Today’s lecture is the next installment in my series, “The Best Road Trips From Seattle,” and will cover Ocean Shores and the surrounding area, a 2 1/2 hour drive from downtown Seattle, where we spent a 3-day weekend in late May eating all-day breakfast at the McDonald’s drive through, hiking, and beaching. And by “we” I mean myself, Mr. Cruise, and our two unshorn children pictured above, who would return to Seattle with enough sand in their manes to back up all 25 floors of plumbing in our apartment building. And help me understand why the walls of the quirky beach side resort where we stayed on Copalis Beach were decorated with custom paper reading, “NO SAND IN DRAINS” as part of a terrifying pattern also featuring skull and crossbows and dollar signs. Message delivered.
When the response from your kid to the announcement of an upcoming vacation is always the same, “Disneyland?” followed by, “pleeeeeeease,” and your response is, once again, “we only have 3 days and your mother is terrified of life-sized animatronic figures,” you may feel like a breaker of bad news, a record stuck on “no.” But this time you can break that record over your knee in dramatic fashion and declare: “Disneyland, no, but Fairyland, YES!”
Fairies, YES. Prolific wildlife, YES. Lush greenery, YES. Dog friendly, YES. A flat, gentle trail for young tots who beg to walk said dog while you chase behind them to make sure Fido doesn’t escape in search of peace in the form of a nice retired couple with no grandchildren, YES. But easy to find, NO.
In fact, if I had to title to our second day in Ocean Shores and couldn’t use “Bambi” for copyright reasons, the obvious runner-up would be: “Finding Weatherwax.”
The address we had for the Weatherwax Trailhead plopped us in the middle of a residential neighborhood notable for having a higher population of deer than people. At least that was our impression from through the windows of our Chevy Sonic. There wasn’t a single person milling about to ask for directions, but we returned home with approximately 4,000 blurry photos of deer feasting on shrubs taken by my 6-year-old “H” from the back seat.
Aimlessly we drove on, with an expression matching the many deer we saw in our headlights, until we reached the Elks Lodge #2581…
…and what looked like a trailhead, but didn’t match the entrance photos we’d seen online of the supposedly well-marked entrance to Weatherwax:
Upon further inspection, we spotted the following small sign, so we parked in the lot adjacent to the Elks Lodge, stocked up on provided poop bags for the driver and navigator with the slowly recovering, but still unnerved stomachs, and followed the arrow.
To avoid becoming the subject of gossip by a herd of rubbernecking doe, “20 bucks they’re looking for McDonald’s” (get it, bucks) I suggest you punch into your GPS the address to the Elk’s Lodge #2581, 199 Ocean Lake Way, Ocean Shores, WA 98569, park in the adjacent lot, and use the following map to orient yourself to the location of the trail:
There are three different places to access the trail. We used “Trailhead 1” as indicated on the above map. If you take this route and keep walking straight you will reach “Trailhead 3” on the map which looks like this:
Turn left and this will put you on Weatherwax Trail which you can keep following until you reach “Trailhead 2” on the map at which point you’ll turn around and head back. Trailhead 2 is also accessible via Overlake Drive Southeast and looks like this:
One way or another, get yourself to this gentle, shaded, and spongy-floored 1.2 mile trail for beautiful look-outs of Duck Lake, hidden fairy figurines that seem perfectly at home nestled among moss covered trunks, and non-animatronic wildlife.
Extra Credit Pro Tip: Mosquitoes are drawn to the surrounding wetlands like Prof. Cruise is to a confectionery shop. Bring bug spray or wipes to avoid becoming a blood buffet. I recommend these Off Wipes because they’re very effective and easier to apply to kids than sprays.
This 560-acre dog friendly state park is located about an hour’s drive from Ocean Shores across the bay to the south. Pack a picnic lunch and spend the day here. Tour the Grays Harbor Lighthouse, walk the paved 1.3 mile trail, play on South Beach, and climb to the end of the Westhaven Jetty. And bring along your wet suit and board if you surf.
Address: 1595 Ocean Avenue, Westport, WA 98595
Hours: Summer 8 am – 10 pm; Winter 8 am – 6 pm
*Discover Pass required to park.
Completed in 1898, the Grays Harbor Lighthouse is the tallest in Washington State at 107 feet. During limited hours and when volunteer docents are available, you can climb the tower for a $5 fee and learn about the history of the structure and surrounding area.
While it certainly can’t be classified as a “dog friendly hike,” your glutes won’t find it very kindly either. But for energetic kids and history buffs, it’s a fun and interesting stop next to Westport Light State Park.
Address: 1020 W Ocean Ave, Westport, WA
This flat paved, ADA accessible, and dog friendly 1.3 mile trail bordered on both sides by coastal dunes covered in grasses and other colorful native plants and wildflowers runs between the area of the Grays Harbor Light House and the Westhaven Jetty. Peer out from one of several overlooks at white capped waves crashing toward the shore or rest on a bench for a moment of reflection as you gaze upon an increasingly rare example of an interdunal ecosystem of critical wetland habitat before continuing on to the end of the trail or diverting down to the beach.
Called “South Beach” by locals, this sandy and expansive 1,215 ft. stretch of Pacific Ocean shoreline runs parallel to the Westport Light State Park Trail and is accessible via dozens of narrow sandy pathways cut through the dunes and bluffs. It serves as a final resting place for the hundreds of sand dollars that wash ashore each day…
…a natural playground for kids, and grownups, and dogs alike…
…and a scenic and peaceful respite from city life for my fellow road trippers from Seattle.
The “Westhaven” or “South” Jetty, which separates the Pacific Ocean from Half Moon Bay dates back to the late 1800’s and juts out over 10,000 feet into thundering saline waters. From the air it looks like a long knitting needle extending out from a partially finished afghan, but with your two feet planted precariously on top of its giant boulders and driftwood trunks, it looks less intentional, like the aftermath of a hurricane. The jetty serves triple duty as defender of the bay, a fishing pier, and an obstacle course with magnificent views rewarding you at the end. If you peak over the side toward the bay during low tide, you’ll see hundreds of colorful starfish clinging to the foundation.
Extra Credit Pro Tip: Shade is limited in this area, so be sure to pack extra sunscreen for yourself and your kids. If you’re looking for something natural and organic, but also very effective, I use Badger for my son and Juice Beauty for myself.
Address: Benner Road, Ocean Shores, WA 98569
This 364 acre state park located 8 miles north of Ocean Shores at the mouth of the Copalis River is bisected by Conner Creek and features low dunes protected as part of a wildlife refuge.
Catch a sandy trail just past the picnic area and follow it over the Conner Creek Bridge to reach a quiet stretch of beach.
A 1.5 mile walk north may reward you with a glimpse of Copalis Rock, appearing as a tiny island near the shore of the Pacific.
*Discover Pass required to park at Griffiths-Priday.
No trip to Ocean Shores is complete without visiting her namesake beach. And if it’s windy and chilly like it was during our visit, you can enjoy it without ever leaving your car!
That’s right, you can drive your vehicle right out onto the beach and if you’re feeling adventurous, you can recreate the beach scene from the 1983 film Terms of Endearment.
Or venture outside and take advantage of perfect kite flying conditions:
Then when you tire, crank up the heat, recline in your seats, and settle in to watch a spectacular sunset and some equally colorful characters.
Including the ones you brought with you: “take a picture of our butts, mom!”
And with that, the perfect end, class dismissed.
Check out where we stayed on Copalis Beach near Ocean Shores here and my other “Road Trips From Seattle” posts here.
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