Spring awakens: Long Beach Peninsula gets busy
Published 3:20 pm Monday, April 21, 2025
The sun sinks behind North Head Lighthouse at Cape Disappointment State Park in April. The popular park will begin to see a surge in visitors this month.
A clam digger stalks the surf in search of razor clams on Saturday, April 12 in Ocean Park.
Beachgoers walk along Benson Beach at Cape Disappointment State Park in Ilwaco.
A boy rides his bicycle along Pacific Avenue in Long Beach.
The 'Pink Moon,' the first full moon of spring, rises above the Port of Ilwaco on April 12. The full moon symbolizes the arrival of spring and the emergence of wildflowers.
Crews work to offload oysters from the barge Ruby M for distribution on April 16, at the Port of Peninsula in Nahcotta. Willapa Bay oyster production begins to increase in April and May, considered among the best months to savor the signature flavor of Willapa Bay shellfish.
LONG BEACH PENINSULA — A spring awakening is underway on the Long Beach Peninsula, where the days are gradually getting longer and beaches are getting busier.
Visitor figures begin to surge during the spring months, particularly at local state parks. April drew more than 70,000 to Cape Disappointment State Park last year, helping make ‘Cape D’ the 7th-most visited state park among more than 130 throughout Washington. In 2024, the popular park saw more than 900,000 visitors overall, with the peak occurring in July, when more than 150,000 visited.
Meanwhile, the shellfish harvest is underway in Willapa Bay, where aquaculture accounts for more than $30 million in sales annually while producing nearly one-fourth of the nation’s oysters. April and May are considered among the prime months for local oysters, when longer days and warmer water allows abundant food for oysters ‘to fatten on the beds’, enhancing their signature sweet flavor with a light brine.
