Walking along the silvery colored sandy beach of Leadbetter Point, while watching my dog run through the shallow waters without a care in the world, I felt captivated by the tranquility of the place. The beauty took my breath away, but it was the silence that struck me most. I couldn’t hear a single car, boat, or airplane. There wasn’t another person in site. The only thing I could hear was a couple of seagulls off in the distance.
Leadbetter Point State Park
Leadbetter Point State Park is located on the northern tip of the Long Beach Peninsula, just northwest of Oysterville. The park is nestled between Willapa Bay on the north and east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. If you’re a nature lover, you’re going to love Leadbetter Point. There are a number of great things to do at the park, including hiking, fishing, bird watching, boating, clamming, and oyster collecting.
Bird Watching
If you’re heading out to Leadbetter Point for the day, you had better take along your binoculars and a camera, because you’re going to need them. The park is home to a plethora of beautiful birds. You’ll probably see a bald eagle or peregrine falcon. Great blue herons and brown pelicans also call the place home, as do a wide variety of and ducks and geese. The wooded area is also alive with all kinds of feathered friends, such as warblers, kinglets, and chickadees. You might even spot the often elusive snowy plover. They’re an endangered species, and the chicks look a bit like little cute cotton balls hopping along the sand.
Hiking
Dune Forest Loop Trail
There are a number of great hiking trails at Leadbetter Point, or you can just walk for miles along the beach. The most important thing to know is that you should be aware of the tides. Research before you go, because the tides can come in quickly and some part of the trails aren’t accessible during high tides.
Dune Forest Loop is an easy 2.9 mile loop. Be prepared to wade through some water, especially if has been raining a lot. Park at the lower trailhead, and start out by hiking to the right out to the shoreline. Proceed north along the sandy beach toward Willapa Bay, where there is lots of driftwood, old stumps, and fallen trees. Keep your eyes out for wildlife. You might see a deer, fox, or even a black bear.
Stumps in the sand
Oyster Collecting
Willapa Bay is world renowned for its oysters. Since the two parks border each other, lots of people like to park at Leadbetter Point and then walk out onto Willapa Bay to collect their limit of 18 oysters. Keep in mind that you need a fishing license. Also, it is required that you shuck them there and leave the shells behind. The main reason is that when you remove large Pacific oyster shells from a beach, it also removes the tiny oysters that are attached to the larger shells. Since we want to be able to enjoy them for generations to come, shuck them there and leave the shells in the water so the babies can grow big.
Leadbetter Point is a marvelous place for a picnic, hike, or an evening meditation. It’s also a great place for fishing, clamming, wildlife viewing, and gathering oysters. So grab a friend, or pack up the family, and get out there and enjoy it.