Raymond, Long Beach, Cape Disappointment, and Fort Columbia, Washington

The Washington and Oregon coastal regions offer a brimming treasure chest of excellent sites to visit, ranging from historical, marine, maritime, natural and geologic history, and other intriguing sites which make visits to the coast truly magical and wonderful events. Presented below is our first itinerary on the Pacific coast, this one focused on the southernmost Washington coastal region.

When to visit: the key sites in our itinerary are open year-round, making the itinerary an easy one to plan and experience (Long Beach will be cold in winter!) but if you intend to include both the Fort Columbia Interpretive Center and the North Head Lighthouse tour then your visit must be Jul 1-Sep 5 (note that the lighthouse is currently closed to tours though you can still visit the site). Be sure to check each site for holiday closures before planning your trip over holiday days. Note the Willapa Seaport Museum is open Tue-Sat, so plan your trip accordingly; a weekend visit with the Raymond sites visited on Saturday works perfectly. We suggest arriving at Raymond to begin the itinerary at 10:00 or shortly thereafter to allow you sufficient time to visit the day’s scheduled sites.

Northwest Carriage Museum

If the words “carriage museum” spur you to think, “Meh, maybe…” Let me encourage you to push that notion right out of your head—the museum was amazing! The museum displays one of the finest collections of 19th century horse-drawn vehicles in the country—60 vehicles plus hundreds of other period artifacts and clothing. Vehicles include an old West stagecoach—that comes with an awesome story, a Shelbourne Landau that was used in the film Gone with the Wind, and an intricately carved hearse from Vienna. Be sure to visit the blacksmith shop to learn how a wagon wheel was made.

Here are details you will need, including the address to enter into your navigation app:

Northwest Carriage Museum, 314 Alder St, Raymond, WA 98577, 360-942-4150. Open: daily 10-4; closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day (check their website for other holiday closures). Admission: Adult $10, Senior/Military $9, 6-18 $5, 5 and under Free. Gift shop on site. Plan on one to 1.5 hours for your visit. Advance ticket purchase is recommended but not required. Go here to purchase tickets: https://nwcarriagemuseum.org/product/admission/

Lunch at Alder + Co. / Wild Pines Coffee Co.

You can drive a short distance to get lunch, or you can exit the carriage museum and walk a dozen paces to Wild Pines Coffee Co. right next door! The menu is limited but very good. You can even shop in their gift shop for wares and foods from regional artisans. If your desire is for a heartier meal, we suggest C&C Classic Diner, 124 7th St, Raymond, which is only a short drive away.

Willapa Seaport Museum

After lunch, return to the same parking lot and the seaport museum—which is right next door to the carriage museum and in the same building as Wild Pines Coffee Co..

The museum displays so much stuff that some will say it is too much, which really means, slow down so you examine the many items on display as a lot of treasures have been collected over many years (probably decades), displaying everything from jolly boats to battleships and all things related. I like to read interpretive panels and thus learn more and the Willapa Seaport Museum could stand to display more such panels (if they could find room), though your tour of the museum is guided, which helps (please be generous in your donation).

Willapa Seaport Museum, 310 Alder Street Raymond WA 98577, 360-942-4149. Open: Tue-Sat 12-4. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; please see their website for other holiday and unannounced closures: willapaseaportmuseum.com. Admission: Free but with donation suggested. Plan on one to 1.5 hours for your visit.

Stroll Along Long Beach

From Raymond drive about 47 miles (one hour) along Hwy 101 to Long Beach and turn right onto SR-103. Road access to the beach and plentiful parking is found on Sid Snyder Drive and Bolstad Avenue (Bolstad has more parking).

There is plenty to see before dinner as you stroll the beach and if the weather is warmer, wade out into the ocean—the beach is fine sand and no gravel, perfect for frolicking on the beach. Here are more things to include in your beach stroll:

A boardwalk runs between the two parking/beach access points of Sid Snyder Drive and Bolstad Avenue, where several interpretive panels can be read along the way—it’s even lit for strolling after dark.

