- Long Beach Peninsula
The Long Beach Peninsula is an arm of land in
western Washington state. It is bounded on the west by thePacific Ocean , the south by theColumbia River , and the east byWillapa Bay .Leadbetter Point State Park andWillapa National Wildlife Refuge are at the northern tip of the peninsula,Cape Disappointment State Park , formerly known asFort Canby State Park is at the southern end, and in between isPacific Pines State Park .Cape Disappointment, part of the
Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks west of Ilwaco, was the westernmost terminus for theLewis and Clark Expedition , and a monument designed byMaya Lin as part of theConfluence Project [http://www.confluenceproject.org/] was dedicated there in 2005.The Long Beach Peninsula is remarkable for its continuous sand
beach es on the Pacific Ocean side, 28 miles in extent, claimed to be the longest beach in theUnited States and the world's largest drivable beach. Because of the fine beaches, it is a popular vacation destination for people fromSeattle, Washington , 165 miles distant, andPortland, Oregon , 115 miles distant.The peninsula is located entirely within
Pacific County, Washington . In terms of both culture and tourism, however, the Long Beach Peninsula is sometimes thought of as a northward extension of theOregon Coast region.Economy
The principal industry of the Long Beach Peninsula has become
tourism , thoughfishing ,crabbing ,oyster farming , andcranberry farming are also important components of the local economy. The Long Beach Peninsula is located on the west side of the Willapa Bay, considered the number one producer of farmed oysters in the United States and among the top five producers worldwide.The Long Beach Peninsula has become one of the most popular tourism destinations in the State of Washington and has attracted visitors from all over North America. As one of the final destinations of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, several television specials have brought publicity to this area. A multitude of events and festivals are held throughout the year including the Washington State International Kite Fesitval [http://www.kitefestival.com] , the Sandsations sandcastle sculpting competition [http://funbeach.com/events/sandsations/index.html] , and the annual The Rod Run to the End of the World [http://funbeach.com/events/cars/slowdrag/index.html] which attracts thousands of visitors on the weekend following Labor Day.
Cities and towns
*Ilwaco
*Long Beach
*Nahcotta
*Ocean Park
*Oysterville
*Seaviewee also
*
Willapa Bay
*Steamboats of Willapa Bay
*Ilwaco Railway and Navigation Company External links
* [http://www.funbeach.com] Long Beach Peninsula Tourist Info Website
* [http://longbeachpeninsula.mobi/ LongBeachPeninsula.mobi - Mobile guide to Long Beach Peninsula]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.