{"id":81904,"date":"2025-12-04T22:38:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T22:38:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/81904\/"},"modified":"2025-12-04T22:38:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T22:38:08","slug":"heres-why-long-beach-peninsula-in-washington-state-was-just-named-an-overlooked-coastal-gem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/81904\/","title":{"rendered":"Here’s Why Long Beach Peninsula In Washington State Was Just Named “An Overlooked Coastal Gem”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"long\"long
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto by Marissa&Eric on Unsplash<\/p>\n

Save<\/p>\n

Travel + Leisure<\/a> just named a Washington coastline \u201can overlooked coastal gem\u201d\u2014and it\u2019s within driving distance from Seattle. It has a rain forest, six state parks, and the longest drivable beach in the U.S. We\u2019re talking about the Long Beach Peninsula, which stretches out from mainland Washington. It is located 3.5 hours from Seattle, making it the perfect coastal weekend getaway.<\/p>\n

Read on for a quick recap of why T+L thinks Long Beach Peninsula is worth the visit! <\/p>\n

The longest beach in the U.S. <\/p>\n

Stretching an incredible 28 miles, this is the longest beach in the U.S.\u2014and yes, you can even drive on it. Along the way, you\u2019ll find everything from quiet sandy expanses perfect for beachcombing to boardwalks floating above the dunes. Prefer wheels? There are paved biking and walking paths. Feeling adventurous? Surf spots and dramatic rocky cliffs are waiting for you, too.<\/p>\n

A seafood paradise <\/p>\n

The peninsula\u2019s waters are a treasure chest of fresh seafood. Its razor clam grounds are among the Pacific Northwest\u2019s best, and Willapa Bay\u2014responsible for 25% of the nation\u2019s oysters\u2014is a hub for oystering, crabbing, and fishing. Want to get closer to the action? Visitors can tour cranberry bogs or even shuck oysters with third-generation farmers. Fall travelers can enjoy the October cranberry harvest festivals and the Cranberry Museum in Long Beach.<\/p>\n

Stunning state parks <\/p>\n

This narrow stretch of coast is home to six state parks, but the standout is Cape Disappointment State Park at the peninsula\u2019s southern tip. Here, old-growth forests frame sandy beaches, working lighthouses, and sweeping ocean overlooks. One of the most photogenic spots\u2014Dead Man\u2019s Cove\u2014is just a short trek off the Cape Disappointment Trail. Nearby, the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge preserves 21,000 acres of tidelands and temperate rainforest, offering a rare glimpse of what the Pacific Northwest looked like a century ago.<\/p>\n

The \u201cKite Capital of the U.S.\u201d <\/p>\n

Although the coastline is gorgeous year-round, there\u2019s a well-known summer event that you may want to plan ahead for in 2026. Come August, coastal winds take center stage during the Washington State International Kite Festival, one of North America\u2019s largest and longest-running. It\u2019s no wonder Long Beach has earned the nickname \u201cthe kite capital of the U.S.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Photo by Marissa&Eric on Unsplash Save Travel + Leisure just named a Washington coastline \u201can overlooked coastal gem\u201d\u2014and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":81905,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[131,133,132],"class_list":["post-81904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81904"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81904\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}