<I>TIMM COLLINS photo</I>

TENNISTennis courts of various descriptions can be found all along the Peninsula. None of the courts are lighted, but there are no fees for use.

Both the Ilwaco town park and Long Beach’s Culbertson Park have courts (and outdoor basketball courts). A tennis court along U.S. 101 in Seaview is operated by the Seaview Community Club. See signs on the courts for rules.

SWIMMING Peninsula beaches are considered unsafe for swimming. No matter how calm or inviting the water looks, or how strong a swimmer one may be, no one should venture above knee deep into the water. Severe undercurrents and rip tides can pull – and have pulled – even the most experienced swimmers out past their limits.

Swimming opportunities on the Peninsula are limited to private or public pools. The Dunes, a professional indoor pool, is located just south of Ocean Park on the west side of Highway 103 at the Dunes Bible Camp. For more information and hours, call the camp at 665-5542. Eagle’s Nest in Ilwaco, 642-8351, is another option.

RUNNING The hard-packed sand of its beach and its bountiful back roads make the Peninsula a great place for the jogger and runner. Ilwaco High School also has an eight-lane, all-weather track which is usually available for use during daylight hours.

BOWLING There is only one location on the Peninsula for the avid bowler: Hilltop Bowl, off U.S. 101 across from Black Lake in Ilwaco. Call 642-1440 for price schedule and availability of lanes.

SOFTBALLSoftball fields are at Ilwaco City Park, Culbertson Park in Long Beach, Long Beach School, Chinook School and across the street from the Ocean Park school. The area’s Little League baseball field is adjacent to the Long Beach Fire Hall at North Seventh and Washington streets in Long Beach.

CANOEING and KAYAKINGThe lakes of the Peninsula and inland waters of Willapa Bay offer many brilliant opportunities for canoeing and kayaking, with access available from a number of state and local parks, including at Loomis and Black Lakes. Caution is required, especially on Willapa Bay, where weather can change with little warning and where strong tides have been known to pull boats out to sea. Also be cautious about where you park the car: dry ground can turn to deep water when the tide comes in.

BICYCLINGThe Peninsula has many trails for bicycling enthusiasts, including Long Beach’s great paved trail through the ocean dunes, stretching north and south of the Boardwalk. Some other options include Cape Disappointment and North Head roads, Sandridge Road to Ocean Park, the quiet back streets of Oysterville and Nahcotta, and Parpala Road in the Naselle area. In addition, our area’s hills offer many perfect mountain biking adventures.

A salty wind bows the dune grasses. Breakers crash powerfully on shore. An orange glow casts across the sky as the sun sinks slowly beneath the horizon. Twenty-six miles of uninterrupted sand stretch out ahead.

Horses, beaches go togetherWith daily scenes like this, it’s easy to see why the Long Beach Peninsula is the perfect place to ride off into the sunset. And many do.

No horse of your own?

There are many opportunities for those who do not own horses to enjoy an occasional ride on the beach. Located on West Sid Snyder Drive (S. 10th Street), there are two businesses which conduct their own guided tours.

On these tours, the horses are provided along with a trained professional who leads each group and can assist in the rare case of an emergency.

Although many are disappointed that they must be accompanied by a guide on such tours, the premise behind it is good. As almost every local horseman knows, “You never ride alone at the beach.”

For those who do own horses

For those who do own horses, you will quickly find that there is no better friend with which to explore the beach than your four-legged equine companion. Beware of initial spookiness, though, due to the roaring ocean and fluttering kites.

However, after one time, the horses seem to settle in as much as their riders and enjoy the open stretches of land before them.

Just a couple miles east on Sid Snyder Drive, and a jig to the left, are the only two places to board horses in the area, Peninsula Saddle Club’s Rodeo Grounds and the Red Barn Arena.