Things to do in Long Beach WA

An honest, source-linked guide to things to do in Long Beach WA — the boardwalk, Discovery Trail, Cape Disappointment State Park, World Kite Museum, and Willapa National Wildlife Refuge — with Hill Top Hideaway in Raymond as your quiet inland base.

Long Beach WA sits on the Long Beach Peninsula in Pacific County, where the Pacific meets the Columbia River bar. Guests at Hill Top Hideaway in Raymond often ask about a Raymond to Long Beach day trip for the boardwalk, the Discovery Trail, Cape Disappointment State Park, and Willapa National Wildlife Refuge. This page sticks to facts we checked on official or clearly reliable public pages. Hours and seasons change — re-check the linked sources before you go.

Raymond to Long Beach on US 101

The Raymond to Long Beach drive typically follows US 101 south toward the peninsula (then local approaches such as SR 103 into town). OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM, queried Nov 2, 2026) puts the trip at about 47 miles and roughly 70 minutes under normal conditions. Treat that as a planning estimate only — traffic, weather, construction, and exact start/end points vary.

Things to do in Long Beach WA: boardwalk and beach

The City of Long Beach lists the oceanfront boardwalk and the Discovery Trail among its public parks and landmarks. The boardwalk runs about a half mile between Sid Snyder Drive and Bolstad Avenue through the dunes with Pacific views; the city’s boardwalk was rebuilt and reopened in April 2026 after a major reconstruction. Sources: Long Beach city parks · Chinook Observer boardwalk reopening.

Washington State Parks’ Seashore Conservation Area (SCA) Long Beach Area spans about 27 miles from Cape Disappointment State Park to Leadbetter Point State Park (land between high and low tide). Named beach approaches include Seaview, Sid Snyder, Bolstad, Cranberry, Klipsan, Ocean Park, and Oysterville. Driving on some beaches is allowed (max 25 mph; pedestrians have right of way); ATVs/UTVs are not allowed; camping and overnight parking are not permitted on the beach. Source: WA State Parks — Seashore Conservation Area. A Discover Pass is a parking pass for many state recreation lots; Discover Pass guidance states you do not need one to drive or park on an ocean beach, but you do if you park in state parks lots near the beach. State Parks also notes that swimming in the ocean on the Long Beach Peninsula is not advised.

Discovery Trail

Pacific County’s Evergreen Coast visitor site describes the Discovery Trail as an about 8.5-mile hiking and biking route named for the Corps of Discovery. It connects the Port of Ilwaco area with Cape Disappointment State Park and Long Beach, with public art and interpretive panels along the way, and notes that most of the trail is paved with multiple access points. Source: Evergreen Coast — Discovery Trail.

Cape Disappointment State Park

Cape Disappointment State Park (244 Robert Gray Drive, Ilwaco, WA 98624) is a 2,023-acre camping park on the Long Beach Peninsula at the mouth of the Columbia River. Published day-use hours: 6:30 a.m. – dusk year-round. A Discover Pass is required for parking. Highlights named on the parks page include the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, North Head Lighthouse (open to visitors May through September 30 per the parks page), trails, and beaches. Phone: (360) 642-3078. As of the parks alerts we checked (Oct 23, 2026), the North Jetty is scheduled to close January 1, 2027 for a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project, anticipated through about November 30, 2029 — confirm current closures on the park page before you go.

World Kite Museum

The World Kite Museum is at 303 Sid Snyder Drive, Long Beach, WA 98631 · (360) 642-4020. Hours are seasonal — check the museum’s Plan Your Visit page before you go. The museum also organizes the Washington State International Kite Festival (typically the third full week in August; confirm dates on the museum site).

Willapa National Wildlife Refuge

Willapa National Wildlife Refuge protects over 21,000 acres of tidelands, forest, ocean beaches, and streams around Willapa Bay. The refuge headquarters listed by USFWS is at 7112 67th Place, Long Beach, WA 98631 · (360) 642-3860. Day-use rules, trail access, and hunting seasons change — follow the refuge visit pages and posted signs.

Visitor etiquette

Respect Snowy Plover and other wildlife closures, stay out of signed nesting areas, pack out what you pack in, and re-check tide and Department of Health beach status before shellfishing. Confirm Discover Pass and park hours the same day you visit.

Stay in Raymond, day-trip to Long Beach

Hill Top Hideaway is an updated licensed short-term rental operated by Hope and Grace LLC in Raymond, WA: three bedrooms, sleeps six, about a five-minute walk to the Willapa Hills Trail and near Cases Pond. It makes a calm inland base when you want things to do in Long Beach without staying on the busiest stretch of the coast.

Last checked against official public sources on November 2, 2026 (America/Los_Angeles). Details change — always re-check the linked pages before you go.