The Discovery Trail is anchored at 26th St NE at the north edge of the city of Long Beach and runs more than four miles south along the beach before turning east and ending in Ilwaco. While the trail to the south runs through some beautiful country, most of the points to see are found in the north, between 26th St NE and Sid Snyder Drive to the south:

The Gray Whale pod sculpture in wood is found about 300 feet north from the parking on Sid Snyder Dr. The sculpture of the pod, carved by a local artist from a single 14-foot log, is placed where a Gray Whale carcass washed up on the beach in 2000. A nearby monument commemorates the Corps of Discovery’s finding of an earlier whale carcass on the beach and also informs the reader about the Gray Whale and its habitat.

The Captain Clark and Sturgeon monument are found about 300 feet north of the terminus of the boardwalk at Bolstad Ave. The monuments are cast in bronze and created by a regional artist, and are inspired by Captain Clark’s own journal entry where he recorded coming across an 10-foot sturgeon that had washed up the beach. A nearby monument in stone commemorates Captain Clark’s exploration north of the Columbia River and lists the members of the Corps of Discovery who accompanied him.

The Lewis and Clark Carved Tree monument is positioned at the northern end of the Trail of Discovery. In 1805, Captain Clark led eleven men and crossed to the north bank of the Columbia River and trekked along today’s Long Beach to the approximate location of today’s bronze memorial, where Clark carved a message that included his name and the date into a live pine. The tree marked the furthest north the Corps of Discovery traveled. The actual tree was lost long ago, likely washed out to sea, but the bronze sculpture was erected in its approximate location in 2003. You could walk up the Trail of Discovery to the monument, but if your feet and knees are like mine, you will want to drive up Ocean Beach Blvd N and turn left onto 26th St NW; drive straight into the parking lot for The Breakers, 210 26th St NW, Long Beach, and turn left into the parking area reserved for visitors to the Lewis and Clark Carved Tree, which is placed about 1000 feet up the trail.

Accommodations, Dinner, and Breakfast

Numerous hotels line the peninsula, but you will still want to acquire accommodations well in advance as the peninsula is a vacation hot spot. If we were to offer a suggestion it would be to stay at the historic Shelburne Hotel. The hotel was built in 1896 and is the oldest continually operating hotel in Washington State. Shelburne Hotel, 4415 Pacific Way, Seaview, WA 98644, 360-642-2442. Other suggested options: Inn at Discovery Coast, 421 11th St SW, Long Beach, 360-642-5265; Coastal Inn and Suites, 620 Pacific Ave S, Long Beach, 360-642-3049; Inn at the Sea, 115 3rd St SW, Long Beach, 360-642-3714; Best Western Long Beach Inn, 500 Ocean Beach Blvd S, Long Beach, 360-642-8988.

Dinner: the Shelburne also has a fantastic restaurant & lounge, reservations recommended. Inn at Discovery Coast houses the Pickled Fish restaurant, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Other recommended options: The Depot Restaurant, 1208 38th Pl, Seaview, 360-642-7880, reservations recommended, dinner only; The Chowder Stop, 203 Bolstad Ave, Long Beach, 360-777-3749, lunch and dinner only, closed on Monday. Open; Drop Anchor Seafood & Grill, 900 Pacific Ave S, Long Beach, 360-642-4224, lunch and dinner only, closed on Thursday.

Breakfast: If you stayed at the Shelburne, you will be looking for a breakfast restaurant: Benson’s by the Beach, 504 Pacific Ave S, Long Beach.

Cape Disappointment State Park

Day two sees you headed south on Hwy 101 to Cape Disappointment State Park where you will immerse yourself in intriguing history and incredible natural beauty. As Cape Disappointment is a state park, a Washington State Discover Pass or a day pass is required.

