Ocean beaches of Grays Harbor
The county has more than 50 miles of sandy beaches. Some activities are allowed on these beaches that are not allowed further north in the national park: you can bring your dog to the beach, bonfires are allowed at night (150 feet from the dune grass), and you can drive on the hard sand at the top of the beach in designated areas. Razor digging is permitted on limited dates designated by the Department of Ecology. From south to north, these are the highlights of the Grays Harbor beaches:
Grays Harbor Lighthouse
Completed in 1898, this lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in the state of Washington.
westhaven state park
The wide sandy beach, crumbling sand cliffs and huge boulders of the South Jetty provide plenty of scope for play. This park is the center of ocean surfing in the county.
City of Westport in Grays Harbor
At the large marina, excursions can be chartered for ocean fishing, whale watching, and seabird watching. A three-story observation tower at the north end of town offers views of the marina, the harbor, the South Jetty, and Ocean Shores.
City of Ocean Shores in Grays Harbor
This is the largest resort town along the coast, filling an 8-mile-long peninsula. Highlights of the peninsula are Damon Point State Park for views of the harbor and wildlife, the North Jetty where the big ocean waves roll in, the canals, and Duck Lake where you can rent an electric party boat, boat rentals, Horses on the beach and the Indian Casino at the Quinault Beach Resort.Copalis Beach.
If you want an ocean beach all to yourself, try Griffiths-Priday Ocean State Park in the town of Copalis Beach. You have to cross a stream on foot, which keeps cars and crowds out. Heading north on Roosevelt Beach Road, you can drive to the beach and reach two places of interest: 1.) Copalis Rock, an isolated rock with a flock of seagulls nesting on top and 2.) Copalis State Airport, where the planes land right on the sand – the only airport like it in the lower 48 states.
Highway 109
From Copalis Beach north, the road climbs a cliff and winds through beautiful windswept forest with occasional ocean peaks. Along this route it joins the towns of Seabrook, Pacific Beach and Moclips. Seabrook is a new purpose-built resort town with beautiful architecture. The city hosts community events open to visitors. Pacific Beach has maintained a small retail hub (groceries, gas, kites, cafe, restaurant, boutiques, and a novelty antique store) and features Pacific Beach State Park with its campground, grassy dunes, and a large creek that bisects the beach . Moclips has the North Beach Museum, which documents the area’s history as a seaside resort since the early 20th century.
Quinault Indian Nation
Highway 109 ends in Taholah, the main town for the Quinaults. A seafood processing plant is located here, where you can buy the unique blueback salmon from the Quinault River. In the administration building you can buy a day pass to enjoy the tribal beaches. These include the rocky beach in front of Taholah, where you can see the mouth of the Quinault River, the rocks of the Cape Elizabeth sea stacks, and gigantic driftwood logs along the fallen fir beach over 200 feet high. height. At the southern end of the reserve is the undiscovered gem of the coast, Point Grenville, with its collection of sea stack rocks, a volcanic beach tucked atop a six-foot rock wall, and a reef of high-altitude volcanic rocks. sea. These are the only volcanic rocks for hundreds of kilometers around.
Wildlife of Grays Harbor
An abundance of wildlife can be found along this shoreline, including: a flock of pelicans flying over the Westport South Jetty, deer all around Ocean Shores, blue herons at Duck Lake, the most cute at Damon Point State Park, eagles along the cliffs between Copalis and Pacific Beach, and flocks of gulls and sandpipers up and down the coast.
Grays Harbor Lake Quinault
Lake Quinault is located within the southwestern boundary of Olympic National Park. Spend your first full day here driving the loop around the lake and into the upper Quinault River valley that is formed by North Shore Road, South Shore Road and Highway 101. Along this route you will find many attractions.
History of Lake Quinault
The historic Lake Quinault Lodge was built in 1926 in a staggering 53 days. It replaced the 1880 Log Hotel which had burned down two years earlier. The lodge has an excellent restaurant, the Roosevelt Room, named for President Theodore Roosevelt, who visited in 1937. From the expansive grassy lawn, you can enjoy a spectacular view of the lake. A lakeside trail, fire pit, and boat rentals are located on the lakefront. Along North Shore Road, the park service is restoring the turn-of-the-20th-century Kestner Homestead. A 3/4 mile loop trail takes you through a beautiful forest and opens up to the fields of the old farm. A dilapidated delivery truck rusting in a field and overgrown with vines is one of the loveliest sights.
Grays Harbor Rainforests
Near the Lake Quinault Lodge is the 1/2-mile Lake Forest Loop trail, which winds through a mossy forest of spruce, douglas-fir, and cedar. A completely different rainforest is found on the previously mentioned Kestner Homestead or “Maple Glade” trail. This forest is also heavily laden with moss, but the trees are mostly tall, big-leaved maples.
Ancient trees in Grays Harbor
The Quinault area features six separate species record trees. Two of the most accessible are Quinault Big Cedar: a half-mile walk from North Shore Road and Big Spruce, just off South Shore Road near Highway 101. Big Cedar looks more like a ruin than a tree. It is barely alive, with only a few green branches overhead. At ground level, the tree is all rotten and hollow. You can stand inside, look up, and see daylight hundreds of feet up.
Mountain Views at Grays Harbor
Much of your view of the Olympics in this area is blocked by the tall trees and nearby hills, but the highest peaks can be seen in a few places: 1.) from Highway 101 at the west end of the lake where you currently there is a clear opening in the trees from which one can have a fine view of the lake and mountains beyond; 2.) you can drive 10 miles on well-maintained dirt roads to Higley Peak; many views of snow-capped peaks can be seen along this path; and 3.) from South Shore Road in the river valley, you can see some higher mountains.