The first bloom of Pacific rhododendrons ignites the beautiful and lush scenery of spring here on the Long Beach Peninsula. Rhododendrons are indigenous to the Pacific Northwest and are rightfully Washington’s State Flower. The history of the abundance of rhodies here on the Peninsula can be attributed in part to the Clarke Family, who have operated Clarke Nursery for over 60 years. This family has deep roots in the cultivation and hybridization of the flower and is the primary source of the majority of the plants thriving on the Long Beach Peninsula today. The oldest of our rhodies is thought to be at least 60 years old. Take a stroll through historic Seaview, Washington and view the beautiful Victorian era homes with their splendid giant and old rhododendrons.

Strap on your waders and throw out a line! The 13th Annual Surf Perch Derby is here! Enjoy a hearty fisherman’s breakfast and fish your heart out all day, then weigh in your catch in the afternoon for a chance at great cash prizes. Teams and individuals are able to enter in the fun. This event annually occurs on the Saturday after Mother’s Day. May 18, 2013

Soon to be featured on The Weather Channel as part of the new television series Coast Guard Pacific Northwest, U.S. Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment is holding an open house on May 18 from 9:00 AM-3:00 PM. Enjoy a tour of their facilities and they will have representatives available from the local fire departments, the Columbia River Bar Pilots, the WA Dept. of Fish & Wildlife, and many others! The Columbia River Chief’s Mess will be hosting a delicious BBQ as well. May 18, 2013

SummerFest begins! Memorial Day weekend kicks off the summer-long weekend festivities that include FREE Wagon Rides, Face Painting, Entertainment, and much more! Mother Goose will be kicking off the event during Memorial Day weekend. May 25 – September 2

Events on the horizon:
- World’s Longest Garage Sale – Memorial Day weekend – May 24-27
- Columbia Pacific Farmer’s MarketFridays, June 14-October 11
- Garlic FestivalJune 15-16

 


May Clam Digs!

 

CONFIRMED Razor Clam digs for the Long Beach Peninsula:

  • May 10, Friday, 7:37 am, -0.9 ft.
  • May 11, Saturday, 8:12 am, -0.8 ft.

Morning tides; no digging will be allowed after noon.
The best digging occurs one to two hours prior to low tide.

Clam diggers and other beachgoers are cautioned to avoid disturbing western snowy plovers, which nest on the state’s coastal beaches from April through August. The small white birds are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act as threatened and by the state as endangered.

Plovers – and their eggs – are extremely vulnerable at this time of year because the birds nest in the dry sand.  Diggers are to avoid signed upland beach areas which are closed to protect nesting western snowy plovers.   At Long Beach, the closed areas are located north of the Oysterville Road from the state park boundary north to Leadbetter Point.

Read the latest WDFW press release on clam digs.

Harvest Rules

  • By law, clam diggers are limited to 15 razor clams per day, and are required to keep the first 15 clams they dig. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container.
  • All diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable 2012-13 fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach. Licenses, ranging from a three-day razor clam license to an annual combination fishing license, are available on WDFW’s website at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov and from license vendors around the state.
  • The final word on beach openings is announced about a week before each dig is scheduled to start, provided marine toxin tests show the clams are safe to eat.
  • Information about current and proposed digs, as well as the location of Washington’s razor clam beaches, is available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/razorclams/current.html.

More information on how to dig, clean and enjoy clams can be found on our funbeach.com Razor Clam page.

 

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Annual Loyalty Days Returns for a Star-Spangled Weekend

The Annual Loyalty Days marks its 63rd year of celebrating small-town Americana spirit. The Annual Loyalty Days Celebration paints the Peninsula like a Scene from a Norman Rockwell as it is the longest consecutively running Loyalty Day celebration in the nation. The weekend’s festivities include the grand parade through Long Beach, the Children’s Parade through Ilwaco, the U.S. Coast Guard Blessing of the Fleet, an oyster feed, a cowboy breakfast, free fire truck rides, and is set to include the newest addition to Long Beach with the dedication of Veteran’s Field in downtown Long Beach. May 4 & 5, 2013.


Salmon Fishing Seasons Set for 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get ready to cast a line! Washington’s salmon fishing season has been set for 2013.  Chinook only season Starts June 8th to June 21. Coho, Chinook season starts June 22 and runs through September 30th, 7 days a week with a 2 fish per day limit. The Long Beach Peninsula offers a plethora of great Charter Fishing companies to get you out on the water, having fun, and bringing home the big one! Click here for more information on local fishing and boating for the Long Beach Peninsula!

Click here view the WDFW News Release in its entirety.


Spring Break 2013

It’s almost here! Get ready for some fun on the Long Beach Peninsula! We have many great activities for you and your family to enjoy!

Spring is upon us once again, the days are getting longer and everyone is ready for some fun in the sun! Come out to the Peninsula to enjoy the many great attractions, activities, and events that we have to offer. Our beach is one of the USA Today’s 10 Great Places to Fly a Kite! Make sure you check out the Spring Break Family Fun happenings at the World Kite Museum March 23-April 7!

Need to get out and experience the great outdoors? No problem! There will be FREE Admission to all WA State Parks on Saturday, March 30th.

Love to dig Razor Clams? New Razor Clam digs have been approved and scheduled throughout March and April! You can check the dig times and current information here.

Check out the full listing of activities here!


Willapa Loop-Chehalis to Long Beach Makes the No. 5 Spot in AAA Washington Journey Magazine

The journey onto the Long Beach Peninsula is a scenic one indeed – whether you take the “Bay Road” or enter from the Columbia River side. Both routes remarkably mirror similar characteristics – beautifully noted as being a “well-watered region of rolling green hills, steady-flowing rivers, century-old farms and lumber towns,” as quoted in AAA Washington Journey magazine. The drive in to the Long Beach Peninsula most certainly “…adds to the allure of the Peninsula.” The article, Northwest Alternatives to the Interstate: 5 Great Reasons to Get Off the Superhighway This Year, takes you through the top five choices in Washington State for beautiful and scenic routes and destinations.

Click here to read the complete article