Scheduling your time: timing for today’s scheduled stops is tight; we suggest bringing a lot of snacks and water or other beverages rather than stopping for lunch. And, the earlier you hit the road, the more time you will have at each site! However, if the North Head Lighthouse is open for tours, they don’t open until 11:00; unless you press yourselves to a rushed schedule, you may have to decide if you will tour the lighthouse or the Fort Columbia Interpretive Center. There is another option, however; you could bypass the Fort Canby/Lewis & Clark site and drive straight to Fort Columbia State Park (Interpretive Center closes at 3:00) and then backtrack to the Fort Canby/Lewis & Clark site. You would lose an hour in extra driving but gain an hour in tour time as the Lewis & Clark Trail Interpretive Center is open until 5:00.

Beard’s Hollow Viewpoint: at Ilwaco turn right onto N Head Rd; after one mile you will come to the turn off to the parking lot for the viewpoint overlooking the shore below. Note: parking does not accommodate RVs. 801 N Head Rd, Ilwaco, WA 98624. Open: daily 24 hours.

North Head Lighthouse: return to N Head Rd and drive south about 1500 feet, turn right onto N Head Lighthouse; parking for North Head Lighthouse is about a half-mile down the road. Note: parking does not accommodate RVs. Construction of the lighthouse was completed in 1898; at that time the lighthouse was the primary navigation aid at the mouth of the Columbia. All of the original buildings are still found at the site. Come stroll the grounds, read the interpretive panels, and maybe even climb to the top of the lighthouse for a better view! Open: May-Sep, Fri-Sun 11-3. Admission: Adult $3, 7-17 Free; must be at least 7 to climb the the lighthouse stairs. Gift shop open summer only 10-5.

Fort Canby: return to N Head Rd and continue south, merging with SR-100; you will reach the site after about a mile. Fort Canby and the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center are merged at one site: 244 Robert Gray Dr, Ilwaco, WA 98624, 360-642-3029.

In 1862, smoothbore cannons were emplaced at Cape Disappointment to protect the mouth of the Columbia River from possible enemies. The artillery installations were expanded to become Fort Canby in 1875. The fort was named after General Edward Canby, who fell in the Modoc Indian War. Improvements continued at the site through the end of World War II. Today, the fort facilities and its empty gun emplacements remain.

Lewis & Clark Trail Interpretive Center

This is the finest Lewis & Clark museum I have visited—lots of history to digest here. For your exploring of Fort Canby and the museum, plan on at least 2.5 hours. If you plan to visit Fort Columbia State Park, you should plan to arrive here no later than 11:30 and leave by 2:00; if the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center is your last visit, you only need to arrive by 2:30, as you have until 5 before the site closes.

Here are details you will need, including the address to enter into your navigation app:

Lewis & Clark Trail Interpretive Center, 244 Robert Gray Dr, Ilwaco, WA 98624, 360-642-3029. Open: Apr-Oct, daily 10-5; Nov-Mar, open Wed-Sun 10-5; closed Veteran’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr Day, Presidents’ Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day (open New Year’s Day). Admission: Adult $5, 7-17 $2.50, 6 and under Free. NOTE: the museum is really two museums in one—the upper maritime history museum is free to visit, but the Lewis & Clark Trail museum is the fee museum—and is well worth it! Note: parking at the interpretive center does not accommodate RVs. If you have difficulty climbing: the ramp leading from the parking lot to the center might present a moderate difficulty to the physically challenged; there is a handicapped parking area up on the bluff much closer to the entrance.

Fort Columbia State Park

Fort Columbia, constructed between 1896 and 1903 and not decommissioned until 1947, is considered one of the most intact historical coastal defense sites in the U.S.

Here are details you will need, including the address to enter into your navigation app:

Fort Columbia State Park, Chinook Point, Chinook, WA 98614. On Hwy 101, about a mile south of Chinook. Open: the interpretive center is open Jul 1-Sep 5, Thu-Sun 11-3, but the state park grounds are open 6:30-dusk, so plan to arrive in time to give you 30 to 45 minutes to visit the interpretive center, then explore the gun emplacements after that. Washington State Discover Pass or day use fee required.

That finishes our Raymond, Long Beach, Cape Disappointment, and Fort Columbia, Washington itinerary and it’s time to head home. We hope you enjoyed your weekend trip and are planning for your next Hit the Road itinerary!

Updated June 2024