The Region's Beach Hub
Ocean Shores
Built on a peninsula between the open ocean and Grays Harbor, Ocean Shores has the widest, flattest, most drivable beach on this coast, the largest concentration of hotels, condos, and vacation rentals, and a full calendar of kite festivals and beach events. The Coastal Interpretive Center is a small, worthwhile stop for natural and cultural history, including whale skeletons and tide-table displays.
The Harbor Towns
Aberdeen & Hoquiam
Twin cities at the mouth of the Chehalis River, and the largest towns in the county, with the most restaurants, services, and lodging chains along US-12/101. Aberdeen is Kurt Cobain's hometown; Hoquiam's Polson Museum covers the area's timber and shipping history, and the nearby Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge hosts one of the Pacific Flyway's largest shorebird migrations each spring.
The North Beach Towns
Copalis Beach, Pacific Beach, and Moclips run north from Ocean Shores along SR-109, each smaller and quieter than the last. Copalis and Mocrocks are prime razor-clamming beaches; Pacific Beach State Park is a low-key, uncrowded stop; Moclips was once a rail-terminus resort town, a history the small Museum of the North Beach documents. Beyond Moclips, the coast enters Quinault Indian Nation land.
Grayland & the Cranberry Coast
South of Westport, Grayland is Washington's cranberry-growing region, with working bogs, harvest activity each October, and Grayland Beach State Park for quieter camping and beach access than Ocean Shores offers.